Reporting to the Director of Academic Programs and the Student Affairs Manager, the Program Assistant plays a key role in supporting students’ success in SEA’s programs. S/he/they are focused on the student experience throughout the program. Major areas of responsibility include community development, overseeing meal preparation, front line medical supervision, mental health support, and logistical coordination with faculty and staff. The Program Assistant lives on campus, in close proximity to students. This is a full-time, seasonal, non-benefit eligible position that begins a few weeks before students arrive on campus for training/preparation and ends the day after each program closes.

There are multiple vacancies for Program Assistants this summer, some of which support the SEASCape program and some of which support the PreCollege program.

SEASCape: Ocean Studies on the Cape
o This is a shore-based program on our Woods Hole campus for high school students
who are looking for a basic introduction to oceanographic studies. It is a
multidisciplinary, residential program over the course of 2.5 weeks. There are two
different sessions in 2025: Session I: June 26, 2023 – July 13, 2023, and Session II: July
21, 2025 – August 9, 2025. The program is instructed by faculty members, overseen
by the Director of Academic Programs, and supported by three program assistants
who assist with extracurricular activities, meal prep, academic support, and student
supervision.

SEA Pre-College: Ocean Sciences in Woods Hole
o This is a shore-based program for advanced high school students who are looking to
prepare for college-level academics in marine biology, oceanography, and
environmental science. There are two different sessions in 2025: Session I: June 26,
2023 – July 13, 2023, and Session II: July 21, 2025 – August 9, 2025. The program is instructed by faculty members, overseen by the Director of Academic Programs, and supported by three program assistants who assist with extracurricular activities, meal prep, academic support, and student supervision.

Major Tasks of the Program Assistant

Community Development – Lives with the students and supervises the development of
community norms, and emotional/mental welfare of students. Plans extracurricular and
morale-boosting free time activities in the evenings and on weekends.
Program Logistics- Accompanies group on some field trips, attends planning and debrief
meetings, helps to facilitate details such as transportation, mealtimes, and cleaning.
Medical Supervision – Works closely with the Student Affairs Manager to provide front-line
intervention for student safety and medical/mental health issues on campus.
Academic Support – Supports program faculty as needed by assisting students outside of the
classroom with assignments and helping students meet their academic goals. Assists with lab
set-up, poster presentations/group discussions, and classroom organization.
Marketing & Social Media– Documents the experience for students by taking quality
photographs for our marketing team and assists students with writing blog posts.
Food Service—Coordinates food service logistics such as ordering food, preparing meals, and
helping students to cook and clean.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor’s degree in outdoor education, environmental science, marine biology, social work, or
a related field.
At least one year of experience in student support at the secondary, gap year, or
undergraduate level; experience with off-campus/residential programs preferred.
Experience working with diverse groups of students.
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality regarding student records and other
information of a confidential nature.
Wilderness First Responder or higher medical training and mental health training is
preferred.
Experience in conflict resolution, group facilitation, mentorship, and/or teaching.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to connect with young people

Salary starts at $2,500 per month and is commensurate with experience. Housing and food
are provided.

SEA is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from
people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.

Jobs & Internships

SEA - Summer Program Assistants

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