[Coral-List] 'Internships'

Nicole Crane nicrane at cabrillo.edu
Fri Mar 17 16:32:52 EDT 2017


My point exactly - these definitions include really any training/skill 
acquisition experience.  Also, if $3000 seems too much as implied below, 
then maybe the field station could break down expenses.  It seems to me 
that $3000 for full room and board and training and etc. for 4 weeks 
must come very close to actual costs.  It actually seems quite 
inexpensive when you compare it to some of these programs that cost a 
fortune for 2 weeks and are billed as 'educational adventure experiences 
for young adults'. Now there I would draw a line.

I would like to point out that I am not defending this as someone who 
runs a non-profit that benefits from 'travel internships'.  I am 
pointing out things that I believe in as an educator and a scientist and 
someone who wants to do what I can to promote opportunities for students

Nicole


On 3/17/17 10:36 AM, Lili Jones wrote:
> Nicole Crane said, "Ok everyone, please provide YOUR exact definition of an internship."
>
> We could start with the definition Wikipedia gives for "Internship"
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internship
>
> or the online dictionary definition,
>
> http://www.dictionary.com/browse/internship?s=t
>
> I know some of us don't like Wikipedia, but if you take a look at the references, that's a pretty good place to follow up the reading of the article.
>
> What might be interesting is if some of you academicians for marine laboratories got together at one of the big science conferences and declared a formal definition to be adopted by all marine laboratories. The Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean and other similar organizations could be in on the meeting, too. In addition to "Internship," other similar (but misleading, at times) suggestions for nomenclature might be adopted. Maybe there would be subgroupings of internships so as to make the designation clearer for the proposed activity.
>
> Or maybe coral-list is where we decide this?
>
> Lili
> ...................................................................
>
> Subject:Re: [Coral-List] 'Internships'
> From:Nicole Crane <nicrane at cabrillo.edu>
> Date:3/17/17, 11:59 AM
>
> To:Will Nuckols <wnuckols at erols.com>
> CC: "steven.carrion" <steven.carrion at knights.ucf.edu>, "s1681966 at sms.ed.ac.uk" <s1681966 at sms.ed.ac.uk>, Coral -List <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
>
> Ok everyone, please provide YOUR exact definition of an internship.  I have yet to find one that meets these criteria (below).  Mentored, unpaid or minimally paid work in marine stations or with organizations serving marine causes around here (Monterey and Santa Cruz California) are advertised as internships often.  Those are usually unpaid but do not require students to pay.  But WAIT.  Those students still need to pay for their gas, food, their own rent and any other expenses.  Why is that different than offering the exact same type of experience but in a remote location where they ALSO have to pay those costs, but they happen to be more expensive.  If we take the actual work they do, the description of the actual internship out of those costs, I am still not sure how they differ.  Will, you offer some fancy distinctions below between different kinds of activities.  Honestly, if a student came to me looking for resume and skill building opportunities, I would not know how to wade through them.  This: "If a student undertakes an opportunity and supports themselves while giving to a worthy cause, that is an act of charity, not an internship”. Really?  always? What if they support themselves through an unpaid job experience that is also a worthy cause, also builds a resume, also provides valuable skills, and hey, how about one that also provides units? (Our school specifically has internships, some of which are PAID and through a special agreement with employers also provide units towards their degree).  How do we define those?
>
> I suggest we not try and define these by things like “an act of charity’ implying in a way that students who do these might be among the wealthy who just want to participate in charity programs to make themselves and perhaps their family feel good.  That feels so insulting.  I have many students who participate in exactly these kinds of activities who are UNDERserved but benefit immensely from the skills, and the exposure to potential jobs they may not ever have been exposed to.
>
> These opportunities, ALL of them, are about opening up doors for young people.  Please let’s do whatever we can to open as many of those doors as possible?
> Nicole
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