About

The UW Botanic Gardens Youth Summer Internship is a four-week paid program for teens ages 14–18 at the Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle, running Monday–Friday approximately 9AM–3PM. The internship is structured in three phases: an opening week of training and leadership skill development, two weeks working as junior staff within the Botanic Gardens' summer camp program alongside younger campers, and a closing week dedicated to environmental career exploration — including visits to organizations such as Islandwood, the Seattle EPA regional office, Beavers Northwest, and Ramboll Environmental Consulting, as well as meetings with UW faculty and students. All interns receive an ORCA card for transit to and from the Arboretum. The 2026 stipend amount had not been set at time of publication; in prior years, interns ages 16–18 received $1,500 upon completion.

The program targets teens who are new to environmental fields and explicitly prioritizes students from communities underrepresented in environmental science — no prior experience is required. The application is expected to open in spring 2026; 2026 dates were not yet confirmed at time of publication. For a Seattle-area teen curious about environmental careers but not yet certain which direction to pursue, the program's career exploration structure — spanning nonprofit, government, consulting, and academic employers — offers a useful and low-barrier introduction to the professional landscape.