[geogu-l] For-Credit GIS Summer Internship: Washington Native Science and Engineering Program

[Todd Faubion]

An opportunity ideaelly suited for a geography major given the requirement of multiple GIS courses...

For-Credit Summer Internship: Washington Native Science and Engineering
Program

The Washington Native Science and Engineering program's (WN-SEP) objective
is to foster students' interest in engineering and science, by motivating
them to take high school chemistry, physics and trigonometry classes.
Completing these courses prior to college is a major indicator for success
in STEM university degree programs (STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics). WN-SEP is a one-week summer program on the University of
Washington Seattle campus (July 12-17th, 2009) that teaches high school
students how to build their own computers.  WN-SEP provides each
participating student with lodging, food, and equipment and training to
assemble a top-of-the-line computer to take home for their own personal or
academic use. The program is operated by Washington Mathematics, Science,
and Engineering Achievement (Washington MESA).

Washington MESA is seeking an intern to develop and implement several GIS
and GPS learning activities for the WN-SEP summer session and for the
students' ongoing learning during the upcoming academic year. For the WN-SEP
summer session, the intern will develop and supervise a geo-caching activity
on the UW campus that will teach students about GPS technologies. We would
like the intern to develop some learning activities that will introduce the
students to ArcGIS software, which will be installed on the computers they
build during the WN-SEP week, and enable them to use GPS and GIS to document
resources in their local communities (Kingston, Lummi and Yakima). For
example, a lesson might involve the students in mapping local gathering
sites for traditional roots used in ceremonies or for traditional food
preparation. These lessons will be specific to the Native communities being
served and will be developed along with the MESA First Nations coordinators.
Internship activities will be supervised by Laura Tyler, Curriculum
Coordinator for Washington MESA. This is not a paid internship, but rather
may be taken for credit, using Geography 496: Internship in Geography. Sarah
Elwood will supervise the academic work completed for the Geog 496 credits.
Please note that for the successful summer intern, there is the possibility
of continued involvement with this program in the coming academic year, to
visit the participating communities and work with the students as they are
continuing their independent GIS activities.

Position requirements: At least two UW GIS courses, and experience using
GPS. An interest in cultural geographies, community participation, and
education. Must be available during the week of 7/12-7/17.

Contact: Laura Tyler, 206-543-0562, ltyler at u.washington.edu

__________________________________

Sarah Elwood

Dept. of  Geography, University of Washington

http://faculty.washington.edu/selwood