2025 CAPAL U.S. Forest Service Public Land Corp & USDA STEM Internship Application

This application form is intended for students interested in the 2025 U.S. Forest Service Public Land Corps and USDA STEM internship opporunities. This program is open to students and recent graduates with an interest or background in: natural resources, STEM, biology, forestry, etc. for an internship with the U.S. Forest Service and the USDA. Students have the opportunity to be considered for the U.S. Forest Service Public Land Corps Program and USDA Internship Program. The U.S. Forest Service Public Land Corps Program consists of a 640-hour internship with the U.S. Forest Service that provides students with hands-on field experience at one of U.S. Forest Service’s national sites as well as professional development opportunities. The USDA Internship Program consists of a 320-hour, STEM-based research internship in a USDA field office.

If you are interested in applying for the general 2025 Public Service Scholarship & Internship Program, please apply here.

First Name *

Last Name *

Street Address *

Address Line 2

City *

State/Province/Region *

Zip/Postal Code *

Home State 🛈

Country *

Email Address *

Phone Number *

CAPAL U.S. Forest Service & USDA STEM Internship Program

Have you applied for the CAPAL program before? *

Yes

No

What is your current status as a student?

This program is open to both current undegraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates. *

Undergraduate Student

Graduate Student

Recent Graduate (1-3 years after graduation)

Gap Year/Other

All students, in addition to their internship, are required to participate in CAPAL's programming including: Washington Leadership Program series, mentoring, cohort sessions, Community Action Project, professional development workshops, and roundtables. Upon acceptance into CAPAL's program, will you be able to participate in CAPAL's programming?

A previous program schedule can be found here. *

Yes

No

In the circumstance that you will be working virtually, will you have access to a reliable Internet connection on a computer or laptop? *

Yes

No

If working remotely, will you be physically based in the U.S. for the duration of your internship?

Most CAPAL internships will require the studenet to be based in the U.S. while working remotely.
*

Yes

No

Do you plan on taking more than 1 week off during the duration of your internship?
*

Yes

No

The CAPAL U.S. Forest Service Public Land Corp Program consists of a 640-hour internship with the U.S. Forest Service. These internships provide hands-on fieldwork experience at U.S. Forest Service sites and involve projects ranging from: Natural Resource, STEM, ArcGIS mapping, etc. These internships can occur over 2 consecutive semesters (for example, fall & spring, spring & summer, or 2 consecutive summers), and the intern would be compensated accordingly. Are you able to commit to a 640-hour internship?

These internships are intended to serve as pathways programs with the internship agency for potential longer-term employment. *

Yes

No

In addition, CAPAL is recruiting for a 320-hour, STEM-based internship with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Are you able to commit to a 320-hour internship? *

Yes

No

CAPAL offers internship opportunities year-round. Please select the terms below that you would like to be considered as an applicant. *

Spring 2025

Summer 2025

Fall 2025

If you selected more than one term, please rank your preferences for the terms that you would like to be considered for. 1=First Preference, 2= Second Preference, 3= Third Preference (This is OPTIONAL)

	Spring 2025
	Summer 2025
	Fall 2025

If you selected Summer 2025, can you begin your internship on the official start date of Monday, June 9?

Yes

No No

If you have applied for the spring and/or fall 2025 terms, will you be available to intern full-time (40 hrs/week) or part-time? (Part-time hours will vary depending on the internship agency. Hours can range from 15-20 hrs/week)

Spring and fall internships will be part-time or full-time. All summer internships will be full-time.

Full-Time

Part-Time

Both

Are you currently part of a program where you will receive funding for an unpaid public service internship?

CAPAL provides a stipend for all students, however in the case that the student is receiving funding for their internship from another source, CAPAL can match the student at a partner organization, supported by the student's external source of funding in lieu of the CAPAL-issued stipend.

Yes

No

In the case that the internship is in-person, will you be available to travel to the internship site? If there are certain cities/locations you have preference for should the internship be in-person, please indicate so below.

Note: Most field internships will most likely be in-person. *

Yes

No No

Note: The majority of our STEM field internship placements are in national parks or rural areas, surrounded by nature. Previous internship locations include: Lake Tahoe, CA, and Milford, PA. Do you have prior experience and/or are you comfortable working in this environment? Note: Government housing will likely be available *

Yes

No No

Do you currently possess a valid driver's license? *

Yes

No

Would you like to be considered as an applicant for CAPAL's General 2025 Public Service Scholarship & Internship Program? Program requirements and details will vary. Additional information about the program can be found here. *

Yes

No

Education

Degree Pursued *

Academic Year *

Are you currently enrolled as a full or part-time student? *

Full-Time

Part-Time

I am not currently enrolled as a student

If you have graduated, please put your year of graduation. (If you are a current student, please put N/A) *

Name of College or University *

Program or Major

Please separate multiple majors with commas. You do not need to specify minors or concentrations.
*

Do you currently attend a member school of the Midwest Asian American Students Union?

Check if your school is a MAASU member organization here. Note: If you attend a MAASU Member School, you will be elgibile for the Midwest Asian American Students Union (MAASU) Scholarship. *

Yes

No

Skills

Your answers in this section do not determine placement in the program, rather your answers assist evaluators in deciding which internships would be best suited as related to select skills you may possess. Please answer honestly.

Natural Resources

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of natural resources on a scale of 1-5. This can include any previous experiences with: wildlife biology, botany, fisheries, forestry, hydrology, geology, etc.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding natural resources.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in natural resources and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

Public Affairs & Communications

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of public affairs and/or communications on a scale of 1-5.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding public affairs and communications.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in public affairs and/or communications and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

Public Services

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of public service on a scale of 1-5. This can include previous experiences in areas such as: recreation, landscape architecture, archeology/heritage, firefighting, aviation management, etc.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding public services.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in public services and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

Research and Development

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of research and/or development on a scale of 1-5.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding research/development.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in research and/or development and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

Business and Administration

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of business and/or administration on a scale of 1-5. This can include previous experiences such as: budget, contracting, human resources, administrative and management support, etc.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding business/administration.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in business and/or administration and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

Engineering

Please rank your proficiency/familiarity in the field of engineering on a scale of 1-5. This can include previous experiences such as: civil/roads engineering, computer engineering, etc.

1 - I have no experience performing this work.

2 - I have some coursework/lab/internship experience and/or training.

3 - I have worked either independently or with a team regarding areas surrounding engineering.

4 - I have managed a team, directing initiatives in engineering and presenting findings to senior personnel.

5 - I am an expert in this field and can adapt my skillset to unfamiliar programs and problems

Please list any previous experiences or work you have conducted as indicated by your ranking above. Please use bullet points.

OPTIONAL: Additional Skills
Please use this optional section to provide additional information on any other skills or experiences not listed in this application. Please limit your response to 250 words.

0/250 words

Application Materials

Please upload all documents into a PDF format.

Personal Statement

Public service has a variety of meanings for many people, but a common theme is of service to community. Who do you wish to serve in your career and why, and how would your experience with CAPAL contribute to your goals?

Statement must be 750 words maximum. *

One-page resume *

Current Transcript

Official or Unofficial are accepted *

Letter of Recommendation

Please attach ONE scanned and signed recommendation that addresses your leadership skills, work ethic, or dedication to public service. If your recommender would like to send in your letter separately, please ask them to email it to hannah.park@capal.org with your student name in the subject line. Deadline for letters of recommendation to be emailed is: December 20 for Spring 2025, Februrary 7 for Summer 2025, August 1 for Fall 2025. *

Recommender Name *

Relation to Applicant *

Recommender Contact Information

Email, Phone Number *

Demographic Information

CAPAL is commited to opening applications to candidates from all communities. You may omit any information by selecting "prefer not to answer".

Sex *

Female

Male

Prefer Not To Answer

Are you currently a recipient of needs-based financial aid? (Needs-based financial aid can include, but is not limited to: Pell Grant, SEOG, Federal Work Study, state scholarships, institutional aid, external scholarships, etc) *

Yes

No

Prefer Not To Answer

Are you authorized to work lawfully in the United States? *

Yes

No

Prefer not to answer

How did you first hear about CAPAL? *

What friend?

What website or blog?

What email/listserv?

What event?

Other

Which ethnicity do you identify as? Please check all that apply or list your ethnicity if not displayed.

Race refers to physical characteristics that may group diverse communities (i.e. Asian, Black, White, etc). Ethnicity refers to cultural factors such as nationality, language, and regional cultures (i.e. Filipino Americans, Ethiopian Americans, Irish Americans, etc). Please respond in terms of your ETHNICITY. *

Additional Information

OPTIONAL: Please use this optional section to elaborate on any details of circumstances or additional information not reflected in this application.

Circumstances may include, but are not limited to, unreliable access to technology, personal circumstances, or any other outstanding factors that CAPAL should take into consideration when evalulating your application.

Please keep your explanation to 300 words or less.

0/300 words

Thank you for completing the 2023 CAPAL Public Service Scholarship and Interhship Program Application. All information and data will be stored to provide future information for CAPAL's internal records and programming. If you have any further questions, please reach out to hannah.park@capal.org