Attend all online Module presentations. Participate in at least two coaching sessions. Design, develop, and present an internship conservation project using the training themes and topics from the internship lessons learned. The project can be completed individually or in a group with peers from the internship. Student interns must submit a project plan to mano-Y-ola coaches for approval. mano-Y-ola's team will provide additional information and instructions about the projects during the training.

Interns will be working under the supervision of a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office and a conservationist. The interns will have an opportunity to work in teams or individually, depending on the Office's outreach needs and priorities. Each office focuses on implementing NRCS programs: Environmental Improvement programs; Conservation Technical Assistance programs; Stewardship programs; and others. The mano-Y-ola internship students will have the opportunity to observe and participate in these programs and services. mano-Y-ola interns will have the chance to interact and participate in training and join efforts with employees and other interns, including those in the Pathways Program.

For the last four years, mano-Y-ola established relationships with NRCS offices in the following states: North Carolina, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Each state contact and supervisor will select a candidate from the final candidates invited by mano-y-ola to participate. The states choose candidates based on students’ academic interests and offices' needs. After the state selects the candidates, mano-Y-ola will provide information about the state NRCS office and the contact person supervising them during the six-week internship.

mano-Y-ola’s internship program plans to place students at different locations across the United States. Each site is unique, and many are in rural areas where transportation and lodging are not easy to find. However, we offer Travel Stipends to cover airfare and the best possible ground transportation available (when necessary) to the internship work location.

Semi-Virtual: $15 per hour x 44 hours within a three-month period. Travel: $15 per hour x 40 hours a week for six weeks.

The allocated funding covers a maximum number of hours for each internship, not overtime.

Many of mano-Y-ola's former interns have experienced success and accepted offers to progress academically and professionally. We hope that this internship opens doors and prepares you for the professional or academic opportunities you choose to follow. You may also decide to apply to the USDA Pathways Program, graduate programs, or job opportunities.