Internships At The Cooper Center

Cooper Center interns work with us to develop and enhance programs, curriculum, administration and more.  Our interns work alongside our education staff to encourage hands-on learning and exploration of the Sonoran Desert for the students of southern Arizona. Training is provided in accordance with the Cooper Center’s Mission Statement and our desire to help students develop positive feelings for the natural world, and to learn to live more lightly on the earth.

Apply For An Internship

Please send us a letter of interest and any questions you might have.

Contact Us At:
coe-coopercenter@email.arizona.edu
520-626-1825

We are fortunate to work with the following scholarship programs at the University of Arizona that help to underwrite our intern program. 

Paul Lindsey Internship

This program invites interns to learn through an experience in informal education, outside of the classroom experience. Participants intern in education-related offices, outreach programs, learning centers/programs at the school or district level, museums, evaluation agencies, or other school collaborative projects.

Outdoor environmental teaching positions include working with students PreK-12 from Southern Arizona public and private schools to encourage the hands-on learning and exploration of the Sonoran Desert. Training is provided based on the Cooper Center’s Mission Statement and the ideals of the Institute for Earth Education in order to “emphasize understanding of basic ecological processes, develop positive feelings for the natural world, and make personal lifestyle changes.”

Paul Lindsey Internship

Coverdell Fellowship

UA Coverdell Fellows commit to providing approximately 320 hours of service and outreach annually for each of two years. Service must benefit an underserved community in the United States or its territories. Service is usually conducted through a quarter-time (.25 FTE) Outreach Assistantship, which is usually paid, but is sometimes a volunteer or academic experience.
Many programs require an academic internship to graduate. A project at an agency may meet the requirements of the academic program. Academic credit is usually received. An academic advisor must agree to the internship proposal, and a final report or presentation is expected. Some outreach classes offer academic credit for service related internships, such as Community and School Gardens and Watershed Management Group internships.

Coverdell Fellowship

LLI Internships

Leadership & Learning Innovation (LLI) majors can use internships for elective credit in their program of study and are a great way for students to explore career paths, get academic credit, and build their resumes all at the same time.  Internships also give students the opportunity to: put methods and theories from coursework into practice, engage with a professional community and develop valuable leadership skills such as critical thinking, communication, and collaboration, gain concrete experience for future employers in areas such as program design, advocacy, and assessment.

The LLI internship course for credit is offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students typically want a 3-unit internship but are able to seek 1- 6 units of course credit for successfully completing the syllabus requirements of the internship course. 

LLL Internships

 

Meet Our Interns

Earth Grant Internship- Alyssa Wood

alyssa wood, wearing a light purple shirt, under a blue sky

Meet Alyssa Wood, our Earth Grant intern for the 2023-2024 school year!

Alyssa started with us back in September and has been an amazing addition to our team. She is currently at the UA majoring in History with minors in Education and Southwest Studies. Alyssa grew up with a close relationship with desert plants and animals and is passionate about creating experiences for youth to also build relationships with nature.

Her ultimate career goal is to lead a school where students "...develop a genuine desire and excitement towards learning based on an exploration and appreciation of the environment they live in," by centering both local environment and global issues in the curriculum.