Position Summary 

The placements will work at the park field headquarters in Port Alsworth. Placements will learn about many programs at the national park, but there will be an emphasis on customer service, public outreach and education programs, and will offer cross training opportunities in the natural and cultural resource fields. The primary goal is to assist with curriculum building and delivery for youth experiences in Port Alsworth and in local villages.

Location 

Port Alsworth, AK

Schedule 

May 17, 2026 - September 6, 2026

Key Duties and Responsibilities 

Interpretation Work:

The placements will work with the interpretation and education team to develop and hone skills in customer service, communications and public information, interpretation, and education programming skills through staffing the VC desk, co-facilitating junior ranger programming, writing social media posts, and creating and presenting original presentations and programs to the public. They will also have time for self-study and work on projects of personal interest.

Oversight:

The Field Supervisor would be the first level supervisor for interpretation efforts and would provide all onsite training and mentorship for the visitor services components. Additional mentors are onsite to oversee daily tasks in respective professions.

Work Setting:

Much of the work will take place in a climate-controlled office setting and may be repetitive in nature. Fieldwork will take place over rugged terrain and oftentimes carrying heavy and bulky gear when traversing high density bear areas in inclement weather.

Training, Skills, Experiences:

Skills learned through training or on the job experience will include: 

• Creative writing 
• Customer Service 
• Public Speaking 
• Public Information 
• Public Presentation Delivery to General Audiences 
• Education Programming Planning and Implementation 
• Curriculum Building and Delivery 
• Interpretation Professions in the NPS 
• Presentation Development and Delivery 
• Social Media 
• Creative Thinking 
• Conflict De-escalation 
• Resume Building and Writing 
• NPS/LACL policy 
• Aviation 
• Navigation and Map Reading 
• Backcountry Navigation and Outdoors Skills 

Marginal Duties 

The interpretation team will work directly with the placements to learn more about prospective career interests and coordinate job shadows within the park in Port Alsworth, as appropriate and able. This will provide the placement opportunities for networking, skill development, multidisciplinary experiences, and knowledge of Lake Clark National Park and NPS processes.

Career shadow opportunities are available in the following areas: maintenance, administration, backcountry, law enforcement, trails, archaeology, curatorial, natural resources, and cultural resources. The Interpretation team will work with the placements to determine potential areas of interest for shadowing and facilitate connections and experiences as able.

Required Qualifications 

Placements must be comfortable with work performed both indoors in an office setting and outdoors in the field. Placements must be willing to perform work outside under extreme weather conditions and outdoor conditions common to Southwest Alaska, including temperature ranges from 30-80 degrees in summer, and possibly when summer wildfire smoke and rain occur.

This SCA Position is authorized under the Public Land Corps Authority. All participants must be between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger. Participants must also be a citizen or national of the United States or lawful permanent resident alien of the United States. Hours served can be applied toward the Public Land Corps (PLC) hiring authority.

Preferred Qualifications 

Experience developing and delivering presentations.

Hours 

40 per week

Living Accommodations 

Park housing is provided and living and sleeping quarters may be shared.

There are no grocery stores in Port Alsworth, and all food is ordered online and flown in via small plane. There is a health clinic in Port Alsworth, but major services are a plane ride away in Anchorage.

Lake Clark hosts many summer placements across multiple disciplines. Due to the nature of work in Lake Clark, workgroups are often dispersed across land and sea, and it is not uncommon to meet someone at the beginning of season and not see them again until the end! There is a community of rangers and locals located in Port Alsworth outside of immediate interpretation and resource teams.

Compensation  

$700/week living allowance

$1,300 one-time travel stipend

$1,500 duty-related reimbursements for training and development

$1,956.35 completion bonus awarded upon successful completion of the position

All allowances are subject to applicable federal, state, and local taxes. 

Personal Vehicle Information

Not needed

Additional Benefits 

Bear Safety

Interpretive Skills

AmeriCorps: Not Eligible

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The Student Conservation Association, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The SCA strives to cultivate a work environment that encourages fairness, teamwork, and respect among all staff members and is committed to maintaining a work atmosphere where lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.