The Education Department's programs at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) are part of SERC's mission of public engagement. We act as the interface between SERC researchers, their work, and the public. We serve a wide range of audiences including K-12 students and teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, and the general public. Our programs focus on hands-on inquiry based learning that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards. We achieve this through our access to a variety of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in and around the 2,650acre campus on the Rhode River and the Chesapeake Bay. SERC's watershed resources are the venues for activities, demonstrations, discussions, and data collection. Our programs are aimed at communicating about SERC's research, our scientific processes, and contributing to a better understanding of how humans impact their environment on a regional and global scale. Interns play an integral role in helping staff to conduct educational programs and engage with the public. Interns will work with groups of all ages, from K-Adult and the general public. The interns will learn the following:
* Develop teaching and educational skills in an informal education setting. * Learn how to structure and guide hands-on inquiry based programs for a wide range of ages. * Facilitate learning and manage groups effectively. * Develop communication skills that show an ability to interpret SERC's research and science while adaptively communicating to audiences in a variety of venues on SERC's campus (classrooms, nature trails, docks and beaches, wetlands and tidal creeks). * Understand SERC research and how that research is translated into hands-on programs. * Contribute suggestions and examples of educational activities that foster exploration and discovery, encourage creativity, and engage participants in transformative experiences. * Learn and demonstrate basic care for fish and invertebrates in the education center. If interested in applying, these are rolling applications until the positions are filled in the future. Browse to SOLAA and register: https://solaa.si.edu/solaa/#/public Select Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Internship Program from the drop down list of internship programs. Requirements for applying to the SERC intern program: Personal essay describing background, interest in field, career goals, chosen project(s) Resume Two letters of recommendation Need to be current undergraduate, recent graduate (12 months or less of start date), or Master's student to apply for summer internship opportunity at SERC. Any questions, please feel free to contact the SERC Professional Training Coordinator. Daniel E Gustafson, Jr. Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Professional Training Coordinator 647 Contees Wharf Rd Edgewater, MD. 21037 443-482-2217 gustafs...@si.edu<mailto:gustafs...@si.edu> www.serc.si.edu<http://www.serc.si.edu/>
