By Ceci Villanueva
This summer, the Grant Park Conservancy (GPC) has welcomed a team of students to the park as part of our Internship Program. Three juniors and seniors from Maynard Jackson High School have spent much of their summer digging in the dirt and rolling up their sleeves for Atlanta’s oldest and most historic park.
Working under the guidance of Skyler Edwards, GPC’s Volunteer and Operations Coordinator, our dedicated interns have been on-site three days a week, working 9 to 12 hours per week. Wearing bright green shirts, they have been spotted out in the park weeding, removing graffiti, pressure washing walkways, refreshing gravel at picnic areas, and sprucing up Loomis Plaza.
“This is a great opportunity for students to learn what it takes to keep the park looking beautiful and healthy, while getting hands-on experience,” says Edwards, who designed this year’s program. “They are working hard, and their contributions are making a real impact in the park.”
The Grant Park Conservancy Internship Program supports high-school students with an interest in exploring education and career paths in the outdoors, conservation, park management, horticulture, and nonprofit work. Interns gain hands-on experience in those areas while also learning about teamwork and time management.
The program aligns with GPC’s mission by focusing efforts on the beautification and ongoing maintenance of Grant Park. Typical tasks include raking, mulching, pulling invasive vines, clearing debris, picking up litter, trimming trees and shrubs, and planting. Interns also help plan and lead park workdays and special projects while developing leadership and project management skills along the way.
Students selected for the program were required to be rising juniors or seniors; provide a reference from a teacher, principal, coach, employer, or another trusted adult; and be willing to work outdoors for extended periods.
If you see these bright, hard-working teens in Grant Park this summer, be sure to give them a wave and a big “thank you” for helping keep “The People’s Playground” looking its best!
