How to Apply

Applications are welcomed and encouraged from all qualified individuals regardless of background and identity. A one-page cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume in a single pdf file. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experiences that directly relate to it.

Job Summary

The MBGNA summer internship takes place Monday, May 4 to Thursday, August 20, 2026.  In order to fully participate in team collaboration and project work, selected candidates are expected to complete all dates of the internship. This position may require occasional evening and weekend hours.

Who We Are

Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA) is a transformative force for social and ecological resilience through the waters and lands we steward.

We turn this commitment into action by:

• Positioning humans as active participants within the natural world and compelling the university community and our publics to negotiate the full complexity that entails
• Advancing partnerships, programs, user experience, and all that we steward to catalyze access and impact in a radically changing world
• Emerging as University of Michigan's premier partner for research, teaching, and public impact in sustainability, climate-forward practices, and biocultural diversity
• Promoting healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems through active care and cultivation of the gardens, fields, natural habitats, and dynamic systems that sustain our world.

For more information about MBGNA and the summer internship program, please visit: https://mbgna.umich.edu/summer-internships

For questions about the internship application, please contact: [email protected]

Responsibilities*

This internship position is part of the Education team at MBGNA.  This internship is focused on outreach and engagement with university learners and audiences, which includes both students and faculty.  As part of the Education team, this position will regularly interact with MBGNA staff members, university community members (students, faculty, and staff), and general public visitors during the course of a workday.  

This position supports the MBGNA education department through outreach and engagement with the University of Michigan community.  This position contributes to the goal of the MBGNA Education department to increase student and faculty engagement opportunities that position humans as active participants within the natural world.  This position has the opportunity to contribute to community resilience by supporting educational activities that contribute to healthier communities, cultures, and ecosystems.

The University Outreach and Education Intern will contribute to strategic relationship building and event coordination with a wide variety of university audiences, including faculty researchers and student organizations. This position will enhance efforts to develop unique, original programming for curricular and co-curricular experiences, utilizing student learning theory and community development approaches to design, deliver, and debrief learning programs. This position will contribute to the career development of college students, including contributing to community programming for peers in the summer internship cohort.

This internship position will support the goals of the Education department through the following:

• Co-develop university outreach and engagement strategy
• Organize and facilitate the internship professional development series 
• Analyze and assess university outreach programs, including benchmarking peer organizations and institutions
• Create, plan, and deliver collaborative university outreach programs, including Welcome to Michigan summer programming
• Develop educational materials and programs that promote stewardship and relationship building with the natural world through interactive engagement and experiential learning

Required Qualifications*

• Applicants must have one year of experience enrolled in a college or university by the internship start date. Recent college graduates who earned a degree in December 2025 or are planning to earn a degree by May 2026 are eligible to apply. 
• Interest in place-based environmental or sustainability education
• Interest in contributing to a welcoming and inclusive community
• Previous experience or interest in gaining experience with professional communication and collaboration
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
• This position may require frequent travel between MBGNA site locations.

How You'll Grow

The MBGNA summer internship provides university-level students with opportunities to:

• Participate in experiential learning in a nature-based organization
• Directly contribute to strategic operations of a mission-driven organization
• Help unify and catalyze access and impact across lands, waters, and dynamic systems

As part of a learning community, interns will be expected to:

• Attend a group orientation at the beginning of the summer
• Participate in professional development sessions offered throughout the summer
• Engage in opportunities for assessment and reflection
• Attend a final celebration at the end of the summer

Work Schedule

32 Hours Per Week, Monday-Friday

Occasional evening and weekend hours may be required.

Work Locations

MBGNA comprises 841 total acres, spanning across four sites, including the gardens, arboretum, a bog, and natural areas.  This internship takes place mainly at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, with opportunities to work at various MBGNA sites and locations.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

In Person, with occasional opportunity to work remotely as approved by supervisor.

Application Deadline

The MBGNA internship application will be open Wednesday, January 6 - Sunday, March 1, 2026.  Applications will be reviewed after the internship application closes.  Selected candidates will be contacted for interviews beginning Monday, March 9, 2026.  Final candidates will be notified by March 27, 2026.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.

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