EmpoweRanch Internships
EmpoweRanch Internships
Learn ⭐Contribute ⭐ Grow ⭐ Thrive!
An EmpoweRanch internship is an opportunity to step beyond the classroom and become part of a growing nonprofit team working at the intersection of people, animals, nature, recreation, and community.
Our interns gain hands-on experience while helping us create inclusive outdoor opportunities for youth, families, veterans, and people of varied abilities.
Depending on your field of study, you may help design programs, support participants, develop resources, tell our story, strengthen nonprofit systems, assist with camps and events, or contribute to the behind-the-scenes work that keeps EmpoweRanch moving forward.
You will not be expected to arrive knowing everything. You will be invited to ask questions, try new things, build confidence, contribute your strengths, and grow through real professional experience.
Applications for 2026 and 2027 Internships Are Open
Internship placements are limited and depend on academic requirements, timing, program needs, supervisory capacity, and fit.
Whenever possible, begin the application process at least three months before your anticipated start date. Additional lead time is especially helpful for recreational therapy internships and placements that require a new school affiliation agreement.
To introduce yourself, email JessiV@EmpoweRanch.org and include:
Your school and academic program
Your field of study
Required internship hours
Anticipated start and completion dates
School placement or affiliation requirements
Internship Areas
EmpoweRanch currently considers interns in the following areas:
Recreational Therapy
Master of Social Work, currently through ASU and GCU
Behavioral Health Sciences, currently through SMCC
Parks and Recreation Management
Nonprofit Leadership and Management
Marketing and Communications
Technical and Professional Writing
Special Events and Event Management
Students in related fields are also welcome to reach out.
EmpoweRanch is a growing organization, and some of our most rewarding internship experiences develop when a student’s interests and skills connect with a current program, project, or organizational need.
Tell us what you hope to learn, what you enjoy doing, and how you would like to contribute. We will explore whether there is a strong fit.
Formal Placement Requirement
EmpoweRanch accepts interns through colleges, universities, and other formal training programs.
Before an internship offer can be finalized, the student’s school or training program must:
Recognize the experience as an approved internship, practicum, or field placement
Have an active placement or affiliation agreement with EmpoweRanch, or be willing to establish one
Students who are not completing a school-approved placement may still be considered for structured volunteer roles, project-based service, or other ways to get involved.
What Your Internship May Include
EmpoweRanch internships are active, experiential field placements. Interns participate in both the visible and behind-the-scenes work required to develop and deliver responsible, high-quality programs.
Your experience will depend on your discipline, academic objectives, strengths, interests, and our current programs and projects.
Internship activities may include:
Program planning, preparation, and facilitation
Administrative and nonprofit operations
Research, writing, communications, or resource development
Documentation, data tracking, and evaluation
Outdoor, animal-supported, and community-based programming
Camps, retreats, events, and outreach
Volunteer coordination and team collaboration
Environmental setup, organization, and site safety
Some weeks may include extensive direct programming. Other weeks may focus more heavily on preparation, writing, documentation, evaluation, administration, or organizational projects.
This variety is intentional. Interns gain a fuller understanding of how programs move from an idea to a well-planned experience and how nonprofit organizations sustain their work over time.
Who Thrives at EmpoweRanch?
EmpoweRanch internships are often a strong fit for students who are:
Drawn to our mission and approach
Curious, creative, and willing to learn
Reliable and communicative
Comfortable receiving guidance and constructive feedback
Able to balance hands-on experiences with administrative responsibilities
Respectful of confidentiality and professional boundaries
Adaptable when weather, animals, schedules, or program needs change
Committed to teamwork, compassion, integrity, and accountability
You do not need to have every skill before you begin.
We do ask interns to participate fully, ask thoughtful questions, communicate when they need guidance, complete agreed-upon responsibilities, and remain open to growth.
At EmpoweRanch, learning often happens through doing, reflecting, adjusting, and trying again.
As participants in our veterans programs often say, you get out of it what you put in, and then some.
What We Ask of Our Interns
Internships are learning experiences, but they are also professional commitments. Participants, animals, staff members, volunteers, and community partners may depend on interns following through on their responsibilities.
Professional Commitment
Interns are expected to:
Maintain reliable availability
Arrive prepared and on time
Communicate promptly and professionally
Complete assignments and required documentation
Follow established policies and procedures
Ask questions when expectations are unclear
Respond constructively to coaching and feedback
Schedules may vary based on academic requirements, programs, events, seasonal activities, and organizational needs. Availability and scheduling expectations will be discussed before an internship offer is finalized.
Ethics, Boundaries, and Confidentiality
Interns may work around children, veterans, families, people with disabilities, individuals affected by trauma, volunteers, animals, and confidential organizational information.
All interns must demonstrate:
Respect for participant privacy
Appropriate professional and therapeutic boundaries
Trauma-informed and strengths-based interactions
Sound judgment and emotional maturity
Safe and respectful behavior around people and animals
Compliance with school, professional, and EmpoweRanch ethical requirements
Role-specific screening, fingerprint clearance, certifications, or documentation may be required.
Life at an Outdoor Ranch
EmpoweRanch is not a traditional office or classroom setting.
Internship experiences may involve:
Arizona heat, sun, wind, cold, rain, or mud
Natural and uneven terrain
Horses, livestock, chickens, dogs, and other animals
Dust, manure, animal hair, insects, and outdoor allergens
Walking, standing, bending, carrying supplies, cleaning, or setting up equipment
Rustic ranch, camp, retreat, or community settings
Some days may involve preparing a therapeutic activity, supporting a group, writing program materials, or helping coordinate an event. Other days may include moving equipment, cleaning a shared space, organizing supplies, preparing animal areas, or adapting plans when circumstances change.
This is part of working in a small, community-based nonprofit where team members contribute in many different ways.
Physical requirements vary by discipline and assignment. Not every internship responsibility requires the same level of mobility or physical activity.
EmpoweRanch welcomes interns with disabilities and encourages applicants to discuss accommodation needs early in the placement process. We will work with the student and academic program to explore reasonable adjustments and determine whether the essential responsibilities of the placement can be completed safely and successfully.
Transportation, Housing, and Expenses
All EmpoweRanch internships are currently unpaid.
Interns are responsible for:
Transportation to the South Phoenix ranch and other assigned program locations
Reliable transportation throughout the internship
Housing in the Phoenix area
Meals and personal expenses
Childcare and other personal support arrangements
Some placements may include camps, retreats, or programs in northern Arizona.
When interns are assigned to approved overnight programming, EmpoweRanch will provide a designated lodging space, such as a tent or shared cabin accommodation. Specific arrangements will be communicated in advance.
EmpoweRanch does not provide housing in Phoenix.
Children, Minors, and Guests During Internship Hours
EmpoweRanch welcomes children and teens through registered programs and specific, pre-approved volunteer opportunities with appropriate supervision.
Internships are different. They are professional field placements that require interns to remain fully engaged in their assignments, learning objectives, participant care, confidentiality, program operations, and site safety.
For these reasons, interns may not bring their own children, other minors, family members, or guests to internship hours or program locations.
EmpoweRanch is unable to provide childcare or supervision for accompanying children or guests.
A specific visit may be considered when requested in advance and approved in writing by EmpoweRanch.
A Transformative, High-Commitment Clinical Training Experience
🐴 EmpoweRanch Recreational Therapy Internship🌻
A Creative, Community-Based Path to Professional Practice
The EmpoweRanch Recreational Therapy Internship is designed for students preparing for the CTRS pathway and future professional practice.
EmpoweRanch provides inclusive, holistic, accessible, trauma-informed, animal-supported, and nature-based therapeutic recreation for youth, families, veterans, and people of varied abilities.
Our approach blends recreational therapy with outdoor experiences, adaptive recreation, horsemanship, animals, environmental education, service, mindfulness, arts, gardening, and community connection.
Interns contribute to active programs while learning what it takes to thoughtfully plan, facilitate, document, evaluate, and sustain community-based recreational therapy services.
Recreational Therapy Learning Experiences
Depending on current programs and academic objectives, internship experiences may include:
Assessment-informed program and treatment planning
Therapeutic documentation
Activity analysis and adaptation
Program preparation and facilitation
Therapeutic groups and outdoor experiences
Equine- and animal-supported programming
Data collection and program evaluation
Participant, animal, and environmental safety
Volunteer coordination and team leadership
Resource and curriculum development
Administrative and nonprofit operations
Recreational therapy involves far more than facilitating an enjoyable activity.
Interns learn to consider the purpose behind each experience, the needs and strengths of participants, the role of the environment, appropriate adaptations, therapeutic relationships, ethical practice, documentation, and program outcomes.
Who May Be a Strong Fit?
This placement may be a strong fit for recreational therapy students seeking:
Hands-on therapeutic recreation experience
Stronger clinical reasoning and documentation skills
Experience with trauma-informed and strengths-based practice
Growth in leadership, communication, and confidence
Exposure to adaptive outdoor and animal-supported approaches
Professional mentorship and constructive feedback
A broader view of community-based recreational therapy
Preparation for certification and professional practice
This is a comprehensive recreational therapy placement rather than a casual farm or animal-interaction experience.
Students who are excited to understand the full therapeutic and operational process, and who are ready to contribute while learning, are encouraged to apply.
Students primarily seeking occasional animal interaction or a lighter service commitment may find that an EmpoweRanch volunteer role is a better fit.
What You Can Take With You
An EmpoweRanch internship can help you:
Apply academic learning in real-world environments
Strengthen professional knowledge and practical skills
Build confidence through guided experience
Explore creative and nontraditional approaches within your field
Develop leadership, communication, and teamwork
Learn alongside professionals, volunteers, participants, and animals
Contribute to programs that improve quality of life
Build authentic professional relationships
Discover new strengths, interests, and career directions
No two EmpoweRanch internships are exactly alike.
Your experience will be shaped by your discipline, academic requirements, interests, goals, initiative, seasonal programming, and the current needs of the organization.
Our goal is for interns to leave with stronger skills, clearer professional direction, valuable experiences, and the knowledge that their contribution mattered.
Ready for the Adventure?
If you are looking for a field placement where you can learn, contribute, stretch your abilities, and become part of something still growing, we would love to hear from you.
Bring your curiosity, your strengths, your questions, and your willingness to learn.
We will bring the ranch, the animals, the opportunities, the challenges, and a team ready to help you grow.
Questions?
Email JessiV@EmpoweRanch.org and include:
Your school and academic program
Your field of study
Required internship hours
Anticipated start and completion dates
Relevant application or affiliation deadlines
Location
EmpoweRanch is located in South Phoenix near Dobbins Road and Central Avenue:
308 West Siesta Way
Phoenix, Arizona 85041
Benefits
✔️ Gain knowledge, skills, experience, abilities, and personal & professional growth
✔️ Make a positive impact on the lives of deserving people while making authentic connections with your team and those you serve
✔️ Work outdoors and around animals, learning all sorts of new things and making new animal friends