Summer Communications Internship Opportunity

WHOI Sea Grant Communications Internship
June 2023 – August 2023

WHOI Sea Grant is seeking a matriculating undergraduate student with an academic focus on visual and written communications, ideally with an interest or coursework in the sciences. This internship will be mostly in-person with an option of some remote work.

The student will gain skills in still and/or video content creation for web and social media, social media strategies and analytics, science communications methodologies, nonprofit event promotion, and image asset management.

WHOI Sea Grant is committed to building inclusive programs that serve people with unique backgrounds, circumstances, needs, perspectives and ways of thinking. We encourage  applicants from all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, disabilities, cultures,  religions, marital statuses, veteran status, and socioeconomic status.

Guest students are responsible for arranging their own room and board and are expected to  arrive with their own health insurance. This internship will be 30 hours per week @$17 per hour. Start and end dates are negotiable, but the intern must commit to at least 10 weeks (and up to 12 weeks) during the summer and being in-person at the WHOI Sea Grant offices.

Interested students should send a resume, a one-page letter of interest describing how your experience and background will contribute to the internship projects, three work samples and the names and contact info for three references to Poonam Narotam (poonam.narotam@whoi.edu) by April 15, 2023.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Matriculating undergraduate student (i.e.: rising sophomore, junior, or senior)
• Communications/journalism interest with emphasis on visual communication
• Confident, capable writer for web, captions, social media
• Interested in science/nature/marine science

INTERNSHIP DETAILS: 

Research Communications (50%)

WHOI Sea Grant funds four to six research projects every two years that focus on supporting Massachusetts coastal communities. This student intern will create content to bring attention to these projects and scientists, through photo essays, short video(s), and/or written profiles for our website and social media. Additionally, this intern will create content related to WHOI Sea Grant’s extension activities, including accompanying staff during summer field projects and creating visually compelling stories on this research, as well as education activities, including the annual Girls in Science summer fellowship program. Deliverable: 4-6 research project highlights and participation in fieldwork/education programs, as appropriate

Image Asset Management (20%)

WHOI Sea Grant is in the process of developing a system to organize and manage our photos and videos. The intern will use their visual acumen to identify “best of” photos/videos that can be accessed by the entire WHOI Sea Grant team and used for social media, reports, presentations, publications, event marketing materials, etc. The intern will learn to use an image management database (“i-Base”) to categorize and organize assets. Additionally, the intern will also have opportunities to meet and consult with WHOI professionals with expertise in photography, videography, graphic arts and content creation. Deliverable: Develop “best of” collections for 6 WHOI Sea Grant focus areas (eg: aquaculture, coastal erosion, water quality, education, etc.)

Social Media (20%)

The intern will participate in content creation for WHOI Sea Grant’s social media channels. Content will be drawn from the research communications and image asset management activities the intern will be working on. Deliverable: 2 or more posts per platform per week

General Communications Support (10%)

The intern will support other communications activities throughout the summer, including outreach events, Girls in Science fellowship activities, etc, as needed.

 

Community Engaged Internship (CEI) Program

The intern will have the option of participating in the National Sea Grant Office’s Community Engaged Internship program, which is designed for undergraduate 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. By participating, the intern will have the opportunity to:

• participate in all CEI professional development and training opportunities;
• receive mentoring by Sea Grant professionals, Sea Grant funded researchers and Knauss Fellows;

• interact with other interns in the cohort through virtual platforms;
• gain experience presenting the results of 10 weeks of work through a graduation ceremony that celebrates accomplishments and enhances networking with peers and other professionals.