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Avatar of Kristin Hunter-Thomson

by Kristin Hunter-Thomson

COSIA Internship 2012

March 21, 2012 in NOW News

Over the past several years, students at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University have been able to participate in Communicating Ocean Sciences for Informal Audiences (COSIA) course. This course provides students an opportunity to develop their communications and teaching skills, in tandem with their science education, allowing them to become more effective advocates for ocean literacy and marine science.

This summer, IMCS is pleased to offer undergraduate students an opportunity to further practice and refine the informal education skills taught in COSIA.

What is the internship?

Over the course of the 10-week internship, interns will work on-site with the education and outreach staff at IMCS. The internship will be for 30 hours per week and requires interns to be on site at least four days a week. Dates of the internship are negotiable (ideally Jun 4 – Aug 10, 2012). Interns who complete the internship will receive a $4,500 stipend, paid biweekly. If needed, campus housing may be provided.

Preference will be given to applicants that have taken COSIA at Rutgers or similar classes elsewhere.

What kind of work will I do?

Over the course of the 10-week internship, students will:

  • Package existing educational resources and materials into educational kits for use by informal and formal educators.
  • Develop and present educational activities to a variety of informal education audiences (i.e. 4-H clubs, summer camps, school teachers) over the course of the summer.
  • Adapt one or more existing educational activities to be used by K-12 classroom educators or informal audience educators. Activities will be used during the 2012-2013 academic year in support of the MARE Ocean Lecture & Educators’ Night and the 4-H Rutgerscience Saturday programs.
  • Assist staff in the development of a business plan and educational strategy to implement fee-based programs to be run by the IMCS staff and/or an undergraduate students during the academic year.

How do I apply?

Interested students should send the following information to Janice McDonnell by April 2nd.

  • A copy of your transcript. An unofficial version (copy) is acceptable.
  • A current resume (include email and phone numbers where we can reach you).
  • A personal statement describing your background, interest in developing your science education and communication skills, career plans, and how this Internship will help you reach your goals.
  • A list of the contact information for 2 professional references.

If you have any questions, please contact Janice McDonnell, Assistant Professor of Youth Development at Rutgers University, and the Director of COSEE NOW.

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Avatar of Sage Lichtenwalner

by Sage Lichtenwalner

COSIA Internships for 2011

February 23, 2011 in NOW News

Over the past several years, students at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University have been able to participate in Communicating Ocean Sciences for Informal Audiences (COSIA). This course provides students an opportunity to develop their communications and teaching skills, in tandem with their science education, allowing them to become more effective advocates for ocean literacy and marine science.

What will this internship include?

This summer, IMCS is pleased to offer undergraduate students an opportunity to further practice and refine the informal education skills taught in COSIA. Over the course of the 10-week internship, students will:

  • Present informal programs and demonstrations, and evaluate existing exhibits at Liberty Science Center, approximately 2-3 days per week, under the mentorship of LSC’s education staff.
  • Work with the education and outreach staff at IMCS as they present and develop programs for delivery to a variety of informal education audiences (including 4-H clubs, summer camps and school teachers).
  • Develop their own informal activity to present at either Liberty Science Center or the 4-H Summer Science camp, while working with IMCS staff to package the kit and materials for others to use.

Students will receive a $4,500 stipend, and milage reimbursement to cover travel to Liberty Science Center. If needed, campus housing may also be provided. Dates of the internship are negotiable (ideally around May 30 to August 5, 2011). Preference will be given to applicants that have taken COSIA at Rutgers or similar classes elsewhere.

How do I apply?

Interested students should send the following information to Janice McDonnell by March 11th.

  • A copy of your transcript. An unofficial version (copy) is acceptable.
  • A current resume (include email and phone numbers where we can reach you).
  • A personal statement describing your background, interest in developing your science education and communication skills, career plans, and how this Internship will help you reach your goals.

If you have any questions, please contact Janice McDonnell, Assistant Professor of Youth Development at Rutgers University, and the Director of COSEE NOW.

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Avatar of Sage Lichtenwalner

by Sage Lichtenwalner

COSIA Marine Transportation Activities

February 3, 2011 in Education Materials

In the spring of 2010, students in Rutgers University Communicating Ocean Science to Informal Audiences (COSIA) had a chance to work with professional educators (right here on the COSEE NOW site) to develop lessons and activities about Marine Transportation and Maritime Security related theme.

Originally, these activities were designed for informal audiences, but they can be easily modified for use in the classroom. Depending on the materials involved, they can be setup as either a classroom demonstration or duplicated for use in small groups.

Here are the activities the students developed and the recommended presentation format.

  • Dont get TIDE UP Up: This activity demonstrates how water level changes due to the changing of high and low tides can affect when cargo ships can travel under bridges. Download the example tide datasheet. (class demonstration)
  • Weeds in the Waterways: Hands-on activity that explores how invasive species are transported in the ballast water of ships using a toy boat model. Also download the information cards on real invasive species and their impacts. (class demonstration)
  • How Did That Get There? Marine Pollution: Interact with a model that shows non-point source pollution as compared to point source pollution like an oil tanker spill. (class demonstration)
  • Ports and Estuaries: Build a model showing how port construction impacts marine life in an estuary. (class demonstration)
  • To Float or not to Float: Look at how ships float differently in ocean water (salty) and harbor water (brackish, or less salty due to fresh water from rivers), and how cargo loading and the effects of wind and currents can affect their buoyancy. (small groups)
  • Clean Up Your Act: Marine Oil Spills: Several stations allow students to observe how oil floats on water and experiment with different methods of cleanup, and another station allows them to try cleaning oiled feathers. This activity provides hands-on experience to see how difficult it is to clean up an oil spill. (small groups)

We encourage you to further refine and adapt these activities for your classrooms or informal setting. Please let us know below if you used these activities and how you changed them.

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