Call for Applications: Public Fellowship with Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Storytelling Fellow — 2024-2025

The Humanities Division is excited to announce an experiential learning opportunity for Humanities undergraduates at UC Santa Cruz to work with the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Public Fellowships are internships that connect Humanities majors and minors to projects in the community to benefit students and organizations mutually. Students gain practical experience and professional training and learn about positions outside of the university that build on their studies in the Humanities. At the same time, community organizations benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise. 

About Seymour Marine Discovery Center

The Seymour Marine Discovery Center, founded in 2000, is UCSC’s aquarium, science center, and conservation hub. Seymour Center educates families living, working, and learning about marine science research and ocean conservation in Santa Cruz. The center is a 17,500-square-foot facility with additional outdoor features on a cliff above the Pacific Ocean on the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Campus.

Inside Seymour Center is an aquarium with 25+ tanks featuring flora and fauna from Monterey Bay. You will also find interactive exhibits and stories about the science behind and solutions to the impacts of climate change on our community. There are also places to relax, study, and enjoy the views. 

Position Description: Storytelling Fellow

Together, we will develop a story that we will install on a Storybooth in the Seymour Center’s exhibit hall that will be seen by tens of thousands of visitors. The story will weave together the following elements:

1. Science behind the impacts of climate change on coastal communities (e.g. wildfires, freshwater access, changing fisheries, coastal erosion, biodiversity, etc.)
2. A timely, relevant story of this phenomenon impacting Santa Cruz County or the Monterey Bay region
3. A solution to the problem that is currently (or soon will be) on the table for Santa Cruz County or the Monterey Bay region
4. Local heroes who are working to understand (e.g. scientists) or solve the problem (e.g. public agency or nonprofit leader)
5. Actions local families can take to advance the solution.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Research (40%): Independently conduct primary and secondary research, including but not limited to:
  • Reading scientific papers
  • Setting up interviews and talking with local stakeholders
  • Reading local news stories
• Storytelling (40%): Synthesize the five story elements above into a concise, impactful narrative. Confidently write about the Monterey Bay region and local marine conservation issues.
  • Writing & Revising
  • Editing 
• Curation & Install (20%):  Using software and templates, learn to curate the graphic layout and evaluate the visual effectiveness of the piece. 

QUALIFICATIONS – You’re an ideal candidate if:  

• You are a declared major or minor in a department in the Humanities Division and are in good academic standing. If you are currently proposed, you can declare by the end of the academic year in June 2025. [required] 
• You are interested in the Monterey Bay region and local marine conservation issues.
• You can conduct research independently in an organized way and take effective notes [required] 
• You are an experienced writer, and you enjoy writing (expository and narrative writing). You can translate complex scientific concepts into a 6th-grade reading level. [required] 
• You work well independently and collaboratively with staff, volunteers, and community members. [required] 
• You have excellent time management skills to keep the project pace and meet deadlines. [required] 
• You check your campus email daily and proactively communicate with supervisors, instructors, etc. [required] 
• You have some experience with graphic design basics to support visual storytelling.

Internship Term: November 2024–March 2025 (Fall & Winter Quarters) 

Hours: 16-20 hours/week, flexible to accommodate your academic schedule

Compensation: $20/hour 

# Positions Available: 1-2

Location: Hybrid - 100 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, with some remote work

Mentorship: You will report to the Seymour Center’s Executive Director, Jonathan Hicken. He will delegate tasks, provide coaching, and review your work. You will check in with him at least once per week. You may work with other UCSC interns throughout the course of the project. 

How To Apply

Apply by submitting your resume and a short cover letter (no more than one page) answering these questions: Why this job? Why you? Why now? 

• REVIEW these resume and cover letter resources to ensure that you are a strong candidate!

Once the application window closes on October 20, 2024, there will be a virtual interview process with top candidates. 

Please contact Experiential Learning Coordinator Kylie Rachwalski at hum-experiential-learning@ucsc.edu with any questions.

This undergraduate internship is generously supported by The Mellon Foundation.