Five Rivers MetroParks' Experiential Learning Program 

Five Rivers MetroParks is committed to supporting the growth and professional development of students through a variety of intentional experiential learning opportunities that provide meaningful work to students seeking “real world” work experience. 

Students, teachers, and educators may request Job Shadows, Project-Based Learning, or Service-Learning experiences through our Experiential Learning Request Form. After the form has been received and reviewed by our team, a member of Volunteer Services will reach out to discuss the next steps.

Organizations looking to explore a formal partnership with Five Rivers MetroParks that includes volunteer engagement should contact Volunteer Services to discuss needs and opportunities at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or #937-275-7275.

Students looking for paid internship experiences should visit our Five Rivers MetroParks Careers page to view available opportunities.

Additionally, Five Rivers MetroParks proudly supports the J.E.T. Job Experience and Training program at Adventure Central and regularly serves as a site for workforce development during the summer for J.E.T. teens. To learn more about J.E.T. and see if it might be right for you, contact Adventure Central at #937- 278-2601 or visit their webpage here.

 

 

Service-Learning

Five Rivers MetroParks serves as a host site for a variety of schools that require or offer service-learning opportunities to their students. Servicing-Learning is curriculum‐based hands‐on learning that addresses real-world concerns. The service experience provides a context for translating discipline-based theories learned in an academic environment into practice. 

Service-Learning is:

  • Open to students independently ages 14 and up. Opportunities may be available for younger youth with a teacher, parent, or guardian.
  • Hands-on learning. Part education and part service. Five Rivers MetroParks serves as the host site for service.
  • Connected to a school or educational program and curriculum-based.
  • Typically has a service hour requirement.

Five Rivers MetroParks supports service-learning programs at a variety of schools and educational programs by offering high-quality, meaningful volunteer opportunities to students ages 14 and up that make a difference. 

View all of our current volunteer opportunities for youth that may qualify for service learning here. Or, submit an Experiential Learning Request Form here to request a specific service-learning experience.

Are you a teacher or educator looking to engage your students in service-learning with Five Rivers MetroParks? Share your needs with us by completing an Experiential Learning Request Form here. 

Please note: Our team requires 4-6 weeks to develop a high-quality service-learning opportunity.

 

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning is the culmination of learning typically in a college major. A student generally works on a single large project‐‐such as a thesis paper, large research project, or build project‐‐for several weeks or an entire semester.

Project-Based Learning is:

  • Open to students ages 16 and up.
  • Promotes academic, career, and/or personal development.
  • Includes learning objectives, observation, reflection, evaluation, and a completed project.
  • Typically lasts 2-4 hours per day for a semester.
  • Involves industry-related and soft-skill development.
  • May be carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit.
  • Provides adequate supervision in a reasonably safe environment with the necessary tools to perform the learning goals agreed upon for the duration of the experience.

Please note: Our team requires 4-6 weeks to develop a high-quality project-based learning opportunity.

 

Partnerships

"Our organization is looking to create a formal partnership with Five Rivers MetroParks that includes ongoing volunteer service." 

Partnerships are very similar to service learning but are more formal arrangements typically established with a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU that outlines how the two organizations will work together toward a mutual benefit. 

Partnerships are:

  • Built on an MOU or agreement.
  • Typically open to students ages 18 and up. 
  • Includes volunteer service for Five Rivers MetroParks. 
  • Typically connected to a school or educational program and/or curriculum-based.
  • Typically includes specific goals for qualifying service.
  • Typically has a service hour requirement.
  • Is an ongoing, long-term, formal relationship between organizations. 

Is your organization looking to build a formal relationship with Five Rivers MetroParks that includes ongoing volunteer service? 

Contact Volunteer Services at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or #937-275-7275 to discuss the possibilities of a formal partnership.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for Volunteer Services to review your partnership request.

View our available Americorps positions here from our partner Notre Dame Mission Volunteers.

 

Internships

"I'm looking for a paid internship for school."

Internships are a "form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths, and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent.” An internship is typically a semester (fall, spring, summer) in length and may or may not carry credit. 

An internship is any carefully monitored meaningful learning experience in which an individual has intentional professional goals and reflects actively on what he or she is accomplishing throughout the experience. 

Internships:

  • Are open to college students ages 18 and up.
  • Include developing intentional learning objective goals that are structured into the experience and supervised by a professional with a relevant and related background in the field.
  • Promote academic, career, and/or personal development.
  • Include learning objectives, observation, reflection, and evaluation.
  • Balance the intern’s learning goals with the organization’s needs.
  • Typically lasts a semester and may be part‐time or full‐time.
  • Involves industry-related and soft-skill development.
  • May be carefully monitored and evaluated for academic credit.
  • Provides adequate supervision in a reasonably safe environment with the necessary tools to perform the learning goals agreed upon for the duration of the internship.

Five Rivers MetroParks supports college students seeking real-world work experience by offering a variety of paid internship experiences to those 18 years and older from a qualified educational program.

View available paid internship opportunities and apply on our careers page here. For questions regarding paid internship experiences, please contact Human Resources at hr@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275.

Five Rivers MetroParks does not offer unpaid internships. For a similar volunteer experience, please see partnerships, project-based learning, or service-learning above.

 

 Submit an Experiential Learning Request Form

View Available Paid Internships and Jobs at Five Rivers MetroParks Careers

View Available Volunteer Opportunities