Parks & Recreation Internship – Waterfront Events Support

June 16, 2026

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Job Description

Intern – Parks & Recreation | Port of San Diego

The Tone:
This is an in-person internship at Port of San Diego, located in San Diego, CA. The Port’s Parks & Recreation department is dedicated to fostering a vibrant waterfront by providing essential public services and engaging cultural programming. This internship offers college-level students a valuable opportunity for hands-on experience in public service and customer service, directly supporting waterfront events and interacting with the community and its visitors. The role provides part-time employment with general supervision, allowing interns to perform job assignments closely related to their area of study while contributing to a dynamic public environment. Please note that this position does not include benefits, paid leave, paid holidays, retirement, or any type of insurance.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Part-time (not exceeding 25 hours per week, Monday-Friday, with potential for weekends and evenings)
• Location: In-person, San Diego, CA
• Team: Parks & Recreation department
• Mission: Support waterfront events and engage directly with the community to enhance public service and cultural programming across the Port’s jurisdiction.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Event Coordination: Assist with the coordination and execution of various special events across the waterfront.
• Program Evaluation: Support research activities and contribute to the evaluation of existing and new programs.
• Material Development: Create and develop engaging presentations and essential outreach materials for community engagement.
• Project Support: Provide comprehensive project support, contributing to departmental initiatives as needed.
• Administrative Assistance: Offer crucial administrative support to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of the department.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Enrollment as a student in an accredited college or university is required. This includes part-time (6-11 units) or full-time (12+ units) students for Intern I roles, students in an accredited graduate program (MS, MBA, MPA, etc.) for Intern II (Graduate) roles, or students pursuing a doctoral degree (Juris Doctorate, Ph.D., etc.) for Intern II (Doctorate) appointments. School Enrollment Verifications are necessary to confirm eligibility and unit completion for potential pay increases.
• Experience: No prior professional experience is explicitly required, as this program is designed to provide hands-on experience to students. The assignments are intended to be closely related to the intern’s area of study, offering practical application of academic knowledge.
• Skills: Strong organizational abilities for event and project support, effective communication skills for developing outreach materials and interacting with the community, analytical capabilities for research and program evaluation, and a commitment to providing excellent customer service.
• Bonus: Intern assignments may extend for a total period of up to two years, including up to one year following graduation, contingent upon program needs, funding availability, and satisfactory performance and conduct.