The South Park National Heritage Area established its internship program in 2012 to provide hands-on educational opportunities. SPNHA interns work on Heritage Area projects and programs or are placed with partner organizations to achieve mutual goals. Typically, interns are temporary employees of Park County government and receive an hourly wage but no benefits. Internships are announced in May of each year and last three to six months. When internships are announced, applications will be available on the Park County website.

Current Interns

SPNHA has partnered with the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative to host an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) in 2014-15. The VISTA is part of the Western Hardrock Watershed Team, which provides volunteers to communities dealing with the environmental and economic effects of historic mining operations.

Past Internships

In 2012 SPNHA provided an intern to the Park County Office of Historic Preservation to complete a reconnaissance survey of historic properties in the town of Fairplay. The intern was able to learn about the daily operations of a Certified Local Government and gain valuable experience in documenting cultural resources. The intern made recommendations on the eligibility of these historic properties, which can now be intensively surveyed and potentially designated. These efforts culminated in the creation of a report and a presentation on surveying methods at Colorado Preservation, Inc.’s 2013 Saving Places Conference in Denver, Colorado.

SPNHA has partnered with the Mosquito Range Heritage Initiative to host an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) each year since 2013. The VISTA is part of the Western Hardrock Watershed Team, which provides volunteers to communities dealing with the environmental and economic effects of historic mining operations. The VISTA works with SPNHA to support economic development and heritage tourism projects while expanding organizational capacity.

In 2013, SPNHA has once again provided an intern for the Park County Office of Historic Preservation. The intern worked on an intensive survey of historic properties in Fairplay and assisted the office with other important research endeavors, including nominations and a cemetery survey.