NC Sea Grant Accepting Partner Proposals for the Community Engaged Internship Program
Contact: Dynestie Robinson at Dbrobin2@ncsu.edu.
North Carolina Sea Grant is accepting project proposals to host students in the 2025 Community Engaged Internship Program. Host sites supervise interns and may include current partners and organizations, non-profits, government agencies, university and college faculty, and local community groups.
The National Sea Grant Office funds the Community Engaged Internship (CEI) Program and will support 20 undergraduate internship projects across the network for the upcoming year. Students participating in the 10-week selected internships will receive a competitive stipend and an all-expenses-paid fieldtrip with interns from around the country.
“Hosting a CEI intern provides organizations with fresh perspectives and driven individuals eager to contribute,” says Dynestie Robinson, the Community Engaged Internship coordinator. “Our 2024 interns not only enhanced their skills but also brought innovative solutions and a strong commitment to community engagement and environmental stewardship.”
Interns from underrepresented and Indigenous communities will engage in place-based research, education, outreach, and/or communication activities and, when appropriate, integrate traditional and ecological knowledge with Western scientific practices. Proposed host projects for an intern should align with these CEI goals.
“CEI interns will gain hands-on experience with issues of environmental, economic, and social importance,” says Jane Harrison, North Carolina Sea Grant’s coastal economics specialist and one of the founders of the national CEI program, which began in 2020.
CEI interns from North Carolina previously have participated in projects focused on environmental justice in Raleigh, science education in Cumberland and Robeson counties, communication for the North Carolina Oyster Trail, and community resilience and cultural change analysis with the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center.
Applications are due December 6, 2024. North Carolina Sea Grant encourages anyone interested in becoming a host to partner with staff to sponsor and submit proposals, because only Sea Grant personnel can apply for funding.
For more information or to discuss potential projects, contact Dynestie Robinson at Drobin2@ncsu.edu.
