Summer 2026 Student Internships

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation 2026 Summer Intern Cohort Opportunities

Application Deadline: April 3, 2026

Estimated Internship Duration: June 8, 2026 – mid/late August, 2026

Pay ranges from $19.72/hour to $36.47/hour depending on the internship level

Location: San Jose, California

Apply at: 2026 Student internship cohort | Santa Clara County Parks | County of Santa Clara

Once you have completed and submitted your application, email a PDF copy of your application it to us directly at parkshr@prk.sccgov.org. Don't forget to include in the email the PDF copy of your application along with your name, contact information, and which internship(s) you are applying. You will hear from us soon.

Job Description

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation has some great internship opportunities available for Summer 2026.

If you are interested in applying, please apply at 2026 Student internship cohort | Santa Clara County Parks | County of Santa Clara and follow the instructions.  

Please note, once you have completed and submitted your application through the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation website, email Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation directly ParksHR@PRK.sccgov.org and attach a PDF copy of your application along with your name, contact information, and the title of the internship you are applying for to let us know what opportunity you are interested in.  

Internships are a great way to obtain practical work experience and learn more about Santa Clara County as an employer. The estimated start and end date of the Summer 2026 internship is June 8, 2026 – mid/late August, 2026. Below you will find a list of Summer 2025 internship opportunities.

• Crafting History at Martial Cottle Park – Student Intern Level IV
• Invasive Species Mapping Management – Student Intern Level II, III or IV
• Environmental Health and Safety – Student Intern Level II, III or IV
• Turf Conversion Feasibility Study – Student Intern Level III
• Maintenance Asset Management – Student Intern Level II or III

Student Intern Eligibility and Level 

To qualify for the student intern classifications, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Have a legal right to work in the United States
• High school students under eighteen will require a work permit, which may be obtained through the high school counselor or the Employment Development Department (EDD)
• Be enrolled in an accredited institution or a school licensed by a state agency, or have graduated from such an institution or school within the last six months
• Have an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale
• Submit a completed County job application for employment, official/unofficial transcript, and proof of enrollment or course schedule for the current school session
• May be required to pass a Live Scan background check
• May be required to pass a physical examination

Student Intern - Level II

You must be:

• a freshman or sophomore year college student, or
• a community college student, or
• a vocational school student who has completed high school.

Student Intern - Level III

You must be:

• a junior or senior year college student, or
• a degree-holder student working on your secondary degree or professional certification.

Note: Student interns hired in this level must perform duties related to their field of study.

Student Intern - Level IV

You must be:

• a professional or graduate school student, or
• a degree-holder student working on your secondary degree or professional certification.

Note: Student interns hired in this level must perform duties related to their field of study.

For more details, please visit our website at 2026 Student internship cohort | Santa Clara County Parks | County of Santa Clara.

Crafting History at Martial Cottle Park, Level IV:

Martial Cottle Park celebrates the shared agricultural past of Silicon Valley while highlighting the innovations of our modern era. The Martial Cottle Park team is seeking an intern to develop, design, and create a take home craft kit that will be educational, have a clear connection to Park history, and engage visitors of all ages. The intern will work alongside the Parks Program Coordinator to package the craft with instructions, promotional materials, and translate everything into Spanish and Vietnamese. 

Thursday, Friday, and every other Saturday 9am-4pm. 

Preferred Area of Study/Major:

Education/History/Environmental Studies/Graphic Design

Invasive Species Mapping Management, Level II/III/IV

The Natural Resource Management (NRM) program’s goal is to nurture open spaces in which wildlife and humans thrive. To protect natural habitat for native species, NRM staff first need to understand the extent of invasive species encroachment in Santa Clara County Parks grasslands and forests. The Natural Resource program is seeking summer interns who can work independently in the field, walk/hike up to five miles while carrying equipment up to 20lbs, and use four-wheel drive vehicles to access backcountry sites and accurately map invasive species distribution in parklands. This information will inform future invasive species management strategies and contribute to the program's operations.

Flexible on days, at least 24 hours per week

Current Driver’s License Required

Preferred Area of Study/Major:

Biology, Environmental Sciences/Studies, Ecology, Fire Science, Park Management, or similar

Environmental Health and Safety, Level II/III/IV:

The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) team plays a vital role in ensuring the organization’s compliance with environmental, occupational health, and safety regulations. We focus on managing a large range of programs such as environmental compliance, occupational safety, fire protection, hazardous materials management, industrial hygiene, and public drinking water systems. The EH&S intern will develop and update Santa Clara County Parks safety trainings and policies for a variety of topics through written procedure, electronic/cloud access, and video formats.

Monday through Friday, 20-40 Hours per week (flexible schedule)

Preferred Area of Study/Major:

Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences, Health & Safety, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field.

Turf Conversion Feasibility Study, Level III:

The Parks Planning team ensures that the Parks Department’s projects and land use decisions are well-informed and planned in context with available resources. Turf or grass lawns cover much of parklands and, while they are pleasing to look at, require a lot of resources and management to maintain and do not provide shelter for visitors or animals. This summer, Parks Planning is seeking an intern to investigate the feasibility of removing or converting turf areas in County Parks. The Turf Conversion Feasibility Study Intern will review literature, find examples and case studies in similar parks systems, analyze water utility data, and create recommendations for turf removal at specific parks throughout the Santa Clara County Park system. 

Monday through Friday, 20-40 Hours per week

Preferred Area of Study/Major:

Planning, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Management

Maintenance Management System Intern, Level II/III:

The Parks Maintenance Program is dedicated to ensuring all Santa Clara County Parks are clean and safe for the enjoyment of the public. This summer, the Maintenance Program is seeking two interns to update and catalogue asset conditions and general status within the Parks computerized maintenance management system (NexGen). Interns will have the opportunity to visit multiple sites throughout the Parks system, systematically inspect registered assets, take photographic documentation as well as collect data to input into the NexGen system and databases.

Monday through Friday, 20 hours per week

Current Driver’s License Required

Preferred Area of Study/Major:

Engineering, Natural Resources, Construction Management, Project Management, Public Administration

Internship Fast Facts

• County Parks internships are paid! Pay ranges from $19.72/hour to $36.47/hour depending on the level of internship.
• Internships can be in the field, in an office, or both! All types of work support the mission and operation of County Parks.
• During our summer internship cohort program all internships feature:
  • Career-building opportunities, including a meet and greet with the Parks Executives, Resume building workshop and Mock Interviews!
  • Capstone Projects, including a presentation day at the end of the internship, enabling you to walk away from your time at Parks with project planning experience and a professional presentation under your belt!
• Internships are designed to support certain stages of your academic career! For information regarding intern levels and their corresponding academic stages, visit the Employee Services Agency - Student intern site.