2023 IIC Annual Report
OUR MISSION: The IIC engages youth in building meaningful leadership and educational skills. These experiences provide opportunities to develop a working knowledge about natural and cultural resources and a variety of careers in public lands management while shaping the next generation of public land leaders and advocates. This valuable work creates a sustainable and effective network of land management and education partners. The IIC leverages existing partner resources to expand partner capacity, supports local economies and under-served communities, shares knowledge regionally, and opens doors for youth development and education opportunities.
LETTER & 2023 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE IIC STAFF Thank you for your dedication to our public lands in 2023. As we reflect on the past year, we could summarize it with the words of Heraclitus: "There is nothing permanent except change." This year, the IIC has experienced much change. Our founder and longtime director, Briget Eastep, moved on to new opportunities in Gunnison, Colorado. She will be missed, but we know she will be an asset to her new organization. We are rebuilding and are full of optimism for the future of the IIC. You will see some new faces on the team, Howie Kinman-Howard and Jenn Burton. Howie, our new Youth and Crew Coordinator, worked to reboot our crew program in collaboration with the Dixie National Forest. The IIC increased its number of crews from one crew of four individuals (in 2022) to six different crews totaling 24 individuals in 2023 and started new partnerships with Iron County and the Desert Research Station. Jenn Burton started in October as our new Internship Coordinator. She is working on a needs assessment to develop new partnerships with Utah State Parks and will be the point of contact for out-of-state interns. As always, there is much to celebrate. In collaboration with our partners, we hosted 224 interns this year, who collectively earned over 2.2 million in wages and benefits while contributing 83,000 hours to conservation work. Another notable accomplishment is the design, build, and placement of a tiny home in Bryce Canyon National Park. This joint effort with Bryce Canyon National Park, SUU's Engineering Department, and Parowan High School's shop students and their teacher Matt Edwards, through coordination by the IIC, is a pilot program to help increase housing for interns and employees serving public lands. In addition, we celebrated the IIC's partnership with SUU's Disability Resource Center, receiving the Governor's 48th Annual Golden Key Award from the Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities 2023. We want to take a moment to express our gratitude to the entire IIC community - from the dedicated IIC Staff and the invaluable support services provided by SUU, to the unwavering commitment of our Steering Committee, Advisory Board, mentors, administrators, and exceptional interns. We are continually impressed with the collaborative effort that extends across a network of caring professionals. Please take a moment to review and celebrate our 2023 season, and thank you for your dedication and collaboration. Sincerely Yours in Partnership & Stewardship, The Intergovernmental Internship Cooperative Team Josh Anderson, Tayia Burge, Shannon Eberhard, Howie Kinman-Howard, Kevin Koontz, and Jenn Burton
2023 Internship Locations
Alaska
224 IIC Interns were placed across the USA, from Alaska to Maine
United States
Beyond the Classroom Not only do the IIC's opportunities extend beyond the classroom, they also extend beyond SUU and the state of Utah. This allows IIC interns to be ambassadors for Southern Utah University all across the nation! Through growing partnerships with the National Park Service's Department of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the US Fish and Wildlife Service , students can now gain professional experiences on public lands from "sea to shining sea."
Utah
2023 IIC Partners * 2007 IIC Founding Partner
National Park Service
Bureau of Land Management
Acadia National Park
* Color Country District Office:
Alaska Regional Office Aztec Ruins National Monument
Cedar City Field Office St. George Field Office
Bandelier National Monument * Bryce Canyon National Park
Richfield Field Office Paria River District Office:
Capitol Reef National Park * Cedar Breaks National Park Chaco Culture National Historic Park Chattanooga National Military Park Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park Craters of the Moon National Monument Denali National Park Florissant Fossil Beds Gateway National Recreation Area Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve Golden Gate National Recreation Area Golden Spike National Historic Park Grand Canyon Parashant National Monument Great Basin National Park Great Lakes Inventory & Monitoring Network Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument History and Preservation Program (HPA) Ice Age National Scenic Trail Inventory & Monitoring Division Lava Beds National Monument
Grand Staircase-Escalante Field Office Kanab Field Office
US Forest Service * Dixie National Forest Fishlake National Forest Kaibab National Forest Rocky Mountain Research Station
US Fish & Wildlife Service Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge Georgia Department of Natural Resources Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Tishomingo National Fish Hatchery
Other Regional Partners
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Midwest Regional Office Minidoka National Historic Site Moccasin Bend National Archeological District Montazuma Castle National Monument Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Pacific West Regional Offices * Pipe Springs National Monument Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Tuzigoot National Monument War in the Pacific National Historic Park
Garfield County Iron County Kaibab Band of Paiutes Nevada State Parks * Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah * Utah Department of Workforce Services * Utah Department of Natural Resources * Utah State Parks Zion Mountain Ranch Zion Ponderosa
Foundations & Associations Bryce Canyon Association
Yellowstone National Park Yosemite National Park
Great Basin National Park Foundation National Forest Foundation
Zion National Park
National Park Foundation Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Regional Schools
Western National Park Association Zion Forever
Regional High Schools
The Corps Network
Southern Utah University Southwest Technical College Utah Tech Snow College
THANK
YOU
FOR
FUNDING,
MENTORING
&
CARING!
2023 Diversity Statistics
3%
HAD VETERAN OR ACTIVE DUTY STATUS UP 1% FROM LAST YEAR
UP 2% FROM LAST YEAR
2023 Intern Survey Results Interns surveyed 5 years after their last internship...
54% 95% ARE CURRENTLY EMPLOYED OR WORKING JOBS ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC LANDS UP 1% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR
WOULD RECOMMEND AN IIC INTERNSHIP AS A TOOL TO GAIN RELEVANT CAREER EXPERIENCE UP 9% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR
Interns surveyed mid-2023 summer season felt like their internship...
Essential Learning Outcomes Interns will gain an INCREASED • Understanding of public lands. • Knowledge and skills in fields related to the internship. • Project Management skills. • Critical Thinking and problem solving skills. • Opportunities to develop personal responsibilities. • Mentoring that supports personal and professional growth.
Increased knowledge and skills.
Increased understanding of Public Lands.
Provided mentoring that supported academic, professional, & personal development.
Both mentors' & interns' feedback indicates interns are gaining valuable professional skills and gaining an appreciation for public lands. Feedback is used to improve our future internship experiences.
2023 Financial Overview Primary Active Investments 2018-2023 TOTAL FUNDING
TOTAL REMAINING
$ 9,528,114
$ 3,019,496
IIC's Operational Budget Expenditure
SUU Supportive Funding
IIC Supportive Funding
TOTAL
Salaries
$171,805.73
$35,204.97
$207,010.70
Wages
$3,145.18
$35,769.77
$38,914.95
Benefits
$78,910.21
$15,461.80
$94,372.01
Current Expense
$14,874.39
$14,508.65
$9,383.04
Travel
$5,519.22
$1,727.76
$7,246.98
TOTAL
$274,254.73
$102,672.95
$376,927.68
* Some % staff salaries were committed to other duties at SUU not related the IIC.
2023 Wages & Hours Overview One of the founding guidelines at the IIC is to offer interns living wages in line with GS-scale seasonal wages. Interns earn an average of $15.62 an hour (up $1.38 from 2022) with the range being from $12 for high school crew members to $18-$25 for interns in in highly skilled or leadership positions. The majority of our funding goes to interns' wages, benefits, and travel.
IIC Hours Worked (129,540 Total) + 6,120 hours compared to 2022
IIC Intern Wages + Benefits ($2,276,401 Total) + $421,432 compared to 2022
2023 Partnership Work Results
51
224 134
Internship Locations
91% 70 Surveyed
Interns Mentors
+ 10 compared to 2022
Internship Categories + 25 compared to 2022
Acknowledged the development of skills that helped them in their careers.
2023 Goals Strategic Goals As we prepare for our 2024 season, we will work with the steering committee and advisory board to guide our priorities and continue to work toward meeting our strategic goals: • Political: Establish and foster strong political relationships with national, county, and state representatives. • Economic: Invest in opportunities for youth to gain hands-on experience that will allow them to become the public land leaders and advocates of tomorrow. • Social: Increase overall awareness of the IIC – what we do and what we offer, especially in the community and among employees of public land agencies. In our office, Shannon Eberhard has developed consistent social media posts and a monthly newsletter to post job news. • Technological: Incorporate technology into internships and increase awareness with target audiences using social media, websites, and other digital platforms. • Programming: provide quality experiential work-based learning opportunities in partnership with public land professionals.
Mentoring Matters Mentoring with the Social Change Model of Leadership Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks launched a series of mentoring workshops for their IIC and other park interns, utilizing what they call "The Social Change Model of Leadership". Focusing on themes of "Consciousness of Self, Congruence, Commitment, Collaboration, Common Purpose, Controversy with Civility, and Citizenship" this unique model educates and guides interns during a series of meetings, conversations, networking, and work assignments.
2023 Academic Ties
79
The IIC engages youth in building meaningful leadership and educational skills. These experiences provide opportunities to develop a working knowledge about natural and cultural resources and a variety of careers in public lands management, outdoor recreation, and hospitality while shaping the next generation of public land leaders and advocates. This valuable work creates a sustainable and effective network of land management and education partners. The IIC leverages existing partner resources to expand partner capacity supporting local economies and under-served communities, sharing knowledge regionally, and opening doors for youth development and education opportunities. All IIC internships must include an educational component, which includes the completion of goal setting, a project/learning log, and a reflection. We encourage all interns to seek credit for their internship experience through their academic major and/or minor. The IIC also offers a professional development certificate in Public Land Stewardship and other credit options through SUU.
76
ATTEND OR GRADUATED FROM SUU
CAME FROM OTHER COLLEGES
27
42
FROM REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS
CAME FROM UNDISCLOSED ACADEMIC BACKGROUNDS
The 2023 IIC interns who worked this year continued to come from broad academic backgrounds. Those attending college majored in up to 66 different areas of study, ranging from Accounting to Zoology.
Parks & Public Lands Stewardship: Online Certificate Course The IIC team has collaborated with the Department of Professional Development and Leadership in the creation of an optional online certificate course. Interns who choose to complete this certificate course will: • Receive career development, coaching, and mentorship from a public land professional. • Complete at least 400 hours of conservation work on public lands. • Gain different perspectives on stewardship. • Set clear, achievable, and measurable professional development goals. • Practice and develop professional communication skills. • Creatively and critically think about influences governing our public lands. • Gain an understanding of public land missions, practices, and histories. • Network with public land professionals. • Gain hands-on experience through work-based learning.
2023 IIC Awards
Campus Partner of the Year:
Career & Professional Development Center, Southern Utah University Southern Utah University’s Career & Professional Development Center played a pivotal role in recruiting for Public Land Employment Day, comprehensive USA Jobs training during our Intern Training, and insightful judging of our Internship Digital Showcases. They have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success and program excellence. With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate their collaborative spirit and invaluable support, and look forward to continued achievements together.
Partner of the Year:
Dixie National Forest, US Forest Service The IIC would like to highlight the Dixie National Forest as our Partner of the Year. Despite facing funding challenges in 2022, the Dixie's unwavering commitment to the IIC youth program and IIC Crew Program has resulted in support for over 30 individual placement interns and four full youth crews. Collaboratively, they introduced two notable new partnerships with the IIC by establishing a Timber Marking Crews on the Dixie National Forest and a Pine Valley Wildfire Crisis Strategy Weeds Crew. The Dixie's engagement extended to hosting the regional foresters review, setting up mall tables for on-campus recruitment, and pioneering the "Ski with a Ranger" volunteer ski program. This recognition celebrates the Dixie National Forest's remarkable contributions and innovative spirit.
Mentor of the Year:
Jens Swensen, Fisheries Biologist Fishlake National Forest, US Forest Service Intern Hunter Gahley nominated Jens and said about his mentor "Jens proved to be an outstanding leader who has had an immense impact on his intern's personal and professional growth. Jens Swensen is worthy of the title Mentor of the Year. His infectious positive and joyful attitude makes every day working alongside him an absolute pleasure. This ability that he has to always be in such a great mood not only enhances the work environment but also motivates everyone around him to be the best version of themselves. The mentorship that he has provided helped his interns achieve many of their goals, and gain confidence in the skills and lessons they learned under his leadership."
Alumni of the Year:
Kelsie Jackson, Interpetive Park Guide Zion National Park, National Park Service Interns Elizabeth Brown and Hunter Gahley nominated Kelsie, and said " Kelsie has been nothing but kind to all the interns this summer and has made working here tons of fun! She always goes above and beyond what is required and expected, especially with regard to her interpersonal relationships. It's been really valuable to have Kelsie's insight and advice when working these internships and preparing for seasonal positions in the future. In a short 3 months, Kelsie has become one of my favorite people, and I hope to work alongside her as a seasonal ranger myself one day!"
Intern of the Year:
Nazbah Stanley, Cultural Interpretation Bryce Canyon, National Park Service Mentor Paula Eastman nominated Nazbah, and said "Nazbah embraced her internship, learning as much as possible about the cultural and natural resources of Bryce Canyon and the Grand Staircase. Her commitment to research and care in presenting accurate and relatable information to a wide range of audiences, are readily apparent. Nazbah has been an outstanding intern, proving herself an exemplary role model for the other interns. She has grown exponentially, becoming a confident interpreter. Highly experienced rangers have sent feedback regarding Nazbah’s performance, growth, and the positive impact she made on the work environment. The Bryce Canyon interpretive rangers are proud to nominate Nazbah Stanley for Intern of the Year."
Crew Leader of the Year: Alissa Thomas, Pine Valley / St. George Crew Dixie National Forest, US Forest Service IIC Youth and Crew Director Howie Kinman-Howard nominated Alissa and had to say about her "Alissa always went above and beyond. For example, she kept a cooler filled with snacks and drinks for her team at all times. She was quick to figure out solutions if there was ever a problem or issue. The Pine Valley office was going through employee transitions, with a lot of moving parts, and multiple people to be in contact with. When the Pine Valley folks weren’t available Alissa always had backup plans and projects for her crew. She made sure morale was high and was always there to help and teach. She was always taking initiative and learning everything she could during her time as a Crew Leader, which is why she is the Crew Leader of the Year!"
Youth Member of the Year: Blake Henke, St. George Crew Dixie National Forest, US Forest Service Crew Leader Alissa Thomas nominated Blake and said, "Blake has always shown up for work with an amazing attitude and enthusiasm to accomplish any project he is given. He always gets along great with his crew members and our Forest Service program partners. He is the intern who keeps our spirits up when a task is hard, and that enthusiasm and willingness to learn is why he is the crew member of the year. "
Rookie of the Year: Austin Gay, Range Richfied District Office, Bureau of Land Management Mentor Jeff Reese nominated Austin and had to say that "Austin has been instrumental in the Richfield BLM Monitoring program. He superseded expectations and was able to monitor over 135 Line Point Intercept and Photo Plots within the Richfield offices 2.2 Million acres. Austin had little to no plant identification skills when starting the internship. Now he is very knowledgeable with his plant identification skills and has a great work ethic to go with his knowledge!"
IIC Digital Showcase Winners The IIC Digital Showcase Scholarship Competition provides IIC interns with an opportunity to showcase their internship and compete for several scholarship awards. All summer season interns and crew members are encouraged to participate in the Digital Showcase. There are three scholarships available for the top three showcase presentations. First place receives $1,200, second place $1,000, and third place $700. A $300 scholarship is also being offered for the IIC's staff's favorite. To view more IIC's digital showcases scan the QR code or go to: https://www.suu.edu/iic/videos.html
1st Place: Hunter Gahley, Biological Science Tech US Forest Service, Fishlake National Forest , UT My Summer as a Fisheries Technician
2nd Place: Kaitlyn Rasmussen, Visual Information National Park Service, Zion, UT Capturing & Communicating the Wonders of Zion National Park
3rd Place: McKenzie Hagenbuch US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bosque del Apache Finding Bigfoot, New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse
IIC Choice: Kaleigh Rasmussen, Wildlife Tech Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City, UT Protecting Wildlife in the Color Country
IIC 2023 - Photos of the Year
IIC 2023 - Group Photos of the Year
IIC 2023 - Scenic Photos of the Year
Photo by Emily Burnett, Big Dipper Over Cliffs