Parks and Recreation Intern

About the role

The Parks & Recreation Department is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented intern for the Spring/Summer Term. This internship provides hands-on experience in parks planning, community engagement, facility assessment, and program development.

Responsibilities

• Conduct on-site evaluations of all department playgrounds, documenting equipment condition, safety compliance, age of structures, and ADA accessibility.
• Create a replacement and maintenance schedule with cost estimates and prioritization criteria.
• Present findings and recommendations to staff.
• Assess the condition of paved and unpaved paths, internal park roads, and parking lots, creating mapped or spreadsheet-based documentation of condition ratings.
• Recommend a multi-year replacement and repair plan based on usage, safety needs, and risk factors.
• Review parks, facilities, playgrounds, programs, and signage for ADA compliance, compiling results into an ADA Accessibility Report with improvement priorities.
• Identify quick fixes versus long-term capital needs.
• Research and identify service providers in Rock Island and surrounding communities across the 7 Dimensions of Well-Being: Physical, Social, Emotional, Environmental, Intellectual, Spiritual, Occupational.
• Create a comprehensive directory of health services, social support agencies, recreation providers, events, and community resources.
• Identify service gaps, partnership opportunities, and underserved populations.
• Collaborate with Parks staff and the Parks Foundation to plan one fundraising activity, assisting with event logistics, volunteer coordination, marketing, and sponsorship outreach.
• Develop a plan for field trip or special activity including program outline, budget, staffing, and other logistics.
• Assist with supervision of day camp activities.
• Affiliate with planning, coordination, and supervision of adaptive programs and events such as Special Olympics, ADAPT Social group, etc.
• Affiliate with planning, coordination, and supervision of senior programming including program outline, budget, staffing and other logistics.
• Affiliate with supervision of youth and adult sports programs.
• Affiliate with supervision of community special events including concert series, park and facility rentals, and others.
• Affiliate with planning, coordination, and supervision of golf outings, leagues and other events.
• Assist with Front Office operations including program/membership registration.
• Attend staff meetings including Park Board and City Council.
• Attend functions representing the Parks & Recreation department with community partners such as the school district, Library, and others.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a degree in Parks and Recreation or related field. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to work independently and with a team on research and fieldwork. Comfortable with outdoor work, walking park sites, and collecting data. Experience with Excel and Word. Interest in parks, recreation, public service, or community health.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree in Parks and Recreation or related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and with a team on research and fieldwork.
• Comfortable with outdoor work, walking park sites, and collecting data.
• Experience with Excel and Word.
• Interest in parks, recreation, public service, or community health.

Skills

None specified in the job posting.

Benefits

None specified in the job posting.

Pay

Not specified in the job posting.

Schedule

Not specified in the job posting.