Island Institute Scholars Internships

These internships are available for rising high school seniors to students who have just graduated from college. Students must be Island Scholars—which means they must have received or plan to apply for a college scholarship from the Island Institute Maine Island Scholarship Fund. Applications are due April 15th 2015. Please email jmaher@islandinstitute.org for more information and applications.

Below please find the internships for Casco Bay:


Island Commons Resource Center—Chebeague

The intern will assist the Commons Administrator with the admission process of prospective and new residents, including health care aspects (within Maine regulations), home policies, and procedures. The intern will assist the Activities Coordinator with developing activities to meet the needs and abilities of the current resident population. The intern will learn all the facets of running a small, rural, non-medical facility including staff management, hiring processes, financials, and coordination with the community. This is a 150-hour internship, which carries a $1,250 stipend.

Chebeague Historical Society

The intern will work in the museum, archives, and gift shop, maintaining the website, serving as a docent, operating the gift shop, and working with collections. The intern must be self-motivated, collaborative, and wiling to ask for and receive help. The intern must also enjoy working with people of all ages, be technologically astute, and have an interest in learning new skills. This is a 300-hour internship with a $2,500 stipend.

Basket Island Oysters, Casco Bay

Basket Island Oysters, based on Peaks, produces sustainably grown oysters in Casco Bay. The intern will work on all aspects of oyster aquaculture, from handling seed to harvesting market-sized oysters. The intern will learn the ins and outs of oyster farming, and the nuances of operating a small business in Maine. Additionally the intern will gain experience handling small boats and working on Casco Bay. The intern should have an interest in marine science and aquaculture, love the outdoors in all types of weather, follow directions well, and be reliable. Previous experience working on boats is a plus, but is not required. This is a 300-hour internship with a $2,500 stipend.

TEIA, Assistant Event Manager—Peaks Island

As the Assistant Event Manager, the TEIA intern will work behind the scenes with the Event Manger to develop, run, and supervise a profitable or breakeven event. The intern’s responsibilities include: identifying a target market for the event and executing a marketing plan; coordinating all aspects of the event; registering attendees; managing the budget; coordinating speakers and/or entertainment; identifying and coordinating volunteers; and helping create event decorations and manage the room set up. The intern will gain hands-on experience of how to plan, mange, and hold a successful event. This is a 300-hour internship with a $2,500 stipend.


Peaks Island Children’s Workshop

The intern will be expected to build relationships with island children between the ages of 1 to 8. Experience working with children of different ages is preferred. The intern will be responsible for helping to plan summer activities for different age groups and for following the curriculum set by teachers. The intern should demonstrate maturity, initiative, and dependability as well as respect for the confidentiality of families and staff at the workshop. Finally, the intern will also play a part in organizing and participating the Workshop’s summer fundraiser. This is a 225-hour internship with a $1,875 stipend.


Peaks Island Invasive Plant Intern

Working in conjunction the Peaks Island Land Preserve (PILP) the Peaks Environmental Action Team (PEAT), and Lockhart Gardens, the intern will work to raise awareness of invasive plants on the island. The intern will attend meetings of PILP and PEAT, and possibly attend trainings by the Casco Bay Invasive Network. The intern will work on invasive plants on Peaks, promote the environmental education of homeowners, remove invasives, and plant examples of native non-invasive plants. In addition, the intern will help organize public forums on environmental issues and help develop a poster about invasives. Finally, the intern will map the locations of invasives in the PILP. The intern should have in interest in ecology, enjoy working outdoors even in the rain, and be able to lift 50 lbs. This is a 300-hour internship with a $2,500 stipend.

Flowfold, Peaks Island and Casco Bay

The intern will help Flowfold with their media and marketing. The intern will write stories to share with customers, interview fans, develop social media content, and work with photography or video to create new media campaigns. They will conduct market research on new product trends and new leads, as well as supporting general operations, including packing and shipping. The intern must not be afraid to tackle new projects, be comfortable writing, enjoy working with a team, and be curious. The intern must be able to travel to Scarborough once a week to meet with their advisor. This is a 225-hour internship with a $1,875 stipend.

Casco Bay Naturalist on Long Island

The intern will learn about the ecology of Long Island and provide weekly environmental programming to the public. The intern will have an interest in biology and ecology, enjoy working with people, especially children, and be eager to learn about a broad range of environmental topics and share that knowledge with others. Basic programming content will be provided, but the intern will also have the opportunity to develop some new content. The intern will work from home, organize, promote and deliver interactive programs at various on-island sites, help organize and promote guest presentations, and travel to the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership office in Portland once a week for meetings with their advisor. Naturalist trainings with other experts may require additional local travel. This is a 10-week, 225-hour internship with a $1,875 stipend.