About the Pathways Program
Applications for the 2026 Pathways Program are now closed.
Are you interested in learning more about careers in the outdoors?
Pathways internships are paid opportunities offered by Three Rivers Park District that provide young people, particularly those facing barriers to employment, real-world experiences to explore a career in parks and recreation.
The Pathways Internship Program provides an opportunity to explore a specific career area within the Park District and build career readiness skills at Development Days throughout the summer.
Program Details
- Duration: June through August.
- Hours of work: Approximately 20 hours per week. Select roles are 40 hours per week.
- Scheduling: Varies, based on position. As Three Rivers Park District operates seven days a week, some interns may work exclusively on weekdays (M–F) or they may have some weekend shifts.
- Pay: Minimum of $15 an hour.
Internship Areas
Browse all internship opportunities below or navigate directly to your area of interest:
Transportation Assistance
The Three Rivers Park District Foundation provides transportation scholarships to Pathways Interns when the ability to find reliable transportation impacts their participation in a Pathways Internship or activities associated with their internship.
For more information on this opportunity or to discuss transportation barriers, please email Char Myers or Terrell Lhotka.
Education and Recreation Internships
Our education opportunities include working at one of our Nature Centers or other programming sites where you will help staff deliver high-quality, education and recreation programs to students and the public.
- Art Education Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Silverwood Park (St. Anthony)
Under direction, assist staff in conducting programs that provide a comprehensive nature-inspired art education that will increase the public’s awareness to more fully appreciate, enjoy and utilize the natural environment and facilities of the Park District through the creation and/or appreciation of visual and performing art.
Interns will specifically support Silverwood Art Educators and Interpretive Naturalists during public programs including summer day camps or large indoor and outdoor events for youth, family and adult audiences.
In addition, interns will have the opportunity to interact with outside artists from the community in spaces such as the classroom, gallery or performance venue.
- Camp Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Baker Outdoor Learning Center (Maple Plain)
As an Outdoor Education Intern at the Baker Outdoor Learning Center, you will assist naturalist staff with archery, canoeing, fire-making, geocaching and other outdoor education programs.
The focus of this internship will be on summer camps. The BOLC offers both day and overnight summer camps for youth ages 10-15 and also offers family camps.
You will assist camp staff where you will engage and inspire youth in the outdoors (and have fun!).
- Minimum age: 16 years old
Mississippi Gateway Regional Park (Brooklyn Park) — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
As an Explorers Camp Intern at Mississippi Gateway, you will be helping to create positive experiences in nature for BIPOC audiences in the community.
You will work with professional environmental educators and assist them in leading nature-based summer day camps in parks, schools, and neighborhood sites for elementary-aged kids.
Programs will focus on both outdoor recreation and nature education, such as archery, fire building, learning about plants and bugs and so much more.
- Minimum age: 15 years old
- Farm Garden & Program Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Gale Woods Farm (Minnetrista)
As the Farm Garden & Porgram Intern at Gale Woods, you will work in the gardens and help with maintaining and harvesting from them to sell in our store and at our market.
The intern will also have the opportunity to assist with the care of feeding of our livestock and support farm education programs for all ages of visitors. These programs give people the opportunity to experience life on a working farm and learn about where their food comes from.
- Minimum age: 16 years old
- Outdoor Education Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Eastman Nature Center (Maple Grove)
As an Outdoor Education Intern at Eastman Nature Center, you will work alongside professional naturalists assisting in programming that connect park guests to the outdoors.
Most of the internship time is focused around working with children our nature-based summer camps, but you will have opportunities to participate in other types of programs if available.
You will also be offered the opportunity to learn about our care and handling of our captive animals.
Lowry Nature Center (Victoria)
Outdoor Education Interns at Three Rivers nature centers will assist with nature education programs for visitors of all ages.
The focus will be placed on the summer camp programs, where you will help the naturalists engage and inspire the wonder of nature in children.
- Outdoor Recreation Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
French Regional Park (Plymouth) and Cleary Lake Regional Park (Prior Lake)
The Outdoor Recreation School (ORS) operates from two primary home bases—French Regional Park and Cleary Lake Regional Park—while delivering programs across many park locations throughout the Three Rivers Park District. ORS offers outdoor recreation experiences for visitors of all ages, inspiring a love of the outdoors through active recreation such as paddling, archery, fishing, youth summer camps, adapted recreation and more.
ORS interns work approximately 20 hours per week with a highly variable schedule that may include weekdays, evenings and weekends. Interns will have the opportunity to work at multiple park locations rather than a single site. ORS staff collaborate with interns to build schedules that balance intern interests, availability and transportation considerations with the needs of programs across the district.
- Minimum age: 16 years old
Park Maintenance and Natural Resources Internships
Our maintenance opportunities allow you learn what goes into keeping our parks and facilities looking beautiful.
Meanwhile, our natural resources opportunity provides field experience with restoring and protecting native plant communities, promoting wildlife diversity, and monitoring and improving water quality across the park system.
- Carpentry Services Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Elm Creek Park Reserve (Plymouth) or Silverwood Park (St. Anthony)
As a Carpentry Services Intern, you'll have a great opportunity to explore a career working in the construction trades in a large park system.
You will learn from Journeyman Carpenters the use of hand and power tools, routine equipment operation and maintenance. Work will include site prep and clean-up along with maintaining the facilities in a clean, safe manner.
- Minimum age: 18 years old
- District Nursery Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
As a district nursery intern, you will learn and work alongside nursery and forestry staff growing and caring for native plants, reforestation, forest management and invasive species control.
We are hiring two interns for this full-time season internship. A driver’s license is preferred but not required.
- Minimum age: 18 years old
- Natural Resources Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
French Regional Park (Plymouth)
As the Natural Resources intern based out of the Field Operations Center, you will assist field staff from our invasive species, wildlife, water quality, forestry and horticulture programs with projects throughout the Park District. This rotational experience will provide an overview of the work this department engages in to keep our park reserves and undeveloped areas restored and maintained in a natural state.
Field projects could include vegetation surveys, invasive species mapping and removal, tree planting, native landscape maintenance, lake and stream sampling, wildlife and insect surveys, seed collection and plant nursery propagation.
Most of the work will be outdoors, with some limited office tasks planned for inclement weather. This role is part of the dynamic natural resources team, committed to stewardship of the Park District’s natural resources and ecosystems.
Note: While you do not need your own car for this role, a driver's license is preferred to operate district vehicles.
- Minimum age: 18 years old
Park Operations Internships
Our park operations opportunities include working at one of our park locations to help provide a great experience for our guests. These opportunities could include working at one our visitor center locations or golf courses.
- Public Safety Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Baker Park Reserve (Medina)
As a Public Safety Intern, you will get real-world experience working inside a police department. You will assist the Public Safety Coordinator, Chief and Officers with day-to-day tasks. You will also get experience handling questions, problems and payments from the public.
This would be a great opportunity for anyone looking for a future career in law enforcement or any career in customer service.
- Minimum age: 18 years old
Community Events, Outreach and Technology Internships
Our events, outreach and technology interns will work side-by-side with our staff who help promote and support Three Rivers Park District.
- Community Engagement Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
French Regional Park (Plymouth)
As the Community Engagement Intern you will assist staff in introducing new audiences to camping, biking and other nature-based activities.
Interns in this role will start each work day at French Regional Park, but will work primarily at other park locations and even outside of the Park District helping to facilitate activities to audiences of all ages.
Interns will receive training to help lead a variety of recreation activities, will help with gear maintenance and management, and will also represent Three Rivers at community events talking with the public about opportunities available through the parks. We are hiring two interns for this role.
- Minimum age: 15 years old
- Learning & Development Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Administrative Center (Plymouth)
Are you ready to make an impact while gaining experience in learning & development? Join our Human Resources team as a Learning & Development Intern!
This is your opportunity to work on projects like creating onboarding videos for seasonal staff, designing mentoring program content and contributing to learning modules, which will help you build basic instructional design skills. Gain valuable experience while learning about parks & rec, all while helping enhance a positive workplace culture.
- Donor Relations Internship — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Administrative Center (Plymouth)
Are you creative, organized and interested in events, fundraising or social media? The Donor Relations Intern will help bring our Foundation’s annual fundraising event on August 27, 2026 to life while learning how nonprofits build meaningful relationships with donors and volunteers.
This role will primarily focus on supporting this major event through social media content creation, a Giving Tree initiative, day-of-event support and other hands-on event planning tasks. You’ll also serve on the event planning committee, gaining behind-the-scenes experience from start to finish.
In addition, you’ll help develop fun and thoughtful ways to thank donors and create key touchpoints with supporters. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants real-world experience in event planning, fundraising, marketing and relationship-building—and wants to make a meaningful impact while doing it.
- Minimum age: 18 years old
- IT/GIS Internships — NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
Administrative Center (Plymouth)
IT/GIS interns will assist IT and GIS Staff in carrying out Help Desk tasks and other field work to help the Park District achieve its technological goals. We are hiring two interns for this role.
Duties may include, but are not limited to: setup of computers/IT equipment, assisting users calling the IT Help Desk and using GPS equipment/GIS applications to collect park features, as well as operating a 3D camera to scan park facilities.
- Minimum age: 16 years old
Contact Us For More Information
Have questions? Please email Char Myers or Terrell Lhotka.
Other Opportunities
Three Rivers offers many other opportunities to get involved, including volunteer programs, part-time and seasonal roles and job shadowing.
