General Information for Full Time Volunteer Positions
Qualifications
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, and a US citizen. There is
no upper age limit, although volunteers must be in good health. Minimum
time commitment and additional requirements, such as skills and education,
are listed with each position description.
Volunteering, even without compensation, is considered work under
a tourist visa. Unless your visa specifically states that you may work
in the United States, you cannot apply for a volunteer position. If
you have a J-1 Visa, or another type of student visa, you are limited
to studying and working with approved programs. Alaska State Parks volunteer
program does not qualify for the J-1 Visa program.
Due to the high cost of insurance coverage for minors, volunteers
must be 18 years of age or older.
Transportation
Each volunteer is responsible for transportation to and from Alaska.
If you are driving from the continental United States to Alaska, you
must have a passport or other accepted documentation to travel through
Canada. See more information on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
How
to Apply
Read the following position descriptions and choose the ones that interest you. You may apply for as many positions as you like, filling out an application for each desired position. Return the completed application(s) to the address listed with each position or area. Please specify a park and position title. If you list “anywhere” for the park and “anything” for position title, your application will not receive as much consideration as an application for a specific volunteer position. Duplicated copies are accepted. Individual applications must be submitted for couples when applying for campground host positions. If you have questions specific to a particular position, call the ranger or area office listed for that position. If you have general questions on the volunteer program not answered in this catalog, contact the Volunteer Coordinator by phone: (907) 269-8708, or e-mail: dnr.pksvol@alaska.gov
If you are interested in receiving college credit for your work, fill
out the Supplemental Volunteer Intern Application, located at the end
of the volunteer application. See the Volunteer and
Volunteer Internship page for more information on internships.
On-line applications are available at: http://www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/vip/vipapplication.htm Applications are emailed to the volunteer coordinator and passed on to the area rangers.
Applications must be received no later
than April 1st and no earlier than September 1st. Any exceptions
to these deadlines are noted in the position description. Many positions
are filled before April 1st, so it is best to send your application
in as soon as possible. If you are sending applications in March, you
might call first or check our web site (see below) to see if the position(s)
are still open. Some of our rangers work seasonally; so do not be concerned
if you do not receive an immediate reply, particularly from November
thru January. You will receive notice within two to three weeks of mailing
in your application that we received your application and the status
of the position you are applying for.
Click
here for a status list of summer volunteer and volunteer internship
positions.
Click here
for a status list of winter volunteer and volunteer internship positions.
Click here
for a status list of campground host positions.
Click here for
the application page.
Miscellaneous
While many positions have a subsistence payment, it is best for the
volunteer to have enough money to live for the first month of volunteering.
This allows time to process checks through the state accounting system.
The Subsistence payment varies between $100/month - $500/month, with
maximum amount paid $500 per month not to exceed $25 a day. No goods
or services may be provided beyond the subsistence payment.
If you wish to bring a pet, check with the ranger in charge of the
position you are interested in. Approval for pets is given on a case-by-case
basis.
This catalog and Internet are updated September 1s for the following summer. Click on status
list above to see whether a position has been filled or not. This list
is kept current.
