The Community Coastal Experience (CCE), an annual internship program for adults from south-central Alaska, just wrapped up its third year. In June, eight interns traveled to Anchorage, Kachemak Bay, and Cordova to explore environmental monitoring and Alaska Native culture across the region.

While in Cordova, they worked with the Prince William Sound Science Center to learn about our research. Interns joined our staff in identifying juvenile fish, performing fish dissections, exploring bomb calorimetry, heading out on our research vessel, conducting plankton tows, learning about the mariculture industry, visiting a kelp farm, and touring our kelp nursery.

They also collaborated with several of our partners throughout the region. With the Copper River Watershed Project, they investigated fish passage, while at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, they learned about fish management practices. Their work with the U.S. Forest Service included maintaining dusky Canada goose nest islands and monitoring an archaeological site. Additionally, during their time with the Native Village of Eyak, interns made drums and beaded suncatchers, and foraged for Native plants.

By the end of the program, these eight interns left with greater confidence, a deeper understanding of work happening in the region, a clearer sense of direction for their futures, and for some, the connections they made even led to job offers before the program concluded.