Career Discovery Internship Program

The purpose of this federal assistance is to attract a culturally and ethnically diverse group of students to serve in Student Conservation Association (SCA) internships on units of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Career Discovery Internship Program (CDIP). This service develops stewardship skills in young, diverse women and men while providing the opportunity to explore conservation careers with the Federal Government. As part of the Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative, the program gives students hands on public lands service. CDIP interns attend a specialized week long orientation and training, learning with Service staff and recipient staff about environmental stewardship, problem solving, work culture and cultural and intergenerational understanding. During the following 12 week program, interns work at various Service sites throughout the country. Substantial involvement on the part of the Service is anticipated for the successful completion of the activities to be funded. In particular, the Service will be/expects to be responsible for reviewing and selecting applicants for each intern position, hosting the orientation at a National Wildlife Refuge, providing several sessions during orientation, supervising interns throughout the summer program, and evaluating interns at the completion of the program. This is a notice of intent to award a single source cooperative agreement to SCA without competition under justification 505DM 2.14.B.4. Competition for the award is not practical as the Service and the SCA have worked together to develop and implement the CDIP since 2008, and have tailored the program to meet the needs of the Service and the student. SCA is one of the largest and most successful providers of conservation service opportunities for high school and college students. The SCA is uniquely qualified to receive funds from the Service to continue this long-standing and highly effective partnership.