Community Engaged Internship Program

 

Increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in coastal and marine science research is an important programmatic priority for Maryland Sea Grant and the National Sea Grant College Program. To further this priority, the National Sea Grant Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and Traditional and Local Knowledge (TLK) communities of practice have implemented the Sea Grant Community-Engaged Internship (CEI) program for undergraduate students beginning in summer 2020. CEI is designed to specifically engage students from underrepresented and indigenous communities.

The overarching goal of this internship program is to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions by providing training and mentorship to the next generation of scientists, decision makers, and citizens. The program will do so by recruiting, retaining, and engaging diverse students in place-based research, extension, education, and/or communication that respects and integrates local ways of knowing. As such, we encourage applications from students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, individuals from minority serving institutions, and individuals from economically or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in STEM.

CEI Positions

Communications Intern at Maryland Sea Grant

The Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) intern will be jointly mentored by the program’s assistant directors, J. Adam Frederick (education) and Lisa Tossey (communications). The intern will assist the MDSG team virtually with the planning, production, and posting of education and outreach materials for use on the program’s website and social media platforms. They will also have the opportunity to work on the production of one personal science outreach project, which will be co-developed virtually by the intern and MDSG mentors. These opportunities may include developing resources that will use a variety of science communication tools to expand on MDSG education initiatives that combine science literacy, education pedagogy, and biodiversity.
 

Community Engagement Intern at Maryland Sea Grant Extension

The protection of water quantity and quality is of fundamental importance to Chesapeake Bay’s restoration goals. Despite decades of research, urban residents’ knowledge of water resources and the influence of their activities on watershed health remains poor, and novel approaches are needed to improve resident knowledge and attitudes and to develop more effective outreach programs to foster sustainable behavior change. This project is grounded in a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach. The CEI Intern will gain direct observational and applied research experience with the issues and challenges in environmental sustainability, community engagement, and environmental justice. The CEI intern will build and test community outreach materials, deploy community surveys, and attend community outreach events, among other activities. Amanda Rockler, a Watershed Restoration Specialist with MDSG Extension, will be the primary mentor for this intern.

How to Apply

Interested students are required to sign up and log into our internship portal. From the landing page, choose the opportunity you would like to apply to and then enter or upload the requested information:  

• Applicant Information
• Personal and Career Goals Statement (up to 500 words that describes what skills and experience you will bring to the internship and how this internship will help you achieve your long-term career goals)
• Additional short answer questions
• Resume
• Transcript (unofficial undergraduate transcripts released to student acceptable, electronic PDF or hard copy)
• Example of your work (communications internship only)
• Two references

Location, Stipend, and Support

The internships will start after Memorial Day and are based out of College Park, Maryland. The internships may be onsite or have remote working arrangements depending on requirements and university COVID-19 restrictions. The 10-week internships includes a stipend of $6,000. 

Eligibility

You must be a current undergraduate from a Maryland or District of Columbia college or university seeking a degree in natural, social, or environmental sciences, environmental policy, education, or science communication. 

Networking and Professional Development

Both interns will join a network of students participating in similar programs across the country. Interns will be connected to virtual professional development opportunities through Maryland Sea Grant and other Sea Grant programs to expose the participants to career opportunities in Sea Grant and NOAA, and provide them with professional development to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in ocean, coastal, and marine science disciplines.

Previous Student Projects

2021 Intern: Yazan Hasan

Yazan Hasan, an undergraduate from University of Maryland, College Park, joined Maryland Sea Grant as a summer science communication and outreach intern in 2021. He completed the internship virtually for the first part of the summer, then did some shooting in the field for his video project for the final two weeks of the program. Yazan, an environmental science and technology major, assisted the MDSG communication and education teams with photography needs, social media campaigns, and multimedia education content. He also wrote a blog post and researched and shot a series of videos on the impacts of salt water intrusion on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, which can be viewed below. See some of his other work completed during his internship on this online portfolio.

2020 Intern: Logan Bilbrough

Logan Bilbrough, an undergraduate from Salisbury University, joined Maryland Sea Grant as a summer multimedia intern in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. He completed the internship remotely via teleconference and carefully planned socially distanced shoots, assisting with photography needs, social media campaigns, and video production. He also wrote a blog post and researched and shot a film on a community restoration project in the the town of Templeville, Maryland, which can be viewed below. See some of his other work completed during his internship on this online portfolio.

Contact Information

For more information, please contact:

Hannah Cooper
Science Management and Policy Intern

Maryland Sea Grant College
5825 University Research Court, Suite 1350
College Park, Maryland 20740
Phone: (301)405-7500
E-mail: hrcooper@mdsg.umd.edu