What a summer!

There is no other way to describe this summer at the National Marine Life Center besides amazing. After the first few weeks slowed down the education programs picked up and I found myself assisting in the Little Flippers and Marine Animal Medical Mystery programs. Eventually the other interns and I ran the programs on our own; we would choose the book, discuss specific facts we wanted the kids to learn about, and a craft. I continued to learn about the variety of marine animals and had the amazing opportunity to teach kids about what I thought was intriguing. Interacting with the kids at the center, festivals, and schools we attended was the highlight of the summer.

Along with developing skills and methods for interactions with children of all ages I also learned how to develop lesson plans for classes. Our summer educator Rachel Moseley helped me in numerous ways and allowed me to assist her with the plans she re-wrote and created herself. I am highly interested in becoming a marine biology teacher or educator at an aquarium in the future. Without the center I would have never learned these teaching tools that may one day aid in my own teaching experiences. Rachel had also influenced the way I created my binder  for the portable touch tank. Her goal was to make all the lesson plans with all the information  needed there for you and I wanted to do so as well. In my binder that goes with the touch tank I provided all the information for every possible animal a future intern could find along with diagrams. I also included an explanation of the tidal zones so whomever ran the touch tank could have a variety of things to talk about but most importantly teach!

Tomorrow is my last day interning at the National Marine Life Center and I couldn’t be more sad to leave. The staff at the center always thanks the other interns and I for how much we have done for them but really I cannot thank them enough for how much they have taught and helped me. Saying bye to the people that have left already proved tough but leaving the center itself is saddening. I have taken so much from my first internship and am grateful for this wonderful opportunity to be here all summer. I will never forget the things I have learned, people that I have met and worked with, and the memories I made with Sammy, Sophie, and Dylan. I hope to one day make the National Marine Life Center proud in my future career.

Posted by Alisia T.
Alisia is a Summer, 2012 Intern at the National Marine Life Center.