Internship Opportunities

Benton County provides internship opportunities for students of all ages. 

Student Internships: Student interns can work for school credit and/or a nominal salary in order to combine classroom theory with practical experience in the workplace.

Some departments use a pool of applicants and accept internship applications on an ongoing basis. If you are interested in a specific internship program and would like more information or you would like to submit an internship application to the pool of internship applications, please click on the departments below:

 Internships at the Public Works Department

New Opportunity - Engineering & Surveying Division Student Internship: 

 Click here to learn more & apply!

Internships at the Natural Areas, Parks and Events Department

The Parks Department occasionally uses interns for data gathering and special projects that either are predetermined or can be presented to the Department for review and confirmation.                                                                        

Interested? Contact the Natural Areas & Parks Director, phone: 541-766-6026

Internships in Community Development

New:  Sustainable Materials Management - Student Intern - Click here to learn more and apply!

Internships in the Sheriff's Office

New: Parole & Probation Case Monitor - Student Intern - Click here to learn more and apply!

A wide variety of opportunities await you in the Sheriff's Office. Interns may be trained in the following positions below.

Community Corrections
Interns will be involved in most of the functions of Parole and Probation Officers, including investigations, caseload management, and preparing reports for court. 

Interested? Phone: 541-766-6888

Correctional Facility
Interns will be trained either in the processing of inmates and the upkeep of the facility or in the education and enrichment of inmates.

Interested? Phone: 541-766-6858

See more information about internship opportunities in the Sheriff's Office,  visit: https://www.co.benton.or.us/sheriff/page/volunteer-opportunities

Internships in the District Attorney's Office

Interns in the DA's Office will work with crime victims and witnesses, will help prepare subpoenas, and may possibly assist attorneys in trial preparation. More information 

Interested? Contact the District Attorney, phone: 541-766-6815 or 541-766-5635,  visit: https://www.co.benton.or.us/da/page/volunteer-opportunities

Internships in the Health Department

The Health Department accepts internship applications on an ongoing basis for those interested Community Health, Environmental Health and Behavioral Health. The internship program is designed to provide work opportunities and practical learning experiences for college and university students to enhance their academic preparation and expose them to public health service at the County level.

If you'd like to submit an application, please submit the Public Health Internship Application. 

We encourage interns to contact us who are looking for experience in the areas of:

• Adolescent Health Promotion
• Affordable Housing/Homelessness
• Chronic Disease/Tobacco Prevention
• Coalition building and Partnership Development
• COVID-19 Emergency Response
• Epidemiology/Evaluation
• Environmental Health
• Healthy Communities
• HIV/STD Prevention
• Mental Health Peer Wellness
• Mental Health Promotion/Trauma Informed Care
• Outreach and Health Navigation
• Public Health Nursing
• Substance Abuse Prevention
• Women, Infant and Children's Services

Community Health
Community Health is looking for students who are interested in Public Health or Health Promotion.  To be eligible for an internship, a student must be enrolled in an approved educational institution. Students pursing Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degrees are welcome to apply. Internships may be part-time or full-time based on requirements of the project and the student’s availability. 

Environmental Health
Interns are typically Environmental Health practicum students. You must be in your junior or senior year to qualify. Interns will be asked to complete projects involving data collection or record analysis and will write reports of their results. Interns will help inspect restaurants and septic sites and will follow up on Environmental Health complaints and possible violations.

Behavioral Health
Behavioral Health is looking for graduate student interns seeking to enhance their knowledge and develop their skills in the field of mental health. Opportunities for the school year include both direct and indirect service positions in the following programs: Adult mental health, Children mental health, and other mental health programs and Alcohol and Drug Program.

Interested? Contact the Health Department at: healthsvc@co.benton.or.us or 541-766-6837.

Internships in the Human Resources Department

Please contact the Human Resources office at: recruiting@co.benton.or.us or 541-766-6081.

Internships at the Benton County Fairgrounds                             

Interns working at the Benton County Fairgrounds will experience an exciting range of duties while assisting in carious fairgrounds planning activities and special events. Responsibilities may include:

• Event planning and marketing
• Website development and maintenance
• Volunteer coordination and recognition
• Landscape design and maintenance
• Graphic design and planning
• Campground design and operation
• Youth development programs
• Market research
• Event and clerical support for fair and other fairgrounds events.

Fairgrounds events include the annual county fair, rodeos, motorsports, horse shows, dog show, 4-H exhibits, and any array of community activities held throughout the year.

Interested? Contact the Fairgrounds Manager, phone: 541-766-6090

Internships at the Juvenile Department

The following opportunities within the Juvenile Department are available for internships:

Court Counselors
Juvenile Department interns who work with Juvenile Court Counselors will learn techniques of social casework. They will conduct investigations and learn counseling, rehabilitation, and guidance practices. Ability to work with juveniles and effective communication skills are highly desirable.

Clerical Volunteers and Interns
Individuals who intern with the Juvenile Department's clerical support staff will learn legal terminology, the functioning of the law enforcement and court systems, as well as general office practices and the use of the state-wide Juvenile Justice Information System (JJIS).

Mediation Volunteers
The purpose of victim-offender mediation is to provide the opportunity for offenders and victims to meet. 

Interested? Contact: the Deputy Director, phone: 541-766-6064