By Caitlin Soler
Storytelling for Social Change Intern, Summer 2023
As the academic year swiftly approaches, many undergraduate students hustle to complete the final weeks of their internships. Summer internships provide an excellent opportunity for students to get a head start on their careers. However, there are also many issues with typical internships. Interns are often unpaid, which limits who can participate in these opportunities. Organizations frequently give interns tedious tasks, offering them limited experience in their chosen field. The EarthLab Summer Internship Program seeks to reimagine the typical internship experience through its unique program, which features paid, hands-on opportunities to work directly with researchers and experts in the field of climate justice.
Now in its second year, the program has expanded to include 11 undergraduates from the UW Seattle and Bothell campuses. The 9-week paid stipend program provides UW undergraduate students the opportunity to work among EarthLab and its member and partner organizations through a variety of meaningful interactions.
EarthLab recognizes that climate change responses are most effective when we work across disciplines and communities. For this reason, the EarthLab internship program is unique in that it emphasizes transdisciplinary research. While other internships may focus on a specific area of interest, such as research or public policy, EarthLab’s internship program seeks to build bridges between these fields.
Interns are encouraged to combine their different interests within their work. For instance, Ocean Literacy intern Josephine Grell is passionate about marine science data and science communication. Bringing these two disciplines together, she is developing a hands-on curriculum for middle school students to learn about ocean acidification and climate change.
Alex Crabtree, one of two Conservation Science interns, spoke about the importance of this opportunity, saying, “As someone with a broad range of interests and a tendency to hop between areas of study, I was immediately drawn to EarthLab’s transdisciplinary approach to environmental science and climate justice.”
Another part of this internship’s uniqueness is the weekly cohort-style gatherings where all interns come together for an afternoon. While they spend most of their work weeks with their assigned organizations, interns gather every Thursday to discuss their experiences, visit climate justice speakers, and expand their knowledge of transdisciplinary research. These meetings serve as an opportunity to network with other professionals working in climate change and social justice, and they also allow the interns to network with each other.
When asked why they chose to participate in the program, many interns spoke about their interest in the cohort model. Nature and Health Policy intern Rohini Achal explained, “EarthLab’s cohort style is important to me, as I am a strong believer in teamwork being beneficial for all and diverse teams being the best teams. I love learning from my peers and hearing about their experiences in their positions, especially since they have such different backgrounds and experiences than I do.”
The interns come from various majors, from Public Health-Global Health to Informatics and Environmental Studies, so the cohort allows them to engage with other students outside their typical bubbles. Similarly, their internships encompass a diverse range of fields and experiences. While some students meet with communication and marketing teams, others engage in marine research cruises. Every week, these interns discuss their unique experiences and perspectives while connecting with each other’s shared feelings, challenges, and accomplishments.
Part of EarthLab’s purpose is to break down silos in academia and build connections outside their typical fields of study. Lissan Tibebe, EarthLab’s Student Program Lead, explained, “I love that students are building a professional community within the cohort model, but they’re also building community in Seattle.”
Although this summer’s internships have already wrapped up, EarthLab was proud to highlight its interns’ accomplishments, experiences, and insights in an Intern Showcase event on August 18th at 10 a.m. If you were unable to attend but you’re curious to learn more about the intern presentations, you can now view the slide decks that some of our interns prepared for the event!