Pennsylvania Sea Grant
2022 Summer Student Internship Program
Pennsylvania Sea Grant is excited to offer three paid summer internship positions. These positions are for undergraduate students seeking to build on their field of study through hands-on, project-oriented work in the areas of communications, outreach, and education.
The purpose of the internships is to contribute to a diverse ocean/Great Lakes workforce that understands technical and social challenges facing coastal communities and the natural environment, and to prepare undergraduate students for graduate school and careers in marine/Great Lakes/watershed science, policy, management, and outreach.
The internships are offered through the Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program, which 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.
Eligibility
• This opportunity is limited to undergraduate students currently enrolled in a U.S. institution of higher learning. Undergraduate students graduating in spring 2022 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 http://seagrant.psu.edu/section/opportunities
Details and Application
Apply online including details 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 emphasizing your interest in the internship program. Helpful information to include is your personal/professional/academic background including your related experience, your major and why you chose it; why you are interested in marine/Great Lakes/watershed science, policy, management, and/or outreach; how you think this internship would help you professionally; and information about how you would contribute to the mission of the CEI program (1000 words)
• Preferred internship position
• Copy of unofficial transcript(s)
• Contact information (name, title, email, telephone number) for a reference. The person who is your 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 achievement.
Application review will begin after April 22, 2022. Successful candidates will be paid $15 per hour and be expected to work up to 40 hours per week for 10 weeks, from June through August. Due to state and federal COVID-19 restrictions and protocols, interns should be able to work remotely and independently, with guidance from their supervisor. Interns should be located in Pennsylvania and there may be opportunities to attend events and meetings in person during the summer.
Questions should be directed to Sarah Whitney at snw2@psu.edu. Include the subject line of “2022 Pennsylvania Sea Grant Summer Internship.”
Interns will have the opportunity to attend Pennsylvania Sea Grant staff meetings as well as other potential professional development and networking opportunities.
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.
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Pennsylvania Sea Grant Summer Undergraduate Internship Opportunity #1
Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach
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 over twenty years. The AIS outreach intern will work with staff to update and revise AIS outreach materials and resources, identify opportunities for public or virtual presentations to key audiences, general outreach efforts to advance AIS education.
Specifically, the intern may:
• identify opportunities (specific groups, established events, virtual meetings) and assist in the development of AIS prevention presentations,
• assist in the development of outreach materials, control and monitoring plans, and rapid response planning for specific species and pathways
• 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 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. Communication and virtual engagement with various Pennsylvania stakeholders is expected. Interest in AIS prevention is preferred but not required.
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Pennsylvania Sea Grant Summer Undergraduate Internship Opportunity #2
Climate Resiliency Outreach
Communities are increasingly finding it more and more difficult to keep up with both the immediate effects of Mother Nature and the slow build-up of long-term changes to weather patterns. Resilient communities are ones that are prepared to react to disasters in an organized and pre-emptive manner and continue to grow and develop with the long-term changes in mind. The Community Resilience Action Network of Erie (CRANE) is a is an alliance of organizations in Erie Pennsylvania that have a shared vision of developing a climate-conscious community through education, community engagement, and the implementation of projects that address climate change and build a more resilient community. Pennsylvania Sea Grant and CRANE are searching for an intern to increase awareness through social media platforms and online content development, and provide project support to CRANE team members through background research and educational material development.
Specifically, the intern may
• Work alongside the CRANE team to create an on-going plan for social media promotions and overall strategy
• Seek creative ways to expand social media presence, increase number of followers, and provide guidance about popular social media platforms (Twitter, Instagram, etc.) and develop engaging strategies to advance CRANE’s mission
• Create and distribute content such as blogs, infographics, and press releases on social media and the CRANE website
• Conduct monthly review and update of the CRANE website
• Research locally available information on climate change and extreme weather events as needed to support CRANE projects
• Attend bi-monthly CRANE meetings
• Other tasks as needed by CRANE team members
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 writing, data reporting, and organizational skills. The ability to work independently, communicate effectively to individuals and larger groups and to accurately synthesize and deliver information is preferred. Communication and virtual engagement with various Pennsylvania stakeholders is expected.
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Pennsylvania Sea Grant Summer Undergraduate Internship Opportunity #3
Science Communications Intern
Pennsylvania Sea Grant seeks a communications intern who is passionate about science and eager to utilize their communications skills to ‘make sense of science’ by developing a suite of communications tools to highlight Pennsylvania Sea Grant research and fellowship opportunities.
The science communications intern will build-upon learned communications skills and techniques to enhance understanding of ocean, coastal, watershed, and ecosystem-related topics. Interest and coursework in science communications, storytelling, writing, photography, graphic design, and video production are preferred.
The science communications intern will work with the Pennsylvania communications lead to produce a series of materials to feature Pennsylvania Sea Grant funded research, researchers, and fellowships. Activities may include writing and producing fact sheets, press releases, and summaries, developing online content for the program’s website and social media channels, producing short videos to highlight researchers and fellows, and other projects as assigned.
Qualifications: The intern should have strong 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. (Virtual) communication and engagement with various Pennsylvania stakeholders is anticipated. The ability to meet with the internship supervisor at PASG’s Harrisburg office on weekly basis is preferred, but not required.
