Department of Land and Natural Resources, Communications, Outreach, and Social Media Internship, Summer 2024
Every summer, The Bill Lane Center for the American West offers many opportunities for Stanford undergraduates (including graduating seniors and co-terms) to work with organizations throughout the West. Through these internships, students can explore careers in natural history, conservation, land use, museum curation, resource management, energy and more.
All internships are full-time for nine to ten weeks during the summer. They are fully funded by the Lane Center with stipends ranging from $7,500 to $10,000.
The Lane Center has placed hundreds of interns in positions across the West since 2005. It has developed strong relationships with host organizations and works hard to ensure interns have successful and enriching experiences.
For more information about the internship program, please visit the FAQs page, or email Education Manager Corinne Thomas.
Details about the summer 2023 cohort of student interns and their placements can be found here.
Student reflections about the internship experience can be found by visiting the Out West student blog and the Lane Center Instagram channel.
Stipend Information:
The Bill Lane Center will provide a base stipend of $7,500 with additional funding for student financial aid and location, if applicable, up to $10,000.
Description of the Department:
The mission of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) is to work with the people of Hawai‘I to manage, conserve and restore the state’s unique aquatic resources and ecosystems for present and future generations. Within the Holomua Marine Initiative, the mission is to work with communities to effectively manage our nearshore marine resources around each main Hawaiian island so that our local resources are available and plentiful, today and for future generations.
The DAR manages the state’s aquatic resources and ecosystems through programs in ecosystem management, place-based management, and fisheries management. Major program areas include projects to:
- protect and restore the aquatic environment;
- protect threatened and endangered aquatic species and their habitat;
- conserve and restore endemic and indigenous aquatic species and their habitat;
- combat the introduction of invasive species and reduce their impact on ecosystems;
- effectively manage fisheries; and
- carry out education and outreach to the public.
See examples of the Division’s Sport Fish Restoration projects or download an overview (pdf).
Download the November 2018 ‘Aha Pilina program, with abstracts of presentations about various Division projects. (pdf file, 3.1 MB)
Internship Overview:
The intern will help create social media content for the DAR and Holomua social media pages (Instagram, Facebook, and X). This will include reels, graphics, captions, and photos.
The intern will:
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Participate in outreach events gathering media and occasionally speaking to the public about DAR programs.
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Help organize outreach files to help DAR’s outreach and communications databases more streamlined.
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Help with research and writing for StoryMaps related to climate change and DAR’s programs.
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Create more keiki outreach materials for both DAR and Holomua.
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Enter data into Survey123 for outreach events and social media.
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Help with the ‘Ike Kaiāula (Community Knowledge) video series (interview questions and editing).
Internship Work Environment:
This internship is in person only. Up to 20% is field work (getting field photos when possible and going to outreach events).
The intern will work as part of a team, alone, and directly with the mentor and supervisor, the communications specialist.
The day to day work includes attending team meetings and sharing with the team their progress as well as collaborating with the Communications Specialist on specific content creation projects.
A car is helpful but not necessary.
Housing is not provided.
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
- Create 10-15 social media posts
- Organize outreach files for DAR and Holomua
- Research and help write 2-3 StoryMaps
- Create keiki outreach materials for DAR and Holomua
- Assist with ‘Ike Kaiāula (Community Knowledge) video series
Bill Lane Center internships are part of Cardinal Quarter opportunities and students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. The opportunities are full-time (35-40 hours a week) for 9-10 consecutive weeks during the summer.
Specific start and end dates can be coordinated directly with the supervisor.
All undergraduates of any year, including graduating seniors, are eligible. Graduating seniors are eligible only if they are graduating in spring quarter. Students who have already graduated, e.g., fall or winter quarter of this academic year are not eligible.
Coterms are eligible only if they hold undergraduate status.
For more application advice, please visit the BLC’s FAQs page.
Please note:
- Students are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, or volunteer opportunity (whether funded by Stanford or otherwise) during this full-time, summer internship.
- Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to committing to an internship.
- New Stipend Policy per the U.S. Department of Education: A stipend is considered a resource and it may have an impact on a student’s financial aid. To comply with US Department of Education regulations, student payments, awards, prizes, and gifts that are made available to the student because they are a Stanford student, must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office is responsible for the disbursement of stipend funds to undergraduates. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Office's webpage about the student stipend policy.
Application Guidelines for this Internship:
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An interest in communications and/or natural resources is preferred.
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All academic years and majors are eligible.
Required Skills:
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Social media experience and strong writing skills.
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Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Desired Skills:
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Art and video experience and knowledge of natural resources is preferred.
Selection of applicants:
Complete applications are screened and finalists are contacted for a first-round interview with staff from The Bill Lane Center for the American West.
The top candidates for the position are then forwarded to the organization for second-round interviews with their potential supervisor and other staff.
Host organizations will then notify the Lane Center of their preferred candidate and that applicant will receive an internship offer from the Bill Lane Center by email.
The applicant is expected to respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to the offer or the offer will be rescinded.
Once an applicant accepts an offer, they are required to promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and withdraw their candidacy from those other opportunities.