The Water Resources and Policy Initiatives is recruiting full-time students that are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate disciplines at any of the twenty three California State University (CSU) campuses and/or the one hundred thirteen California Community Colleges (CCC).

This internship program funded by Water Resources Experiential Learning for USDA  Carrers Internship Program is  aimed at students in the following primary disciplines and subject matter areas: Water Science/Water Resources, Environmental Sciences/Management, Conservation, Renewable Energy, and Natural Resources including Forestry and Ecology/Wetlands, Biological Sciences including General/Basic Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology, Plant Sciences and Horticulture including Turf Sciences, Agricultural/Biological Engineering, Agricultural Social Sciences and Soil Science. These disciplines will prepare students for occupations which the USDA Office of Human Capital Management has identified as Mission Critical, including Forestry Technician, General Biological Scientist, Biological Science Technician, Soil Conservation Specialist, Soil Conservation Technician, Forestry Specialist, Soil Science Specialist and Statistician Specialist. Please note: the project is not exclusive to these disciplines and areas because the USDA employs a variety of college-educated specialists.

The primary objective of this annually renewable 4-year USDA Regional or National Collaboration project that was awarded to CSU’s Water Resources and Policy Initiatives (WRPI) is to measurably increase the encouragement, retention, graduation, and USDA career attainment of underrepresented California State University and California Community College students. The project is managed by the Water Resources and Policy Initiatives at Cal State San Bernardino and administered as a Sponsored Program of the University Enterprises Corporation.

The strategic goal of this project is to measurably increase student research skills that ensure our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while simultaneously enhancing the sustainability of the Nation’s water resources.

The Program targets students underrepresented in the USDA workforce, currently defined for this Program as Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, and disabled; however all ethnicities are welcome to apply.  Applicants should have a sincere interest in working for the USDA.