Recently, the National Sea Grant College Program launched the Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions through training and mentorship for undergraduate students in the disciplines of place-based research, extension, education, and communication; interns can focus on one or combine several.
The students, who are recruited and hosted by programs throughout the Sea Grant network, work closely with mentors in their area of interest for 8 to 10 weeks over the summer. Each student also completes a project that extends the knowledge of stakeholders to address issues of environmental, economic, and social importance in coastal, marine, or Great Lakes communities. In addition, all CEI participants receive professional development and networking opportunities with their cohort peers as part of the broader program. After its 2020 launch, CEI participation doubled across the network in 2021, with 14 Sea Grant programs engaging 64 interns in projects this summer.
Maryland Sea Grant hosted interns for the CEI program in 2020 and 2021, and focused the summer experiences on science communication and outreach. Although COVID-19 restrictions made the internships largely virtual experiences for both students, strict protocols and careful planning allowed them to have several experiences in the field. These outings provided hands-on opportunities to conduct interviews and on-site filming for video projects that highlight environmental issues impacting communities on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Meet the interns and see their work below!
2020 Intern
Logan Bilbrough
A man, with his back to the camera, interviews another man standing on a small sandy beach along the Choptank River.
A man sitting in a yellow kayak photographs a box turtle on the shore of the Corsica River.
A man uses a video camera on a tripod at the edge of a small pond covered in green duckweed.
Area of Study: Communications, with concentrations in media studies and environmental studies
After the Internship: Logan graduated in the fall of 2020 and is currently working as a science communication intern with University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Integration and Application Network.
Close-up image of a great blue heron‘s head. Photo, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
An osprey sits on a large dead branch. Photo, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
A Great Egret hunts along the edge of the water. Photo, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
A muskrat swims through water holding leaves in its mouth. Photo, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
A freshwater turtle rests on a broken log poking out of the water. Photo, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
Photos of wildlife on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Photos, Logan Bilbrough / MDSG
CEI Project: Logan’s film highlights the efforts of Maryland Sea Grant Extension and community leaders and partners to improve water quality in the small headwaters town of Templeville, Maryland.
2021 Intern
Yazan Hasan
An aerial shot showing two people standing on a dock, facing the camera, with open water behind them.
Hasan captures video from a kayak in a marsh.
A man sits at a table working on a laptop on the left, while a woman stands on the right, looking at a screen on the back wall of an office.
After the Internship: Yazan has continued assisting Maryland Sea Grant’s communications and education teams this fall as a student worker, covering photo and video assignments and working on multimedia elements for online environmental education resources. He is completing his junior year and is on track to graduate in the spring of 2023.
Aerial image taken at sunset of marsh with trees to the left and open water to the right.
An aerial image looking directly down on green marshland.
An image taken at sunset of marsh grass patches in open water.
An aerial taken before sunset of a church and graveyard with a road wrapping around it.
An aerial of a road going into the distance with marsh and water on either side of it.
Aerial photographs of Deal Island and Lower Dorchester County. Photos, Yazan Hasan / MDSG
CEI Project: Yazan focused his video project on the impacts of saltwater intrusion on Eastern Shore communities and land use, including forestry and agriculture.
Learn more about our CEI program and internship opportunities on our website.
