Hi everyone! My name is Emma Pinard, and I began my journey with the Alaska SeaLife Center as an Education/Interpretation Intern in the summer of 2025. I applied to this internship with the main goal of expanding my science communication skills in beautiful Seward, Alaska. I never imagined that coming here for just one summer would lead to me still living in Seward, continuing to grow and gain experience as an educator. As we all may know, life never really goes exactly as planned, and I wouldn’t change where it has brought me. So, let me share some of my favorite experiences from my time as an education intern at the Alaska SeaLife Center!
Early in my internship, I had the opportunity to help facilitate and lead activities and lessons for our summer camp. I absolutely loved this experience. With background experience in childcare and my passion for marine ecosystems, I found it natural for me to connect with and foster learning for these younger age groups. This was truly an eye-opening experience. I discovered the greatest amount of joy I’ve ever felt as an educator, leaving me with so much more excitement for other opportunities to arise within the education department.
That experience in summer camp sparked my love for interpretation on the floor throughout the summer as well. It challenged me to find creative ways to connect with a wide range of guests, all with the same goal: sharing my passion for marine science. I saw firsthand that when we built more personal connections between guests and the animals in our habitats, the information they learned became more memorable. Often, it also created a ripple effect! Guests grew more curious, asked deeper questions, and left with a more lasting impression of the animals they encountered.
While I quickly grew fond of this informal style of education, I also had the chance to develop skills in more structured programming. Through partnerships and educational outreach, we teach many K–12 students about a wide variety of marine topics. These programs reach many communities across Alaska and even extend to the lower 48 through distance learning. Most often, these programs are taught during our nocturnes, where groups spend the night at the SeaLife Center. Each group can choose from a variety of hour-long programs, creating a unique and immersive learning experience. These moments are especially rewarding because we combine in-depth learning with fun, hands-on activities that help the knowledge stick.
As I became more comfortable with structured programs and adapted my teaching for different age groups and learning styles, I also had the opportunity to help build and facilitate winter programming for our local community. Through programs such as Small Fry School for preschoolers and Marine Science Club for middle schoolers, I found more love in forming new connections with young learners. Engaging middle schoolers, in particular, really took creativity, especially since many of them have grown up in this beautiful place and are already so familiar with the local marine environment. Helping spark new curiosity and create meaningful experiences for them has been incredibly special though. There’s no greater feeling than sharing your passion and watching it grow in someone else, even if it starts small.
Connecting with people, sharing these experiences, and spreading kindness and enthusiasm has overall been my favorite part of being an educator. I’ve seen how these moments can inspire people to keep learning on their own, driven by curiosity. And from that curiosity comes deeper care and empathy, qualities that can grow into a stronger sense of stewardship for our marine ecosystems.
