Intern at the Zoo

Intern at the Zoo

Roger Williams Park Zoo offers a wide variety of internship programs, from veterinary and animal care to education, marketing and public relations, and more.  Our internships are unpaid, but offer valuable hands-on experience.  

Internships and externships at the Zoo offer broad experience in a variety of fields.

Education Internship

This program offers a view into the education of all ages on topics from animals to conservation. The Curator of Education conducts phone interviews with potential candidates. This unpaid internship is available in Spring, Summer, and Fall; dates are flexible. Max 2 per semester. To apply, please contact the Manager of Volunteer Resources at volunteer@rwpzoo.org or (401) 785-3510 ext 356.

Marketing & PR Internship

Marketing and Public Relations interns will gain broad experience in the field as they assist the Zoo's Marketing and Public Relations department with special events, media relations, sponsorship and marketing initiatives and programs, and advertising. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to info@rwpzoo.org.

Video/Photography Internship

Video/Photography interns will gain broad experience in videography and photography as they assist the Marketing and Public Relations Department in the capturing and distrubuting of images and film for the Zoo. This is an unpaid summer internship. Interested applicants should send a resume and cover letter to info@rwpzoo.org.

Veterinary Externship

Veterinary externships are only available for students enrolled in veterinary or veterinary technician school. The externship is intended to fulfill clinical rotation requirements per the individual’s school curriculum, commonly the year preceding graduation. Interested applicants should direct inquiries to the Veterinary Department via e-mail at info@rwpzoo.org.

Zoo-Wide Internship

This program is designed for people who are considering a career in the zoo field. The curriculum provides an introduction to the daily functioning of a zoo and exposure to different zoo vocations.  The program offers hands-on work in the following exhibits and vocational areas: the Tropics, North America, Africa and Australasia exhibits; the horticulture, commissary and education departments. Activities will include visual inspection of animals, walking up and down stairs, lifting heavy objects, and cleaning/disinfecting of areas and food preparation for the animals. Interns will be working around wild animals, so it is imperative that keepers' instructions are followed very closely.

Those applying for the ZooWide Internship must:

  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Submit a complete application and essay
  • Be tested for TB, offering proof of a negative result
  • Be able to work 32 hours a week for 13 weeks (8 weeks in summer)
  • Be willing to work hard, sometimes under difficult conditions
  • Submit to a background check
  • Conform to the dress code of Roger Williams Park Zoo
  • Keep a work journal
  • Attend intern orientation and debriefing
  • If receiving credit from a university, provide written approval from advisor for project proposal and final paper

This unpaid internship is available in the Fall, Spring and Summer. Application deadlines are as follows:
Applications for Fall semester: due June 1
Applications for Spring semester: due November 1
Applications for Summer: due April 1

Apply now >