City of Grapevine's Parks & Rec:
​Lake Parks Department  

Overview and Mission Statement 

The Lake Parks division of the City of Grapevine, will provide a well-rounded internship that will be beneficial in your future park and recreation career. This summer, I was involved in grand openings, events for national holidays, running a summer day camp, and preparing for a two and a half week experience, Fossil Fest and Jurassic Gardens, taking place in September. 

The City of Grapevine prides itself in providing its citizens with a plethora of award winning activities. They strive to go the extra mile in order to achieve excellence in event and programs hosted for their residents.  This work ethic has been adopted by the Parks & Rec division as well, resulting in the department being known throughout the state, and nation, as one of great merit.  

​There mission statement reflects this ideal: ​"To enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Grapevine, through the stewardship of our natural resources and the responsive provision of quality leisure opportunities".

My Responsibilities  

Job Description

This summer, my primary responsibility was to supervise the summer day camp, in order to ensure safety of campers and counselors. To do this I had to properly train and supervise the staff, and operate a city vehicle to and from camp location. When I get back to the office, I assisted the Outdoor Programs Coordinator, Morgan Davidson,  with various needs in planning upcoming events and programs. 

Requirements and Qualifications

 To meet the specifications of the job, one must be pursuing a degree in Parks and Recreation, or a related field, attached transcript, general knowledge of computers and basic outdoor recreation skills.  The applicant must also pass multiple background checks such as, credit and criminal, and have an acceptable driving record. 

Benefits and Opportunites

As a Lake Parks intern I earned $13 per hour. During my time, I was introduced to many people in the city, including the director and vice director of Grapevine's Parks & Rec division. In the future, these contacts will be beneficial as a networking tool, not only as personal contacts, but as a resume builder as well. 

Achievements 

 The city of Grapevine's Parks & Rec department does a great job acknowledging the internship position as an opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge. I have worked on several programs including  RecTrac, a program the Parks & Rec division uses to create and schedule classes, programs, and events. I have also learned how to create volunteer positions in the program Volunteer Local, as well as various other responsibility associated with municipalities. 

Contact Information

 Further Questions

For further information on my internship you can contact me by email at mariahbarker94@tamu.edu or go to gograpevine.com for all things Grapevine Parks & Rec!