Visitor Experience Interns

Agency Sponsor: Emily Casaretto, ercasare@ucsc.edu

If interested, submit the Seymour Center Internship Application. This is an unpaid internship. 

  • Fall 2025: Sponsoring 2-6 interns enrolling in ENVS 84
  • Winter 2026: Sponsoring 2-6 interns enrolling in ENVS 84
  • Spring 2026: Sponsoring 2-6 interns enrolling in ENVS 84
  • Summer 2026: Sponsoring 2-6 interns enrolling in ENVS 84

Agency Description: The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is a community-supported marine science education center operated by the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Seymour Center is dedicated to educating people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding and conservation of the world’s oceans.

Intern Responsibilities: 

The Seymour Center Visitor Experience Internship program blends two main responsibilities: exhibit guiding and working on an independent project.

Exhibit guide shifts are assigned in 3-4 hour blocks once a week; during these shifts you will primarily be working at our seawater table and shark touch pools, helping visitors safely touch the live animals and educating them about various marine science and ocean conservation topics.

Your independent project is to be completed in ~20 hours, or roughly 2 hours/week. Project span a wide range of disciplines/topics: marine science research, exhibit design, social media & marketing, art & graphic design, data analysis, etc.

Other Requirements:

  • Comfortably and professionally work with the general public, especially children.
  • Safely handle live animals

Intern Shifts:

  • Interns complete a weekly exhibit guide shift. Shifts are based around student’s schedule. Before interns can begin work as exhibit guides, they need to complete a 3-hour training (this training is typically held on Saturday once or twice monthly).
  • Weekly exhibit guide shifts are either morning shift (9AM-1:30PM) or afternoon (1PM-4:30PM).
  • The Seymour Center is open to the public Tuesday-Sunday (and Mondays in the summertime)
  • Interns will also complete an independent project. Time and day that project work is to be completed is arranged between the intern and their agency supervisor.

Location: 

Seymour Marine Discovery Center
100 McAllister Way Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(Coastal Science Campus)

Key Words: Climate Change, Ecology/Natural History, Economics, Enviro Justice/Social Movements, Policy, Water/Marine Systems

Last modified: Jun 30, 2025