Education Program Internship - Summer

Indianapolis Zoo

The Indianapolis Zoo’s Internship Program offers a unique opportunity for college students to become actively involved in the Zoo’s conservation, research, education and recreation efforts. Interns can enhance their knowledge and experience in various administrative, animal care and education roles.

2026 Summer Internships will last for 12 weeks and take place from mid-May to mid-August. Interns will be scheduled to work 30 hours per week. Start and end dates of internships can be determined by the student and the Zoo department, but students must be available throughout the months of June and July.

Interns will be expected to complete a project in support of the mission of the Indianapolis Zoo that spans the 12-week internship. Internship projects will be supported by a mentor within the Zoo department. Interns will be required to share the results and outcomes of their project publicly to Zoo Staff at the end of the Summer.

Program Evaluation Internship

The Education Department advances the mission of the Indianapolis Zoo by creating experiences that inspire and empower our audiences to become responsible environmental stewards through active, engaging educational experiences. The Education Evaluation Intern project focuses on pioneering evaluation data collection methods that will inform the creation of an evidence-based Zoo Evaluation Toolkit for educational programming. An Education Evaluation Intern will provide critical assistance to the Educational Impact Manager and Education Programs Manager in identifying and refining best practices for departmental data collection.

The project's phases include Research Preparation, Participant-Observation, Evaluation Design, Data Collection, Analysis, and Dissemination.

Participants in the Intern Program must be currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program; we are unable to accept recent graduates.

Internships at the Indianapolis Zoo in the Summer of 2026 will be paid.

Interested applicants can submit an application using the link below:

A copy of your current (official or unofficial) grade transcript

This application should be completed in one sitting, so please have all application materials ready when beginning.

All application materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, must be received by 11:59pm on March 13, 2026
. Applications for this position will be considered on a rolling basis. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Indianapolis Zoo
1200 West Washington St.
Indianapolis, IN 46222
Phone:
Fax:
Indianapolis Zoo