The Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department
The Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department strives to provide quality service and recreation opportunities to the citizens of Grand Prairie, Texas. The City's mission statement is “to create raving fans by delivering world class service.” With over 50 parks, the department offers a variety of services such as recreation centers, pools, picnic areas, education programs, entertainment, and more.   

Lake Parks Internship-Loyd Park

I interned at Loyd Park, which is one of the lake parks run by the Grand Prairie Parks, Arts and Recreation Department. Loyd Park is a campground on Joe Pool Lake, and they were seeking a way to promote their park and increase attendance during the week. Through this internship, I was responsible for working with another intern to plan and implement special events for the park as well as plan and run an environmental education program for children, ages 8-12. Our kids' program ran twice a week from 9 AM-12 PM, and we taught skills such as fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, archery, and more.

As for special events, we had one primary event (Movies on the Beach) which we ran every Saturday evening. Movies on the Beach was a family movie night in which we set up an inflatable screen on the beach and played a family-friendly movie for visitors in the park, who viewed the film from the beach. In addition to this event, we were also responsible for planning other events to put on throughout the summer to help promote the park. Some of the additional events included a camp breakfast, a Texas Rangers Tailgate Festival, a Learn at Loyd Educational Series, a Fourth of July contest, and a scavenger hunt. In between running events and the kids' program, we worked on planning  for future events and completing other special projects for the park such as a kids' activity program, a welcome packet, and a survey. 

Internship Details

 Job description
      The intern will be responsible for:
  • Planning and implementing various outdoor programs and events for park users and campers
  • Assisting in the operation of various special events within the Lake Parks Division as well as within the Parks, Arts, & Recreation Department
  • Developing and running a summer environmental education program for youth
  • Providing exceptional customer service by practicing intuitive and active customer service through answering questions, providing directions, and offering suggestions
  • Running a concessions stand at events
  • Keeping an accurate inventory of concessions items
  • Working on special projects as assigned
Intern Requirements
Qualifications
  • Applicant must be over 18 years of age
  • Applicant must possess a current Texas driver’s license
  • Applicant must be able to pass a background check
  • Applicant must be able to lift at least 50 lbs
  • Applicant must be able to communicate well and work with children and adults
  • Applicant must be CPR/First Aid/AED certified​​
 Benefits and Opportunities
  • $10/ hour
  • Lodging option within the park (may require monthly rent payments)
  • Networking opportunities
  • Shadowing opportunities within departments
  • Free access to kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards
  • Hiking trails
Achievements
  • Planned and implemented a variety of special events for Loyd Park
  • Assisted with various special events on the lake
  • Developed welcome packet for Loyd Park
  • Planned and implemented a summer environmental education program
  • Developed a survey for Loyd Park visitors
  • Conducted a cost analysis on surrounding campgrounds
  • Developed marketing and communication skills
  • Improved customer service skills​