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Houston Parks and Recreation Internship

Address
601 Sawyer, Ste. 700
Houston, Texas 77007

Organization Description

The Houston Parks and Recreation Department oversees over 350 developed parks and more than 200 green spaces totaling over 38,924.42 acres.  Amenities include 268 playgrounds, seven golf courses, Japanese Garden and Garden Center, 38 municipal swimming pools, 13 Water Playgrounds, 3 staffed tennis centers, 7 Skate Parks and 5 Dog Parks.  The Facilities Management and Development Division oversee planning, acquisition, design, construction, maintenance and repair of all park facilities. The division's 115 employees represent a wide range of skills and professions including landscape architects, planners, electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, concrete finishers and heavy-equipment operators. Through the City’s 311 Program and regularly scheduled maintenance, the Division maintains community centers, aquatic facilities, multi-use pavilions, park amenities including trails, ball field and security lights, sports field and court structures, playground equipment and parking lots. The division also maintains a 72-hour response time for graffiti abatement.  In addition, the division supports recreation programs, special events, citizen requests and facility needs.

Description of Internship

Assist Planners with Park Visitor Counting Project which involves Intern conducting counting of park visitors, surveying of park visitors via short answer survey, data entry and some analysis.  Other projects may include organizing, cataloging and scanning park history, trail, FEMA, and FMD Planning files.  The intern may also assist in categorizing park property between natural and designed properties and updating GIS database with park trails data.  Another project involves reviewing National Accreditation Standards and assist the Division in preparing for department re-accreditation.   

Criteria for Interns

All applicants for the Internship Program are required to:

  • Work at least 10 hours a week for no less than three months (Spring & Fall Semesters) or six weeks. (Summer Semesters)
  • Understand the sensitivity and confidentiality of all information expressed in the office (written and oral)
  • Must have knowledge of office procedures and etiquette

Contact Name

Renissa Garza-Montalvo, Senior Project Manager, Facilities Management & Development

Contact Number
713-865-9342