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Internship Options

Children's Advocacy Internship / Hawaii
Marine Mammal Internship
Ecological Restoration Internship / Hawaii

~Children's Advocacy Internship / Hawaii~

Your dedicated efforts are needed to help improve the literacy rate among inner city families in Honolulu. The primary goal of this program is to help parents with low-level literacy skills to become more active in their young children's learning. A major focus of the program includes reading, and other educational / recreational activities with children five years of age and younger. Meanwhile, parents are brought into the process as well. Parents are encouraged to see themselves as the child's first teachers, and receive the skills and the confidence they need to feel comfortable in this role.

Located in the heart of downtown Honolulu, surrounded by high-rise buildings and a bustling business district, is a section of low-rent government housing. This housing project experiences its share of social and domestic problems. To combat some of the social ills felt by children in the project, this non-profit organization has rented out a unit and turned it into a community center. Interns in this project are asked to wear a number of different hats, all in the interest of helping the children. Many of the children in the center are neglected at home, and are, therefore, incredibly appreciative of any attention offered by staff. Here, there is a real opportunity to impact young lives.

There are an estimated 154,000 functionally illiterate adults in Hawaii (19% of the adult population). In the residential area covered by this program, the rate is an astounding 32%. Consider the implications for adults that cannot complete job applications, read warning labels, vote, or play a role in their children's education. Statistics are clear and disturbing, drawing direct links between illiteracy and social problems, such as welfare, poor job performance, substance abuse, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, and crime. Improving literacy skills is an important first step towards improving the quality of life for many affected Hawaii residents. This is grassroots social advocacy with special emphasis on the children.

Location
The family literacy program has locations within two residential complexes in downtown Honolulu. Interns will reside close to the University of Hawaii campus or Waikiki, and commute approximately 35 minutes to reach the location. The program operates from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Saturday. Interns will have their late afternoons and most of their weekends to enjoy all that Oahu has to offer: the beaches of Waikiki, the unique character of the North Shore, extensive hiking trails, botanical gardens, and more. Students should expect around five hours f work per day.

Accommodations
Students participating in this internship will reside for in one of the following locations: 1) Waikiki hostel accommodations, 2) University dormitory. In either case, accommodations will be, as always, basic and clean.

Job Description
Previous interns have focused their efforts mainly on the activities for children, though opportunities exist for performing a wide range of tasks. There will be periods when the internship feels like babysitting, given that you are working with such young children. The dedicated directors of the program will often remind you, though, that small steps here can make a world of difference. In many cases it is human connections that touch the children most.

Conditions and Considerations
Interns will receive a training session that teaches strategies for sharing books with children, as well as for working with parents of low-level literacy skill. Story hour and learning center procedures are also addressed during this orientation program.

Visitation to the learning center and program participation by community residents is variable and unpredictable. Interns should expect periods of lulls in which very few children and/or families arrive on any given day. Other times it will be busy and bustling. Part of the challenge for interns collaborating during the school year shall be that of increasing the visitation by families to the center. Once again, creativity, cultural sensitivity, and sociability are traits that are best suited to this task of recruitment for literacy.

Previous Interns' Experiences:
Nearly all of our interns have felt that they helped the young lives, and that they were needed and useful. There is a certain amount of freedom to create your own program to help the children. For example, one intern designated an hour to tutor reading each day. Another put on a puppet show. Some interns commented that the center sometimes felt a bit like a day care setting, but that there were real ways to change lives for the better. Individual initiative is definitely encouraged. One intern had an issue with the fact that some of the children had lice. Please prepare yourself mentally for anything you might encounter, and be sure to handle yourself always with sensitivity and delicacy.

~Marine Mammal Internship~
During this internship you will have the opportunity to get your dive certification through one of the leading dive companies in Hawaii. If you are already dive certified, I.C.E. will pay for three tank dives during this week and you will either have some down time, or conduct research on a project designed by the instructor. During the internship you will learn about the conservation of marine ecosystems, with a focus on two or more of the following: dolphins, turtles, whales (seasonal), and reef environments of Hawaii. The season you arrive will partially determine your subject matter. Our fall program focuses primarily on dolphins and turtles. Our spring semester may have a whale component. You will spend time on the Big Island, Maui and finally Oahu. Use your field knowledge in identification practice. Also, learn about characteristics, adaptations, and current issues surrounding other marine mammals common to Hawaiian waters, including spinner dolphins and Hawaiian monk seals. The program features some rather intensive lectures by a university researcher. And, there is training in current research techniques used to collect data needed for marine conservation.

Research on dolphins will include the use of a theodolite: an instrument used from the shoreline to pinpoint the location of dolphin populations in the surrounding bay. From the shoreline, you will map out the behavior patterns and the reactions/relationships of humans and their impact on these magnificent mammals. As previous data points to some negative effects of humans swimming or boating near dolphins, it is important that you keep a professional distance and remain on the shoreline while conducting research. The students who have enjoyed this project the most are those who understand the reality of scientific research: it can be hard, repetitive, time consuming, and sometimes frustrating. It can also yield new and important knowledge on dolphin behavior and human impacts on wild populations. Persons who enjoy being in the out-of-doors and working on Hawaiian beaches have also applauded this option.

Please be aware that you will be adopting a "hands off" policy with these wild populations. We do not deal with animals in captivity, there is no animal petting or kissing of dolphins. It is illegal to come within 50 yards of wild dolphins and whales. And those who gain special permits to do so are often times harassing the dolphins for their own monetary, emotional, or academic gain. There are other organizations for you to consider if you want to be standing in a reflecting pool with a captive dolphin. Our goal is to collect data to help oceanographers and management agencies establish policies to promote marine mammal protection in our bays and inlets. We are extremely proud of this opportunity and the data our students are collecting. The majority of our students really enjoy being in the out-of-doors and partaking in science from the shores of one of the world's great coastlines. Persons who may not be satisfied are those who enter with unrealistic expectations, or semi-selfish desires to confine a dolphin for their viewing/emotional pleasure.

This internship has an academic component so be prepared to take notes, conduct some library research, complete assignments, make presentations and take exams. This is all a part of science and is part of the learning process. Lectures may range from 2-4 hours per day. And expect an early start: 6:30 AM departures and some late evenings to log your turtle counts. Turtle counts require patience and a commitment to scientific inquiry. You will need to map behavior patterns along the way. Unlike the dolphins, we do allow swimming with the turtles for the purpose of photographing individuals to aid in research.

To break up the research, and to introduce students to the diverse geography of Maui, there may be a camping trip in Haleakala National Park (depending on the season and course instructor). The Park is a geological marvel with a diverse terrain that features both arid basalt and diverse rainforest habitat. In past courses, a 3-4 day hike through the canyon has been a highlight: the exploration of the wide-ranging eco-tones on the island has produced roll after roll of exciting pictures. I.C.E. will provide the camping gear should this hike be undertaken.

Depending on the season and instruction, three to four days either before, or after, your Maui research will be marine focused with travel to exciting locales either on the Big Island or on Oahu.

In all, you should expect between 10-14 days of marine research in this internship depending on the season and the program staff. Other time may be spent hiking or exploring Maui or Oahu.

Housing
You should expect to either camp on beautiful Hawaiian coastlines, stay in a condominium (7-persons per unit), live in a youth hostel dorm, or most likely, experience all three. The season and project determines your accommodation and you should be willing to adapt to either in-door, or out-door living. Sometimes we break it up. I.C.E. will provide tents and cooking stoves should the camping option be utilized.

Note: There is a $300.00 additional fee for the marine biology internship to include dive certification, university instructor, and extended travel during the first week of the project. For those who are dive certified, I.C.E. will pay for three tank dives during the certification week.

~Ecological Restoration Internship / Hawaii~
On the flanks of Mauna Kea, the 13,796-foot giant of the Pacific, join a reforestation effort to help native Hawaiian vegetation. Located on a historic ranch whose range cattle severely deforested the mountainside, you will work with one of Hawaii's foremost green thumbs, Baron Horiuchi, to plant, cultivate and nurture threatened species such as the Koa tree. Your every action will add to the long-term benefit of this region. The current lack of tree cover on this section of the mountain slope has severe implications for the region's water table. This reforestation project is as much an effort in watershed management as it is in botanical restoration.

Your effort will benefit Hawaii's endangered bird species as well. Eight out of the fourteen native birds residing in Hakalau are endangered, and seven species have already become extinct since Captain Cook's arrival in 1778.

Location
This internship is located in a National Wildlife Refuge that spans an elevation level from 3,900 to 7,200 feet above sea level, and as such, is a key area for the restoration of pre-montane and montane rainforest habitats, both of which are scarce on a global scale. Wildlife protected within this refuge include: akiapola'au, Hawaiian akepa, Hawaiian creeper, Hawaiian hawk, ou, Hawaiian hoary bat, amakihi, Hawaiian thrush, elepaio, 'i'iwi, and apapane. All of these species and more are represented within this 32,000-acre expanse of forest and recovering forest. The forest itself is comprised of some of Hawaii's last remaining stands of koa and ohi'a, and you will play a significant role in advancing the recovery of this beautiful landscape. A local guidebook states: "the refuge is very beautiful, a diamond in the rough, and encompasses an incredible rainforest like few on the Big Island". (Bisignani, 1999)

Duration
The greenhouse keeper works four days per week on the mountain (Friday through Monday). As such, your work schedule will roughly parallel that of Baron Horiuchi. Occasionally, a university researcher works on the mountain collecting data on endangered birds. If the timing is right, there may be an opportunity to assist her with her research during your down days. This is something that she is unable to plan months in advance, but will be an added treat should she be able to accommodate you. You should expect to devote four days a week to the reforestation effort. The three days in-between will be spent either in Hilo as days off, with the bird researcher collecting data and samples, or further exploring the Big Island. This internship requires a maturity of participants to be able to entertain themselves during down times and in remote locales.

Accommodations
Accommodations on the refuge are dormitory style. There is running water and hot showers. Conservation of this resource applies as well. While at the refuge, you will stay in one of two lodges, depending upon availability. The two lodges are just ten minutes on foot from one to the other, and are operated by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Hawaii, respectively. Accommodations in the lodges are on the nicer side of basic, with beds, stoves, refrigerators, etc. Your nights in Hilo will be spent at the Wild Ginger Lodge

Job Description
The particular tasks associated with this internship will vary from day to day. Activities may include work within the greenhouse, removing weeds (liverwort) from seedlings, fertilizing, transplanting, etc. Follow the course of particular plants as you care for them in the greenhouse, and then go out into the field to plant them in the ground. Hundreds of seedlings can be planted in a single day with your energetic assistance, and many of these seedlings may be of the famed koa tree. Planting of the ohi'a seedlings may involve some experimentation as well, to determine the most ideal elevations and micro-climatic conditions within which the species will thrive.

Other activities may include the eradication of banana poka-a non-native creeper that strangles native trees.--collection of seeds to be planted at a later date, cleaning and preparation of equipment used in planting and eradication, transplanting of potted membranes to the wild, adding mulch to seedlings, locating planting sites, preparing plantings with augur drills for larger seedlings, etc. Weather is a factor that limits or enables the amount of work accomplished in a single day. Planting days and days spent eradicating banana poka or similar pests can be physically demanding, but the feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day will more than compensate for the energy utilized. Previous interns have indicated that evenings socializing in the dorm were among the highlights of their experience.

"This is an experience you can't have preconceptions about. The friendly people, stimulating information, and the unbelievable scenery will blow you out of the water. This internship is about new experiences that will open your mind. Baron is one of the kindest people I have ever met. He is very thoughtful and grateful. He is such a great teacher, and his enthusiasm rubs off on his students." - Courtney, 17

"Planting trees was really rewarding, and I learned a lot about Hawaiian natural history, local plant history and plant propagation. I really felt I was helping out." - Heather, 20.

Weather Conditions
Hawaii can be a land of extremes. You should expect warm, dry days on the leeward coastlines, humid rainy days on the windward coastlines. Above 2,000 feet, you should be prepared for cool nights and possibly rainy days. Temperatures can dip down into the low 40's up on the mountain. You will have approximately two weeks of cold weather on the course, more if you choose the Hakalau Restoration project. The below list is what your staff will pack, if you are very sensitive to cold weather, you should add more layers. As we will be camping and traveling in this weather at times, you should prepare yourselves accordingly. We suggest one pair of long johns. And, if you choose to do the Hakalau Internship, be prepared for some wet days and eternally wet grasses. We advise the purchase of some lightweight, but durable and water tight rain pants along with a light rain jacket. Dressing for hotter coastal weather requires less preparation.