Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

This program provides the opportunity for students to gain hands-on skills with tribal environmental offices or other organizations managing water and land resources.

The internships are designed to give current college students an opportunity to:

• Enter water and land management professions and to build their professional skills and experience.
• Receive a salary while studying water and related natural resources topics.
• Increase the awareness of water resources issues and management perspectives for land and water management professionals and students.

Eligible students must meet the following:

• Be a US Citizen.
• Possess at valid driver’s license. (Not required for all internships).
• Be a full-time student during the current academic year (12 hrs undergrad, 9 hrs grad) with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA.
• Be majoring in an environmental or related field like science (biology, chemistry, ecology), engineering, planning, policy, law, Civil Engineering, Hydrology, Planning, Public Policy, Law, Agricultural Sciences.
• Have a strong interest in working with Native American tribes or projects benefiting Native American tribes.

Application Deadline:
Application Deadline: Summer 2026 Applications are Due January 31st, 2026. Apply Now.

Application Process:

• Review potential host site descriptions.
• Complete application by January 31, 2026 Apply Now.
• Be prepared to upload the following documents to your application. Please be sure your name is in each file name.
  • A current resume (with your name as the file name)
  • Please ask two references to complete the reference at this link: ITEP Internships Recommendation. References may also email recommendation letters directly to Kim.Shaw@nau.edu.
  • Unofficial college transcript(s)
  • A one-page (do not exceed 1 page) essay on letter explaining what interests you in the internship and your interest in working on tribal water and land resource issues. (Make sure essay has your name on it.)