Summary These positions are located at Indiana Dunes National Park. If you have questions regarding the area or the duties of this position, please contact Kip Walton at 219-395-1858 or at kipton_walton@nps.gov. Open to the first 75 applicants or until 01/29/2024 whichever comes first. All applications submitted by 11:59 (EST) on the closing day will receive consideration. Interns may be eligible for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment. Responsibilities Major Duties: Collects and accounts for park entrance, camping, or other special park use fees. Provides pre-established talks where the features are largely self-explanatory and are easily observed and understood as to origin, development, form and significance, and the interpretive service required by the guide is of a repetitive nature. In addition, the talks provide general information about other sites of public interest; facilities for public use; pertinent rules and regulations; and other matters designed to stimulate a sense of appreciation and thus encourage protection and preservation of the scenic, scientific or historic features. The talks may be given in conjunction with live demonstrations, the use of electronic maps, photographic slides, and other audio-visual devices. Area Information: Indiana Dunes National Park is a 15,000-acre park located at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, approximately 45 miles southeast of Chicago, Illinois. The park is among the top 10 most visited National Park units annually. Small towns and resort communities on the beaches of Lake Michigan, and farms, interspersed with large tracts of woodlands and wetlands, surround the park. All services are available in the communities, to include schools, colleges, shopping, and other major amenities. The park hugs 15 miles of Lake Michigan's southern shoreline, and includes several historic districts, and over 50 miles of horse, bike and hiking trails over rugged dunes, mysterious wetlands, sunny prairies, meandering rivers, and peaceful forests! The park also surrounds the 2,000-acre Indiana Dunes State Park, and a large residential environmental education center. The Park is the birthplace of the science of ecology and has one of the most diverse plant communities in the National Park Service system. The park further supports several geographically dispersed units within the park. The area has weather typical of the Midwest with temperatures normally ranging from 0 degrees in the winter to 90 degrees in the summer. No government housing available, however, many reasonably priced houses and rental properties exist in the surrounding communities. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship required. Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication. Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males. Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program. Pathways participant agreement is required. You must be a student CURRENTLY accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a degree or certificate program on at least a half-time basis and in good standing. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided. You may be required to work weekends, holidays, and overtime. Your work schedule may vary from full-time to part-time or leave without pay while attending school. Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program. Qualifications All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/29/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement. Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount qualified specialized experience to qualify for this position at the GS-2 grade level, you must possess one of the following minimum qualifications by close of the announcement: EXPERIENCE: three months of general experience. General experience is (1) any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. You must include hours per week worked. -OR- EDUCATION: A High School diploma or equivalent or higher. You must include transcripts. Volunteer Experience: Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Education To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work. You will NOT be considered under Pathways unless you provide supporting information from your school. Documentation may be provided in letter format from your academic advisor, school counselor, admission office, etc. to prove enrollment OR it may be provided in the form of several official documents from your school such as a copy of your official transcripts and a copy of your class schedule for next semester. Copies of documents from your school website are acceptable if they contain all relevant information as listed above. Letters from advisors or other school officials must be on school letterhead. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Additional Information This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate. If selected, you will be required to sign a Pathways Agreement which specifies the conditions of your employment as we've indicated in this job announcement. You must continue to meet the Pathways Program requirements throughout the duration of your appointment. To verify that you do, we will require proof of your continued enrollment and good standing each semester or grading period throughout your internship. Failure to do so will result in termination of your internship and employment. Conversion: Although we do not currently anticipate this position to continue after you have completed your educational requirements, if you successfully complete your internship, you may be eligible for non-competitive placement into a term or permanent position if one should become available. Conversion into a term or permanent position is neither guaranteed or implied, but successful completion of your internship will give you the eligibility to be converted. Physical Demands: The work ranges from moderately sedentary to moderately strenuous. Duties involve standing forprolonged periods, walking, hiking and occasional lifting of supplies Working Conditions: Work is performed indoors at the visitor center as well as in outdoor areas resulting in exposure to extreme temperatures, rain, snow, wind, and direct sunlight. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.