Are you an undergraduate at the University of Florida looking to inspire the UF community to care for Florida’s springs?

Thanks to funding from the UF Gulf Scholars Program, the University of Florida (UF) Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI) is hosting an Environmental Leaders Fellowship where students can gain hands-on experience developing and implementing outreach programming related to Florida’s springs. This outreach will support TESI’s The Swamp for the Springs project, funded by the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. Two fellows will be selected to participate in this internship program for the Spring 2025 semester.

This internship is an excellent opportunity for UF undergraduates to gain experience in environmental education and communication about the importance of and how to conserve Florida’s springs.

You can learn more about the TESI Springs Outreach campaign here.

Benefits of the Program

Selected Fellows will leave the program with the following:

• Stipend of $1,200 awarded upon completion of the internship.
• Enhanced understanding of the ecology, uniqueness, and importance of Florida’s springs and their connection to the Gulf of Mexico.
• Hands-on experience in science communication and education.
• Public speaking and teaching skills to deliver springs education programs.
• Opportunity for class credit if desired

Program components

• Digital content creation: The intern will create social media and web content about Florida’s springs.
• Stewardship program: Interns will assist with coordinating and implementing a springs stewardship program to train others in the UF community on key facts about the springs and how to communicate these messages to others.
• Tabling: The interns will learn how to host an educational table at outreach events to share the springs project’s key messages.
• Mentoring: Interns will be mentored by professional science communicators from the TESI team.
• Spring break field experience: Interns will have opportunities to engage and connect with professionals, researchers, and other stakeholders tackling springs conservation from various perspectives.

Program expectations

The TESI Springs Outreach Environmental Leaders Fellowship kicks off in late January 2025 and concludes in early May 2025. Interns are required to participate in all program activities which include:

• Take part in recurring outreach programming to educate the UF community on the springs.
• Develop educational materials for outreach programming and digital distribution.
• Assist with the stewardship program and ‘springs break’ Florida springs campaign.
• Attend weekly progress meetings with the TESI team.
• Participate in Spring Break field experience (Week of March 17, 2025)
• Complete a final reflection of the internship in the form of a blog post and deliver a final presentation to the TESI team.

To receive the $1,200 stipend, selected students will be asked to dedicate an average of 6-10 hours per week to internship activities. Some weeks (i.e. ‘springs break’ outreach) will be more time intensive, while others will be less so. Students will be able to complete the required hours around their class schedule.

Minimum qualifications

• Strong writing skills, with attention to appropriate spelling, grammar, and mechanics
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Background or strong interest in science, or science communication
• Enthusiasm for public speaking and education

Preferred qualifications

• Experience using social media, especially Instagram reels and YouTube
• Participating in Gulf Scholars Medallion program
• Experience delivering educational programming or outreach

Program eligibility

Sophomore, junior, and senior University of Florida undergraduate students from any major (science, pre-law, communications, political science, etc.) with an interest in learning about the Florida springs and educating the UF community about them.

Selected interns must be in good academic standing in accordance with the University’s policies and must be enrolled full-time at UF. Interns must also comply with all University regulations, rules, and codes of conduct governing students on campus.

Deadline:

Applications will be considered as they are received, however the final deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, January 20, 2025.

To apply:

Please apply online by visiting the following link: https://bit.ly/tesi-springs-internship

*If you would like to first preview all questions, visit the following link to view a PDF version of the application: PDF Application

Fellowship Team

Lexi Bolger

Springs Outreach Coordinator
Email: abolger@ufl.edu

Sadie Mills

Program Coordinator and Educator, UF Thompson Earth Systems Institute
Email: smills@floridamuseum.ufl.edu

Funding Sources