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Internships
The Champaign Park District, located in East Central Illinois, invites college students (undergraduate and graduate) to apply for a jam packed semester experience. Spend time with us to explore new areas, gain experience, network with professionals, and build your resume. Our certified and professional staff will help you understand the daily operations of a park district while developing your skills and knowledge to prepare you for a career in parks, recreation, cultural arts, special events, risk management, or marketing.
Only students seeking to do an internship for credit or graduation requirement from an accredited college or university will be considered.
Internship options are assigned based on your strengths, growth, and interest areas. During your experience, you will lead at least one project from start to finish. In addition, district staff is available to help you with resume and cover letter preparation, interviewing techniques, and your job search.
As an intern you will have office space in one of our facilities and access to office equipment and supplies. Staff shirts and a name tag are also provided to wear to district programs.
Mission
The mission of the Champaign Park District is to provide quality parks and recreation for our community - Adopted 10/03
Get
The Facts
The Champaign Park District is a special district of local government with its own financial and legal responsibilities.
- Governed by five elected residents
- 2 outdoor pools, one a full aquatic center with lazy river and slides
- 2 owned gyms, 2 shared gyms
- $5 million outdoor sports complex
- 1 Skatepark
- 1 Historic Virginia Theatre
- 1 Cultural arts center
- 1 Childrens' petting farm
- 1 Indoor tennis facility
- Large community special events
- 71 Full time staff
- Serves a population of 75,000
- Provides over 1,200 leisure opportunities annually
- Staff active in state and national professional organizations
- United States' Nations in Bloom representative
Types of Internships
Internships may be full-time or part-time depending on students’ needs. The duration is at least 12 weeks but may go longer if your program requires it.
Full-Time
Full-time internships are usually reserved for recreation, sport, and tourism majors (or related) that need to complete a full-time internship as a graduation requirement for their college or university.
Options for full-time internships:
- Cultural Arts
Receive hands-on experience in all aspects of arts administration. Assist with art programs, pottery, dance, concerts, art contests, and art festivals.
- Virginia Theatre
Great opportunity for a theatre major to learn how to operate a 1500 seat historic community theatre, concessions, and ticket sales.
- Special populations programming
Recreation programming focused on meeting specific needs of teens, senior citizens, preschoolers, and grade-school-age day campers.
- Facilities
Experience all areas of facility management including: budgeting, staff supervision, customer service, and maintenance. Work at a variety of facilities including: theatre, gyms, community centers, and petting farm.
- Marketing
Explore the world of marketing. Develop news releases, and marketing plans. Design flyers, newsletters, handbooks, and advertisements. Work with promotions, sponsorships, research, and special events. Learn photography and videography. Assist the marketing director with special projects.
- Risk Management
Learn what it takes to provide a safe environment for both patrons and staff. Discover the ins and outs of park district insurance and loss control techniques.
- Special Events
Work district-wide special events. Learn how to plan, execute, and evaluate these programs and recruit volunteers to ensure the events’ success.
- Sports
Be part of the division that plans, organizes, develops, coordinates, and evaluates youth, adult, and senior sports. May also be part of tournament planning, concessions, and field maintenance programs depending upon the season.
- Tennis/Fitness/Aquatics
Learn the ropes of providing fitness programs, outdoor swim activities, and indoor and outdoor tennis to a large community.
- Customized
Build your own experience. Discuss your interests with the intern coordinator.
Part-Time
Part-time internships are typically for other majors looking to gain experience in the field of arts education, marketing, public relations, accounting, or risk management. Although part-time internships last 12 weeks, the hours worked per week will be significantly less than a full-time internship.
Pay Rate
Full-time interns receive a $50 per week stipend for a forty-hour week. Hours agreed to over forty hours are paid at the going hourly rate for the position. Part-time interns do not get paid or receive a stipend for their internship work. All interns are eligible for other paid employment opportunities within the district available during your internship.
Deadlines
Applications
are reviewed three times per year.
| Internship Period |
Deadline |
| Fall |
July 1 |
| Spring |
October 1 |
| Summer |
March 1 |
To Apply
- Select an internship option. Make sure you will be able to get school credit for your plan.
- Send your resume with a cover letter to:
Intern Coordinator
Champaign Park District
706 Kenwood Road
Champaign, Illinois 61821
Fax 217-355-8421
- The intern coordinator will contact you to set up an interview if you are a selected candidate.
- At the interview, you will be asked to discuss past experiences, future goals, areas of interest, and your desired outcomes from the internship. During this visit you will also meet the staff in your area of interest.
Have Questions?
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