Internships at Wilderness Inquiry

Welcome to Wilderness Inquiry (WI)! Our internship program is a unique experience, which we hope will be valuable in helping you bridge the gap between the educational community and the professional work environment. This will be a time when you will apply some of the knowledge you have acquired thus far, while continuing to learn and refine your skills.

The structure of the WI internship program is flexible in order to meet your educational requirements while you are also meeting the needs of Wilderness Inquiry. Even though you are still a student, you are viewed as a Wilderness Inquiry staff member and are an integral component to the success of the organization.

Continue reading to learn more about the specific opportunities that we have available. Thanks for your interest!

The WI Internship Experience

Specific intern experiences vary depending upon the season of year you choose and your individual academic requirements.   However, most interns experience logistical and administrative support, outdoor equipment organization and maintenance, trip leading and academic/organizational projects.  Through these experiences, and by working with diverse groups of people with and without disabilities, interns gain valuable skills in fostering social integration, adapting to individual needs, ensuring safety, implementing situational leadership, and learning and applying outdoor living skills. 

Internship dates are flexible.

Benefits:

WI internships are unpaid positions, however, we provide some great benefits and perks.

• Martha's Place, the staff house, is available to full-time interns at no charge.
• Interns participate in our Staff Training Program.
• Opportunity to earn a paid staff position after successful completion of the internship.
• Prodeals from companies such as Patagonia, Chaco, Seal Line, NRS, etc.

Certifications:

• Certs explained, click here.

We do not require interns to have certifications in order to be considered for an internship, however it is highly recommended that you work towards having the required trail staff certifications.  You must be current with these certs before you are eligible to be trail staff.

Additional Questions:

Intern FAQ

The following intern positions are currently available at Wilderness Inquiry:

Looking for a paid position? Visit our work for WI page >>

Outdoor Recreation Focus Area: Wilderness Inquiry partners with the University of Minnesota Recreation, Park & Leisure Studies Dept to offer an Outdoor Recreation Immersion Semester. This 16-20 credit leadership and skill development program complements any area of study. Highlights of the program include:

• Wilderness Inquiry led trip to Costa Rica or Kenya
• Program Development class taught at WI
• Directed study at an organization like WI or the National Park Service
• Outdoor Leadership class taught at WI's Apostle Islands Base Camp

Visit z.umn.edu/rpls for more information.

Thank you for your interest in doing an internship with Wilderness Inquiry!