At the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute we offer fellowships, internships, teaching and research assistantships, pre-professional experiences, and work-study positions for Northland College students.  These employment options help students begin building their resumes while still attending classes. Many opportunities are applicable to classroom activities and help students to connect with professionals in the field from organizations such as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute often employs one or two upper-class Northland College students or recent graduates each year in pre-professional positions. Descriptions of these options are below.

• The Valerie Chabot Teaching Fellowship is an intensive, three-month position open to Northland College  or recent graduates who have successfully completed the Apostle Islands School course at Northland. The Fellow helps coordinate the Apostle Islands School program, working with Northland College students and faculty, regional school district teachers and administrators, educators at the National Park Service, and others. This is an intensive environmental education, pre-professional experience. Principle work duties include working with Outdoor Education faculty and Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute staff members to coordinate promotion, program development, instruction, administration and evaluations.  Work generally begins in January and continues through May.  Work hours are about 10-15 hours per week during the winter term and 40-60 hours per week in May.  Qualifications: Excellent organization and communication skills, a disciplined self-starter with a love of the outdoors, children and teaching. A Wilderness First Responder certificate is strongly recommended.  Contact us at soei@northland.edu, or (715) 682-1223 for more information.
• The Timber Wolf Alliance employs one or two work-study students each year. These students help with administrative duties, program planning, and research and writing for Timber Wolf Alliance publications. Contact Pam Troxell at ptroxell@northland.edu or (715) 682-1490.

• The LoonWatch program employs one work-study student each year to handle data entry and analysis, write articles for Horizons, the Institute newsletter, and assist with program and workshop planning and organization. Contact LoonWatch at loonwatch@northland.edu or (715) 682-1220.
• Each year, a public relations endowment supports the employment of two student fellows who help with research, writing, publication design, and publicity for Institute programs and who coordinate special projects.  These fellows hold the title of: Phillips and Edna C. Taylor Fellow. Contact us at (715) 682-1223 for more information.
• The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute employs work-study students each year to help out with general day-to-day administrative duties such as greeting visitors, mailing newsletters, filling information requests, answering the phone, typing letters, and copying. Occasionally, one or more of these students will be assigned to work with an individual Institute program on a major project.  We generally look for students who are eligible for federal work-study funds for summer employment, registered for classes at Northland in the fall and who have no business holds. There are a variety of positions available. If you are interested please call the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at (715) 682-1223. You can also stop by and talk with Paula Kalmon at the front desk. The Institute is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
• Lake Superior Studies Fellowship can offer a pre-professional experience in Winter Term, Spring Term, June and July  The fellowship is awarded annually to a Northland College Senior or recent graduate who is interested in an intensive pre-professional experience in planning and implementing an environmental education program. Principle work duties include working with Institute staff to coordinate promotion, program development, instruction administration and, evaluation including: staff performance evaluation, and program assessment for the Lake Superior Studies (LSS) student program for 6th grade, 8th grade and high school students, and to assist with the LSS teacher program.  Work begins in January and continues through July. Work hours are estimated at approximately 10 hours per week during winter term, 15-20 hours per week in May and full time in June and July. Qualifications: Excellent organization and communication skills, a disciplined self-starter with a love of the outdoors, children and teaching. Previous participation in the Island School program or similar experience preferred. For more information about the Lake Superior Studies fellowship, contact the institute at (715) 682-1223, or soei@northland.edu.

In addition to these opportunities, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute welcomes student and adult volunteers who are given responsibilities according to their experience and interest.  One option, for example, is the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award selection committees.

Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award selection committee member

Become part of the committee that selects the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award winners. This award attracts publications from around the world and from some of the best authors in nature writing.

The Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award Committee looks for students to share in the responsibilities of selecting the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award winner of adult literature and the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award winner of children's literature. Committee members often read more than 20 books between January and May. The student members may have the opportunity to earn independent study credit.

Questions? For more information about the Nature Writing Award Committee or the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, contact us at (715) 682-1223.