Summer Internship Program: Virginia Seafood AREC - Postion 3

Primary Program Area Focus: ANR

1. Describe your plans for this internship.  (i.e. What specifically will the intern be doing?)
For the 2026 summer cycle, the Coastal Resilience Extension nInern positoin wilth the Virginia Tech Coastal Collaborator (VTCC) will work as part of a collaborative team supporting both office-based outreach and hands-on field initiatives located at our office in Hampton, Virginia.

• Outreach and Communication:  Writing articles and creating social media content to translate complex coastal science for the public.
• Technical Support:  Conducting research on coastal resilience issues, managing data, and utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping.
• Field Work:  Paricipating in beach pollution clean-ups, supporting "living shoreline" projects, and assisting with water quality assessements.
• Stakeholder Engagement:  Attending partner meetings and helping facilitate 4-H summer camp activities for youth in the Hampton Roads area  

2.  Describe the knowledge / skills you expect the intern to gain from this experience.

By the conclusion of this experience, the intern is expected to have gained:

• Technical Proficiency:  Practical experience with GIS mapping, environmental data anaylsis, and professional file management.
• Communication Excellence:  Skills in science communication, including the ability to provide outreach on coastal resilience and develop educational materials.
• Subject Matter Expertise:  A deepened understanding of sea-level rise, coastal flooding challenges, and the operations of the seafood industry.
• Professionalism:  Growth in problem-solving, project organization, and collaborative teamwork within a profesional extension environment.

3.  How will the intern learn about the breadth of VCE and our various program areas?

Although this role is primarily focused on Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR), the intern will be integrated into the wider Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) framework through:

• Cross-Program Collaboration:  Direct involvement in 4-H youth development programs and exposure to Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) through joint trianings.
• Mentorship and Meetings:  Attending monthly staff meetings where local issues are prioritized across the VCE branches.
• Institutional Context:  Learning the history and mission of VCE and its connection to Virginia's land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University.
• Community Immersion:  Participate in extension outreach and research on the community level to improve lives through varied delivery modes.