Popular Park Ranger Training Program Halted: NPS Diversity Internships Suspended After 15 Years
A special program that helped college students become park rangers has been stopped. The National Park Service (NPS) Academy, which ran for 15 years, is no longer accepting new students this year.
The program was especially important for students from diverse backgrounds. It helped them get paid internships at famous national parks like Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Since 2011, about 20 students each year got to work in parks, help visitors, and learn about nature conservation.
In February 2025, the program was suddenly suspended, writes GearJunkie in their environmental report. The suspension happened around the same time many park workers lost their jobs.
No adequate support
“How can we have an internship program if there’s no middle management staff to manage them?” Charles-Tomkins told SFGate. “There were concerns that there wouldn’t be adequate support for the interns this summer.”
Deja Charles-Tomkins, who used to manage the program, lost her job too. She was reviewing applications for spring when she learned the program was ending.
When asked about the program, the National Park Service responded: “The National Park Service is currently reviewing the NPS Academy program,” the email to GearJunkie read. “We continue to provide a variety of opportunities for young adults to engage in the management of public lands. These include multiple programs in partnership with non-profit service-oriented groups that will host dozens of paid young adult internships this year in support of park operations.”
More diverse
The NPS Academy was started to make park staff more diverse. According to a 2020 report, 78% of park employees are white, which is 18 percent higher than in the general population.
The program’s suspension comes after President Trump signed an order in March ending diversity programs across the government. When asked if the Academy would return, NPS said: “NPS Academy is not happening at this time. Future years may be reviewed when the time comes.”
