Green Scholars - Sustainability & Environmental Curriculum Development Virtual/Remote Internship

Green Scholars  

The Green Scholars program is a project-based, honors-level high school curriculum that seeks to inspire high school students to create change in their communities while building a foundation of knowledge that will enable them to do so. By educating students on the basics of sustainability, giving them resources to succeed in professional settings, and helping students develop skills necessary to complete a sustainability project for their community, the Green 

Scholars program strives to empower students to help create a more sustainable world. The Green Scholars Development team consists of four sub-teams: environmental literacy, professional skills, project management, and program management. Interns on all subteams will work on content development along with revisions to the current curriculum. In addition, interns may work on video projects and online content design for the online version of the curriculum.

Environmental Literacy: The Environmental Literacy subteam educates students on the basics of the environment and the importance of sustainability. By becoming more environmentally literate, students can choose a sustainability project they are most passionate about and understand how environmental issues impact their everyday lives. This team focuses on teaching students the basics of environmental science theory and its application to real-world problems.

Job Responsibilities:

• Research and develop environmental science and sustainability content for the Green Scholars curriculum.
• Revise and update existing curriculum materials to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Create video content and online resources that enhance the educational experience for students.
• Collaborate with other sub-teams to ensure the environmental literacy content aligns with overall program goals.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Excellent research, writing, and editing abilities, with critical thinking skills applied to real-world issues.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, creativity, and openness to new ideas.
• Willingness to learn and collaborate effectively as a team player.
• Experience teaching, particularly in an educational environment (middle/high school preferred).
• Research experience and a background in writing, with a focus on sustainability, especially in community settings.
• Video production skills are a plus.

Professional Skills: The Professional Skills subteam helps educate students on succeeding in professional settings after high school. Whether students plan to apply to college, seek out an internship, or start a professional career right away, this team bridges the knowledge gap by teaching them the skills needed to succeed in their work life and sustainability projects.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and update curriculum content on professional skills, including resume writing, interview techniques, and workplace communication.
• Create resources and tools to help students prepare for their next steps after high school, whether in higher education or the workforce.
• Produce video content and digital resources that support the teaching of professional skills.
• Work closely with other sub-teams to integrate professional skills training into the broader Green Scholars curriculum.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Excellent research, writing, and editing skills, with a background in critical thinking and real-world issue analysis.
• Strong organizational and communication abilities, creativity, and openness to new ideas.
• Willingness to learn and work collaboratively as a team player.
• Experience teaching, particularly in an educational environment (middle/high school preferred).
• Research experience, either academic or professional, with a writing and sustainability work background.
• Video production skills are a plus

Project & Program Management: The Project & Program Management subteam educates students on successfully designing, implementing, and managing sustainability projects in their schools or communities. Project development is vital to the Green Scholars curriculum, allowing students to explore and understand sustainability through hands-on projects. This team ensures students have the resources necessary to bring positive change to their communities. Additionally, this subteam assists teachers in implementing the Green Scholars program and prepares them for the various scenarios they may face while delivering the curriculum. Interns may also work on creating informative AI videos, researching environmental issues, and producing content that educates and inspires students.

Job Responsibilities:

• Guide students in the development, planning, and execution of sustainability projects within their schools or communities.
• Provide support and resources to teachers implementing the Green Scholars curriculum, tailoring content to meet the needs of different student groups.
• Develop and update project management tools and resources to assist students in completing their projects.
• Create video content and digital materials that support students and teachers in managing their sustainability projects.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure the integration of sustainability principles into the project and program management processes.

Desired Skills/Experience:

• Strong project management, organizational, and critical thinking skills, particularly in environmental contexts.
• Excellent research, writing, editing, and communication abilities, focusing on education.
• Creativity and adaptability in tailoring resources for diverse educational needs.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Experience teaching or facilitating in an educational setting (middle/high school preferred).
• Background in project management, especially within educational or community-based initiatives.
• Knowledge of environmental science, sustainability, or related fields.
• Previous experience in content creation or educational program development, with familiarity with sustainability practices and community engagement.

                                                   “Sustainability, Education, Action”

What is Seaside: Seaside Sustainability is a nationally recognized, award-winning 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to community engagement, public education, and environmental conservation. Seaside aims to be a leader in environmental and STEM educational programs and recognition initiatives. We help by promoting public awareness about the importance of environmental health, providing resources to develop problem-solving skills, and chances to get engaged as part of a community to take action. We organize our works and initiatives around these areas: plastic mitigation, marine citizen science, sustainability education, and solar energy in the community.

Why Intern at Seaside: Seaside’s internship program is hands-down one of the best in the area! With its roots firmly seated in education and hands-on learning, there is no doubt that that is why we have more than 50 interns at any given point throughout the year. Our programs and initiatives encourage members of the community, young and old, to build and nurture a relationship with local land and seascapes. An internship at Seaside allows you to explore a myriad of internship opportunities, relevant to almost any future interest. Join Seaside Sustainability for any season, or during breaks in your school schedule. We are looking for part-time interns in high school, college, and beyond to work on a diverse and challenging array of projects and initiatives. We are accepting applications for unpaid internships, with hours available any day of the week and practically any time of day: weekdays, weekends, and evenings included. We prefer to have our local interns work in person at the office in Gloucester, and we also invite interns from all over the United States and internationally to apply. Seaside Sustainability provides interns with real and meaningful work, and internships are available in any season with flexible time schedules.

Mission: Seaside Sustainability's mission is to preserve and protect the world's oceans, seas, wetlands, and estuaries by motivating citizens to evaluate the critical issues facing the water environment, educating the public on best practices for sustainability, and providing guidance for taking effective action. Among our most important areas of focus are the elimination of consumer plastics and the creation of educational programs for students of all ages. By partnering with diverse stakeholders, including educational institutions, environmental groups, and other organizations across the public and private sectors, Seaside Sustainability is committed to building an informed citizenry to address the sustainability of water-based ecosystems in communities around the world.

Vision Statement: Seaside’s programs and initiatives encourage members of the community, of all ages, to build and nurture a relationship with local land and seascapes. We believe that environmental challenges can be overcome by instilling ethical and social responsibility into our existence. And we address these challenges by illuminating the heavy costs of environmental degradation by providing resources to develop skills, solutions, and community involvement.

What Interns Do at Seaside Sustainability: Our interns are not limited to just one role; we encourage each intern to take advantage of the opportunity to explore a variety of roles and responsibilities. Our interns are never bored as they’re always given real and meaningful work that is essential to the day-to-day operation of the company. As an intern with Seaside Sustainability, you will be asked to perform a myriad of tasks, most of which can also be found at https://www.seasidesustainability.org/intern-details. 

Market Research Weekly Work: In order to fulfill our mission, we need to communicate with educators who are passionate about sustainability. To meet our weekly goals of outreach to these educators, all interns are required to spend no more than 2-hours a week collecting this critical and game changing information. When you are researching these educators, you are literally selecting the people who will be changing the lives of their students by taking part in our programs. This role is one of the most important parts of working here at Seaside. You will gain so many useful skills such as how to be a more effective researcher and how to remain organized all while playing a key role in expanding the size and scale of Seaside. As Interns join Seaside’s leadership, they take on increasing responsibilities and are not required to do weekly information collection.

Course Credit: Students may receive course credit for this internship. Staff will work with the intern’s school/advisor on achieving desired learning outcomes and completing all necessary paperwork.

Requirements: Seaside Sustainability requires interns to work at least 15 hours per week.  

President’s Volunteer Service Award: Seaside Sustainability is now certified to give out the “President’s Volunteer Service Award” to eligible interns. This award was created to, “recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity. This award honors individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.” This is a great achievement to put on your resume! What are the requirements for this award?

1. Must be a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident
2. All hours must be completed within a 12-month period to be counted towards the final total
3. All hours must be tracked in Seaside’s weekly shift report to be counted

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement: Seaside recognizes that environmental issues are human issues, and therefore everyone has a right to be a part of the solution. Seaside is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that welcomes all participants irrespective of their gender, race, sexuality, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or socioeconomic status. The demographics of our internship program directly reflects the composition of our national outreach while the composition of our board more reflects the local composition of our communities. With the understanding that Environmental Issues disproportionately affect low income communities, minority communities, and communities of color, we are actively seeking to ensure that our environmental work, our projects, and programs are crafted in a way that both reflects and aids in combating the plight of minorities, of people of color, of economically challenged, and other disadvantaged individuals.

General Skills Needed:

• Passionate and dedicated to making a difference in the environment
• Good virtual communication skills
• Comfortable working in teams
• Good time management skills
• Willingness to learn and work outside of their comfort zone
• Basic knowledge of communication technology (G-Suite, Zoom, Email)
• Leadership skills

Management Roles

Advisors

Seaside Sustainability’s Community Advisory Team members work directly with our Executive Director, Eric Magers, and work alongside Board members, Intern Directors, Management Fellows, other Community Advisors and a large cadre of interns organized in teams to further advance the organization’s goals. Common Advisor duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Leading implementation of new management and organizational processes and procedures across the program. Delegating tasks to appropriate team members. Working closely with the Human Resources team to manage and oversee recruitment for future internship sessions. Collecting and analyzing feedback from interns throughout the program to gauge satisfaction and success. Skills Needed: Good communication with people of all walks of life, Leadership skills, Experience coordinating groups of people, A strong desire to facilitate a positive, hands-on internship experience.

Strategic Assistants

Seaside Sustainability’s rapid growth is requiring the organization to look for enthusiastic students who wish to take their passion for the environment to the next level. To promote this, Seaside will provide Strategic Assistant with a professionally guided internship that assists with intern management strategies and supports their aspirations for career development. SAs take the lead on more than 10 Seaside projects working with 3-4 departments simultaneously. Being a SA is truly a win-win situation: the environment benefits, interns benefit, and SA gains invaluable experience. We are actively seeking to recruit college students, graduate students, and those with leadership experience to fulfill the role of a SA. Interns at Seaside Sustainability may be promoted to the position of a SA by exemplifying the characteristics of a model intern. Skills Needed: Project development, Task delegation, Superior organizational and communication skills

Management Fellows

A Fellow exemplifies organization, leadership, and communication skills and has the opportunity to lead a team of 12-15 interns within one of our departments throughout their internship. This position is more demanding and requires someone with the ability to check emails and make phone calls outside of regular working hours. The duties of this position include interviewing applicants, onboarding new interns, meeting with interns 1:1 every other week, reporting to the Advisor, and ensuring the success of both interns and projects. Skills Needed: Project development, task delegation, superior organizational and communication skills.

Department Manager

Similar to a Fellow, a Department Manager also exemplifies organization, leadership, and communication skills but focuses on leading a sub-team within a department. A Department Manager has the opportunity to lead a team of 5-8 interns, ensuring that their sub-team's projects align with the department's goals. This position requires the ability to check emails and make phone calls outside of regular working hours. The duties include interviewing applicants, onboarding new interns, meeting with interns 1:1 every other week, reporting to the Fellow or Advisor, and ensuring the success of both interns and projects. Skills Needed: Project development, task delegation, superior organizational and communication skills.

Make Sure To Follow Seaside on Social Media!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seasusinc/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seasusinc/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seasusinc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDqPZWdPIQG37aaSC7NShOg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seaside-sustainability-inc/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4lfTZpbv0ELrkU2po8SRfo

And remember to check out our partner organization National STEM Honor Society www.nstem.org for another great internship opportunity!