Zoo Knoxville Internships

To be eligible to participate in the Zoo Apprenticeship Program, students must:

• Be a rising high-school junior or senior currently enrolled in a Knox County District School.
• Hold a current GPA of 2.5 or higher and be on-track to graduate.
• Complete the program application form.
• Complete a mandatory interview, orientation, and onboarding process (including drug screening).
• Commit to working between 8-15 hours per week throughout the spring or fall semester. For students with enough credits, there may be flexibility to work during the school day as part of a “Work Based Learning” curriculum.
• Be hardworking, serious about learning, and willing to work outdoors in all types of weather.

• Earn an hourly rate of $11.25/hour.
• Shadow animal care staff during their daily tasks to learn about responsibilities, requirements, and core competencies of their job. 
• Engage in hands-on activities and strengthen essential workplace skills.
• Participate in career readiness and professional development workshops. 
• Receive continuous supervision by zoo staff while working on zoo grounds.
• Work with staff to design and complete a capstone project that is representative of your time and work in the program.

If you have any questions about ZAP or the application process, please reach out to our Workforce Development Coordinator, Abby Weaver at [email protected]

As part of the application process, participants will be required to select an Internship Track that best aligns with their interests, academic focus, and career goals. Potential placements include: 

• Animal Care Track: Animal Care Interns will support the daily care and wellbeing of the zoo’s animal population. Placements will focus on providing hands-on exposure to animal care and welfare practices, husbandry routines, training and enrichment, and daily operations.
  • Animal Care Interns will be placed in one of the following departments: Asian Trek, Behavioral Husbandry, Birds, Carnivores, East Mammals, Grasslands Africa, Great Apes, Herpetology, Kids Cove, Red Pandas/Wild Ambassadors, or Wild Encounters. 

• Grounds and Horticulture Track: Grounds and Horticulture Interns will assist with landscape maintenance, habitat aesthetics, seasonal plantings, and sustainability initiatives across zoo grounds. This track provides exposure to the important role horticulture and environmental design play in animal wellbeing, guest satisfaction, and conservation storytelling.
• Education and Conservation Track: Education and Conservation Interns will support programs and initiatives that connect guests to wildlife and inspire conservation action. Interns may assist with camps, school programs, interpretive experiences, and conservation messaging efforts. This track provides experience in informal education, public engagement, and the critical role zoos play in inspiring people to protect the natural world through connections with wildlife.
• Marketing and Advancement Track: Marketing and Advancement Interns will assist with promoting the zoo’s mission, programs, and events through a variety of communication and fundraising efforts. Interns may support social media content creation, marketing campaigns, event promotion, donor engagement, and storytelling initiatives that highlight the zoo’s impact. This track provides experience in strategic communications, brand management, and the important role of fundraising and public relations in supporting a nonprofit organization.
• Administrative Track: Administrative Interns will support the operational functions that enable the zoo to deliver on its mission. Through project coordination, data management, and cross-departmental collaboration, interns help ensure the organization runs effectively and efficiently. This track may include focused exposure to areas such as human resources, finance, guest services, and general business administration. Interns may assist with onboarding and employee engagement initiatives, budgeting and financial processes, front-facing guest experience operations, and organizational projects that support multiple departments. This track provides insight into how strong internal systems and people-centered practices sustain a mission-driven organization.

On their application, applicants may indicate preference of department(s) or areas of focus. While preferences will be considered, final placement will be determined by the zoo based on departmental capacity, availability, and program needs. Not all departments or tracks may be available each semester; however, we will make every effort to align placements with student interests whenever possible.

On their application, applicants may indicate preference of department(s) or areas of focus. While preferences will be considered, final placement will be determined by the zoo based on departmental capacity, availability, and program needs. Not all departments or tracks may be available each semester; however, we will make every effort to align placements with student interests whenever possible.

Application Process: 

1. Prepare a cover letter, resume, and two letters of recommendation.
2. Submit an internship application and upload all required documents.
3. Following the application deadline, selected students will be contacted to schedule an interview
4. For interns chosen to participate in the program, there will be a mandatory orientation and onboarding process (including drug screening, background check, and TB testing for those working in animal areas).

• Spring Semester applications open October 15th, due by November 30th.
• Summer Semester applications open March 1st, due by April 15th.
• Fall semester applications open May 15th, due by July 15th.

If you have any questions about Zoo Knoxville’s internship program or application process, please reach out to our Workforce Development Coordinator, Abby Weaver at [email protected]