Three positions available beginning June 2023
Areas of focus include Economic Impacts, Environmental Literacy & Workforce Development, and Aquatic Invasive Species
Pennsylvania Sea Grant is excited to offer three paid summer internship opportunities for undergraduate students seeking to gain experience in the areas of outreach, education, and economics. Opportunities include, evaluating the economic impacts of the Program’s activities; assisting education program planning focused on climate literacy, educator professional development, and action-oriented stewardship projects; and, assisting with aquatic invasive species (AIS) outreach materials and resources, and general outreach efforts to advance AIS education.
The purpose of the internships is to contribute to a diverse ocean and Great Lakes workforce that understands technical and social challenges facing coastal communities and the natural environment. The experience will help prepare undergraduate students for graduate school and careers in science, policy, management, and outreach focused on oceans, Great Lakes, and watersheds. Full details about the internship opportunity are available online at https://seagrant.psu.edu.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity for undergraduate students whose career paths involve ocean, Great Lakes, and watershed-related concentrations,” says Sarah Whitney, Pennsylvania Sea Grant Director. “Internship opportunities like this support undergrad students, help individuals be better prepared for their next academic or professional step, and serve as a window into the variety of career paths within the broad field of science.”
The internships are offered in Pennsylvania as part of the Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program, which is offered by Sea Grant programs across the country. This program encourages applicants from groups historically underrepresented in the sciences, including African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic and Latino, female, first-generation college students, veterans, LGBTQ+, and students with disabilities. In addition, the program welcomes applications from students who have worked to overcome educational or economic disadvantages or who have personal or family circumstances that may complicate their career paths.
Interviews will begin after March 6, 2023. The positions would begin in early June 2023 into August.
Successful candidates will be paid $16 per hour and be expected to work up to 40 hours per week for 9-10 weeks, from June into August.
Apply electronically Applications will be reviewed until the positions are filled.
Eligibility
This opportunity is limited to undergraduate students currently enrolled in a U.S. institution of higher learning. Undergraduate students graduating in spring 2023 are eligible for the internship.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or be authorized to work in the United States without restriction.
Graduate students are not eligible for this opportunity. To learn about graduate fellowship opportunities, visit https://seagrant.psu.edu/careers/
Details and Application
Apply electronically with the additional documentation as described below. Applications will be reviewed until the positions are filled.
Submit the following documents in a single PDF file:
• Resume or curriculum vitae detailing education and work experiences (2-page limit)
• Goal statement describing your interest in the internship program. Helpful information to include is your personal, professional, and academic background including your related experience, major or field of study and why you chose it; why you are interested in marine, Great Lakes, watershed science, policy, management, education, or outreach; how you think this internship would help you professionally; and information about how you might contribute to the mission of the CEI program (up to 1000 words)
• Copy of unofficial transcript(s)
• Contact information (name, title, email, telephone number) for one reference. This reference should be someone who supervised you in a work or volunteer position and who is willing to describe your qualifications for the internship, or from a college professor or advisor who is willing to describe your academic achievements.
• Interns should be able to work independently, with guidance from their supervisor.
• Interns should be located in Pennsylvania, with ability to travel to attend events and meetings in person. The AIS intern should be located in the Erie region.
• Other aspects of this position can be completed virtually, creating a hybrid work experience. Interns will have the opportunity to participate in Pennsylvania Sea Grant staff meetings as well as other potential professional development and networking opportunities. See descriptions below for further details.
Questions should be directed to Sarah Whitney at swhitney@psu.edu including the subject line of “2023 Pennsylvania Sea Grant Summer Undergraduate Internship.”
Economic Impacts Intern:
Pennsylvania Sea Grant seeks an economic impacts intern to help identify and value the impact of the program’s activities. The economic impacts intern will work with Pennsylvania Sea Grant staff to apply methodology guides developed by the National Sea Grant Program. Economic impacts are important to collect because they allow us to tell the stories about the positive impacts of Pennsylvania Sea Grant work.
The student should be passionate about natural resource economics and applying their skills to real-world situations, including developing solutions that support economic and environmental goals. The economic impacts intern will build upon learned natural resource economics and communications skills and techniques to enhance understanding of ocean, coastal, watershed, and ecosystem-related topics. The economic impacts intern will work to review and apply methodology guides developed by the National Sea Grant Program to identify economic impacts of Pennsylvania Sea Grant activities. This intern should be located in Pennsylvania. This position can be completed virtually and may also have the opportunity to attend events and meetings.
Specifically, the intern may:
• Review the eleven economic impact methodologies developed by the National Sea Grant Office
• Apply some or all of the methodology guides to Pennsylvania Sea Grant activities, ultimately developing impacts and information that can be used in strategic planning, programmatic reporting, and for use in communications that speak to the value of Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s work.
• Attend meetings with related partners
• Additional opportunities as appropriate
Qualifications: The intern should have strong writing and organizational skills. The ability to work independently, and to accurately synthesize and deliver information is preferred.
Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development Intern:
Pennsylvania Sea Grant’s statewide reach includes three diverse coastal regions: the Lake Erie, Susquehanna River, and Delaware River watersheds. Environmental literacy and workforce development (ELWD) is an educational priority across these three distinct watersheds, and is fostered via educator professional development workshops, adult and youth education programs, print and online resources, opportunities for college and university students, and nonformal community education. Pennsylvania Sea Grant seeks an environmental literacy and workforce development (ELWD) intern who is interested in Great Lakes, ocean, and climate literacy educator professional development program content and action-oriented stewardship projects.
Specifically, the intern may:
• Catalog and update existing Pennsylvania Sea Grant and other existing lesson plans to meet current Pennsylvania academic standards
• Assist with educator professional development program planning and implementation
• Assist with Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEE) action project planning and implementation
• Attend meetings with formal and nonformal educators and related partners
• Additional opportunities as appropriate
These tasks will involve regular communication with Pennsylvania Sea Grant staff, Sea Grant Educators in the Great Lakes, mid-Atlantic, and national networks, and with relevant partners from state agencies, non-governmental organizations, schools, and more.
This intern should be located in Pennsylvania. This position can be completed virtually and may also have the opportunity to attend events and meetings.
Qualifications: The intern should have strong writing and communication skills, the ability to work independently and with others, and good organizational proficiencies. An interest in and experience with formal and nonformal educational settings is preferred but not required.
Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Intern:
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) have a significant impact on the ecology and economy of Pennsylvania. Educating partners, stakeholders, and water users about AIS and ways to prevent their introduction and spread has been a key area of focus for Pennsylvania Sea Grant for twenty-five years. The AIS outreach intern will work with staff to update and revise AIS outreach materials and resources, identify opportunities for in-person or virtual presentations to key audiences, and assist in general outreach efforts to advance AIS education. This position may attend in-person events in Erie, therefore the preferred location of this position is in the Erie region, with ability to commute to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. There may also be opportunities for travel to events in western Pennsylvania. Other aspects of this position can be completed virtually.
Specifically, the intern may:
• Identify opportunities (specific groups, established events, virtual meetings) and assist in the development of AIS prevention presentations and events, attend events, and give presentations.
• Assist in the development of outreach materials
• Compile and write species information for an identification guide about baitfish for baitfish dealers
• Other AIS-focused projects as needed.
These activities will involve regular communication with Pennsylvania Sea Grant staff, relevant stakeholders, state agencies, non-governmental organizations, and others.
Qualifications: The intern should have strong interpersonal, presentation, writing and organizational skills. The ability to work independently, communicate effectively to individuals and larger groups and to accurately synthesize and deliver information is preferred. Interest in AIS prevention is preferred but not required.
The staff of Pennsylvania Sea Grant value diversity, equity, and inclusion in both our organization and the communities we serve. We strive to make access to research, outreach, education, and employment opportunities available to everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, place of origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, disability, or veteran status.
