The goal of the program is to encourage undergraduate students from the U.S. affiliated Pacific islands to explore environmentally related careers through this internship opportunity.  In addition to gaining hands on experience, the students will be provided round trip airfare between Hawaii and American Samoa and a $500 stipend.  Interns are expected to live with their families during the 10-week internship period.

Faleomavaega said, “This is an excellent opportunity for Samoan students who attend school away from American Samoa and are interested in environmental work to come home at no cost and gain applied experience in the field while at the same time earn a small stipend.”

Eligible students include American Samoans (U.S. Nationals) attending a four-year college or university.  Freshmen through first-semester seniors of any major must be in good academic standing with a GPA of at least 2.0.  Also, students attending two-year colleges who plan to attend a four-year institution in the Fall semester following the internship may apply.  The deadline for applying is March 15, 2000.

Application packets are available from Sharon Ziegler-Chong at the UH Sea Grant Extension Service at UH-Hilo.  She can be reached by these different ways:

The MASSIP is administered by the University of Hawai’i Sea Grant Extension Service in collaboration with the University of Hawai’i at Hilo.  It is funded in part through the UH Sea Grant from the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Insular Affairs, support from the USDA Forest Service Institute of Pacific Island Forestry, and the agencies which host the interns.

“As a member on the House Committee on Resources which includes Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans, as well as Energy and Mineral Resources, I am very pleased to see this program continue to provide real life learning opportunities for Samoans,” Faleomavaega said.