The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine.

• Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form to receive Zoom connection information.
• In-person attendance: Attendees must follow UMaine’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Speakers:

• Jessica Jansujwicz, Assistant Director of Research Maine Sea Grant, Project Coordinator, Internship Program
• Student Interns

A new generation of leaders and problem-solvers is needed to address challenges related to sustainability, conservation, climate change, public health and other complex issues. In this talk, we will share stories and lessons learned from a pilot internship program that provides students with hands-on experiences tackling real-world problems in Maine. Interns participated in a variety of collaborative projects, such as building GIS tools to help strengthen community resilience; tackling a town’s unsustainable solid waste stream; and assessing training priorities for new fishermen and aquaculture farmers. Key components of the program include co-mentorship of students by internship partners and UMaine faculty, and additional training in leadership, collaboration and communication. Students gained new skills collaborating with diverse partners and learned the value of connecting different kinds of knowledge and know-how in solving complex problems. Emerging outcomes from this new effort highlight the value of internships in supporting the professional development of future leaders.