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The Zoo is currently not accepting internship applications. If you would like to keep in touch about opportunities as they become available, please fill out our volunteer/internship form here. Thank you!

Roger Williams Park Zoo offers a wide variety of internship programs, from veterinary and animal care to education, marketing and public relations, and more.  Our internships are unpaid, but offer valuable hands-on experience.  

Internship Opportunities

Conservation Engagement Internship

Under the direction of RWPZ Manager of Family Programs and Director of Conservation, the Conservation Engagement Intern will support efforts to develop RWPZ staff, guests, and community members into active champions for wild animals and wild places. Specifically, the Conservation Engagement Intern will support two flagship community engagement initiatives; FrogWatch and a new family activism campaign (name TBD), through communications, training facilitation, social media, e-mail, community-building, data collection, and event support. In addition to contributions to the afore mentioned programs, Conservation Engagement interns will have the opportunity to be involved with and learn from additional conservation engagement projects at the Zoo. This internship is designed to for people interested in careers working in the fields of informal education, community engagement, events, marketing, and conservation. This is a volunteer position. It is unpaid and there is no housing provided.

Application period is closed.

Play Research Internship

Play Research Interns are valued members of the Our Big Backyard exhibit team within the Roger Williams Park Zoo. Our Big Backyard is a space dedicated to encouraging free play and nature exploration in young children. In this space, Interns are primarily responsible for conducting visitor studies through observation and facilitation of children’s play experiences. This is a volunteer position. It is unpaid and there is no housing provided.

Application period is closed.

School Programs Internship

The School Programs Internship is designed for people interested in informal science education. School Programs Interns are supervised and mentored by School Programs staff.  Under the direct guidance of the School Programs staff, interns will learn how to promote a positive learning environment for students involved in the Zoo’s afterschool programs. Through the observation of School Programs Staff, mentorship of a School Programs Specialist and development and implementation of a lesson, interns will learn the skills necessary to pursue a career in the informal science education field. This is a volunteer position. It is unpaid and there is no housing provided.

Application period is closed.

Animal Care Internship

Interns participating in the Animal Care Internship are responsible for working directly with the Roger Williams Park Zoo animal care staff while rotating through each animal area. This internship is designed to educate people interested in careers working with animals and in the field of conservation. This is a volunteer position. It is unpaid and there is no housing provided.

Application period is closed.

Interpretation Internship

Interpretation Interns are primarily responsible for assisting with the development, implementation, and analysis of studies conducted with RWPZ visitors. Supporting the Interpretation team within the Zoo’s Education Department, interns will learn valuable skills in the zoo field related to visitor studies, interpretation techniques, and working within a small team environment. This is a volunteer position. It is unpaid and there is no housing provided.

Application period is closed.

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