Internship Opportunities

St. Louis County Government consists of fourteen departments that are responsible for a wide variety of functions. Airports, parks, planning, health and highways are just a few of the areas that serve the citizens of St. Louis County. Internships, in these and other areas, offer the student an opportunity to gain some real world experience in the public service field. Internships may be paid or unpaid, depending on the individual department requirements and may be during the summer or school year.

Listed below are the various departments that promote and encourage internships. The particular degrees and requirements for an internship are left up to the individual departments. The contact person listed in the department brief will provide any additional specific information you may need.

Justice Services

The Department of Justice Services is responsible for serving and protecting the community by providing custody, supervision and guidance to those arrested persons who are mandated to the department’s jurisdiction. The divisions of the department provide a full range of services. This includes intake services, pre-trial and sentenced confinement, work release, substance abuse treatment, mental health services and community corrections. The Department offers unpaid supervised practicums that are required to complete undergraduate and graduate degree programs in fields such as social work, criminal justice, counseling and related fields. Interested students should contact Herb Bernsen, Deputy Director, Department of Justice Services at 314-615-3269 or email at hbernsen@stlouisco.com.

Planning

The Department of Planning performs three basic functions. It gathers and disseminates data about the County, performs long and short range community plans and studies, and administers the County zoning and subdivision ordinances for unincorporated areas of the County. The department provides demographic and planning related data to the public and other County departments, including U.S. Census data; updates the County's General Plan every five years; and makes recommendations on land use and development to the St. Louis County Planning Commission. The Department will offer unpaid internship positions for students who need college credit. Students interested in internships with Planning, and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Urban Studies, Geography, or a related field should contact Justin Carney, Senior Planner, Department of Planning at 314-615-2520 or by email at jcarney@stlouisco.com.

Spirit of St. Louis Airport

Spirit Airport is owned and operated by St. Louis County Government. It is the second busiest airport in the FAA Central Region. Approximately 500 aircraft are based at Spirit, and it supports approximately 90% of the corporate aircraft in the St. Louis area. Spirit Airport is wholly self supported and receives no tax dollars from the citizens of St. Louis County. Students interested in internships with Spirit Airport, and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Airport or Aviation Management, should contact John Bales, Deputy Director of Aviation, Spirit of St Louis Airport at 636-532-2222 or email at jbales@stlouisco.com.

Parks and Recreation

The Department of Parks and Recreation maintains 71 parks totaling 12,446 acres. Each year about 12 million people visit these well kept parks. Historic and neighborhood parks, as well as the Museum of Transportation, a world renowned sculpture park and three regional family recreation complexes featuring swimming pools, water park, skating facilities and creative playgrounds make up the St. Louis County Park system. A wide variety of leisure and recreational facilities are offered, including golf courses, nature areas, horseback riding trails, fishing lakes and ponds and campgrounds. Students interested in paid or unpaid internships with the Department of Parks and Recreation, and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Recreation, Leisure, Planning, Architecture, Biology, History or Museum Operations should contact Sue Kuhnert, Volunteer Services Coordinator, Department of Parks and Recreation at 314-638-2100 or email skuhnert@stlouisco.com.

Health

The Department of Health serves to protect the health of all county residents through comprehensive public health programs and services. The Health Services Division operates three health centers that provide primary care medical and dental services. The Environmental Protection Division monitors air pollution, restaurant inspection, animal rabies control, and infectious hazardous waste. A variety of health education and prevention programs are provided by the Public Health and Ancillary Services Division. The Communicable Disease Control Section monitors and controls the spread of communicable diseases. Students interested in unpaid internships with the Department of Health, and who are currently enrolled in a related undergraduate or graduate degree program, should contact Shirley Eisenreich, Personnel Administrator, Department of Health at 314-615-6460 or email seisenreich@stlouisco.com.

Highways and Traffic

The Department of Highways and Traffic is responsible for design, construction, maintenance, repair and traffic control for all county maintained roads, sidewalks and bridges. Currently the department maintains more than 3,500 lane miles of arterial and county roads. The Department of Highways consists of six divisions including Administration, Planning, Design, Construction, Maintenance and Traffic. Students interested in a summer paid internship, and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate Engineering program, should contact Debbi Derr, Administrative Services Manager, Department of Highways and Traffic at 314-615-8596 or email dderr@stlouisco.com.

The Design Division of Highways and Traffic is responsible for the construction management, maintenance and renovation of the County Government Campus. This involves drawing construction, site and space plans using computer-aided drafting programs, assisting project managers and liaison with construction contractors. Internships in this area are both paid and unpaid and may be during the school year or summer. Students interested in a summer internship and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Engineering, Architecture or Construction Management, should contact Richard Steffee, Assistant Design Division Manager, Department of Highways and Traffic at 314-615-8543 or email rsteffee@stlouisco.com.

Human Services

The Department of Human Services administers numerous social service programs promoting independence and a better quality of life for the elderly, youth and their families, veterans and the low income and unemployed citizens of St. Louis County. Also a part of Human Services is the Lakeside Center. Lakeside Center is a residential treatment facility for delinquent and emotionally disturbed youth between the ages of twelve and seventeen. Students interested in an internship, and who are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate Social Services or Counseling program, should contact Pam Yates, Personnel Administrator, Department of Human Services at 314-615-4445 or email pyates@stlouisco.com.