Education and Workforce
PAID HIGH SCHOOL OUTDOOR INTERNSHIP
Since fall 2021, New Mexico’s first paid outdoor industry internship pilot program has placed 67 students with 14 employers in the outdoor recreation industry in Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Las Cruces. The program, sponsored by ORD, is run by Future Focused Education (FFE), an Albuquerque-based nonprofit that seeks to better connect underserved and nontraditional students to college and careers.
In the first cohort of this ORD program, three students – Jose, Sarah, and Gabriel – worked with outdoor industry employers in Las Cruces and Santa Fe. Students put in a total of 423 hours with the employers, according to FFE. Participation has grown steadily since the first cohort announced in September 2021.
Find more information about the internship and how you can participate as a school or employer. The program is always seeking additional outdoor businesses and non-profits for placements. The internship is a result of the Cradle-to-Career Outdoor Industry Strategy.
THE CRADLE-TO-CAREER OUTDOOR INDUSTRY STRATEGY
In 2020, the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program awarded the ORD a technical assistance grant to create a statewide outdoor education and industry strategy. The plan builds a pathway from pre-K through higher education for students interested in working in and for the outdoors, and emphasizes early outdoor access through programs like the Outdoor Equity Fund, climate education, and real-world paid experience that opens doors to solid New Mexico careers in tribal and rural areas.
OUTDOOR EQUITY FUND
The Outdoor Equity Fund is an effort that aligns with the Cradle-to-Career initiative and many of the awarded youth programs offer internships and paid opportunities to work in the outdoor industry for participants to gain real life experience. OEF also requires that youth programs who receive funding have environmental education components included within their programming.
The 2024 grant cycle is open! The 2024 grant guides and application are available on our Grants page.