County parks and recreation board supports hiring interns
BUTLER TWP — Butler County Parks and Recreation will have an intern from Slippery Rock University this summer, and likely at least one intern per summer for the foreseeable future.
The parks and rec advisory board voted at a meeting Tuesday, April 16, in support of the department hiring interns each summer for paid work.
Lance Welliver, director of Butler County Parks and Recreation, said at the meeting that prior to his time with the department, there used to be an intern every summer. The department hired an intern from SRU last summer — a student who was in a major related to park management at the university — but Welliver said there are other opportunities within the department for students to work.
The internship program at the department will likely operate from May to August, according to Welliver.
“We worked with the marketing and communications department at SRU. They helped us with our website and marketing materials, our logo,” Welliver said. “We’ve had good experience with SRU and just want to keep it going … We’re really targeting a spring to fall type of thing.”
Dustin Drew, manager of Moraine and McConnells Mill state parks, said he has had good experiences with interns who have worked at the parks during summer seasons. Several interns have come from Slippery Rock University, he said.
“We have interns annually, not just from SRU,” Drew said. “I think it's a great asset; it’s building that career up for them for the future, and also, they can often contribute quite impactfully to different projects.”
The parks department is also in the midst of hiring lifeguards for Alameda Waterpark for the summer season. Program manager for parks and rec Jacob Bartholic said at the advisory board meeting that people interested in lifeguarding positions should apply as soon as possible.
