2026 Parks & Recreation - Local Government Summer Intern

The MORPC Local Government Summer Internship Program provides the opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to obtain practical work experience with a local government within MORPC’s 15-county region to prepare them for possible careers in public service. MORPC coordinates the recruitment and placement of students to match each host’s request; hosts make the final hiring decision and provide an hourly wage. Interns work for a host for a minimum of 16 hours to a maximum of 40 hours per week for a 10- to 14-week period, which means there are both part-time and full-time positions available. The summer 2026 internship program will begin on May 12th and will end on August 14th.

Interns gain applicable knowledge to enhance classroom learning by working with current government professionals throughout Central Ohio and acquire insights into the services provided by a regional planning commission. Interns also can attend monthly commission meetings as well as special MORPC-sponsored events and are paired with a MORPC staff member to serve as their mentor during the summer internship program.

Previous Parks & Recreation interns have gained experience using ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Field Maps, Cityworks, Beehive, Microsoft 365, and other software programs on the job. Specific past assignments include:

Mapping a county’s storm water systems using GIS

Analyzing an asset management system and recommending improvements

Performing stream health analyses on Buckeye Lake tributaries

Creating a city-wide tree index by evaluating trees’ health, inventorying and identifying trees by size/species, and entering information into GIS

Establishing Tree Commission education materials and public outreach plan

Assisting in creating a request for proposals for a city-wide canopy survey

Designing new Fencing and Barriers map layer schema for city through data collection in the field

Supporting Parks & Recreation department through data collection and analysis, grant research, event management, and other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Students must meet the following requirements:

30 hours of completed college coursework

Interest in public service careers

GPA 3.0 or higher (preferred)

Legally eligible to work in the United States

Reliable transportation to and from work

Attend a Central Ohio college OR attend other college and have access to local housing

Benefits 

All MORPC internships are paid opportunities! Pay ranges between $15 to $20 per hour depending on the host.

Additional benefits include practical work experience, mentorship, and exposure to services offered by a regional planning commission.

Please apply online at http://www.morpc.org/careers/ or you may mail a resume to:

MORPC Attn: GA-10-26

111 Liberty St., Suite 100

Columbus, OH 43215 

www.morpc.org

No phone calls please.