Summer employment 2021

My Experience at BSSC
This summer has been unlike any other with all of the obstacles that COVID-19 has thrown at the world. The strict regulations and guidelines regarding this virus have made it challenging for summer educational camps for kids to stay open. The Boothbay Sea and Science Center, however, has found a way to engage the kids through Zoom and ‘Seesaw’, a virtual learning platform. My name is Olivia Harriman and I was a science instructor here at the center this summer in East Boothbay, Maine. I had my first interaction with the organization’s president and executive director, Pauline Dion, back in October when she came to visit Maine Maritime Academy for the annual career fair. She had explained that my primary responsibility as a science instructor would be to educate young kids on the fascinating ocean, we have around us, through hands on activities both on and offshore. That responsibility was adjusted when the program went virtual. I was still able to educate young kids, but in a way different than the center has ever experienced. Throughout this summer, my fellow coworkers and I created educational videos for the kids to learn from. The variety of videos we developed is unbelievable. They ranged from teaching kids how to rig a sailboat, how to tie knots, and informational videos on the animals that you would find in the Gulf of Maine. We even did virtual story time for the kids! One of my favorite responsibilities was taking care of our very own touch tank and aquariums with fellow coworkers and best friends, Phoebe Churney and Emily Stone. In our touch tank we had six species of crabs, two lobsters, muscles, and a few blood starfish. This responsibility was one of the many advantages that came with a virtual program. The sailing and science instructors, like myself, gained both knowledge and experience in the afternoons when Waterfront Director and Primary Instructor, Gray Ferris, took us sailing up and down the Damariscotta River. I am very grateful for this experience that I was able to have here at Boothbay Sea and Science Center this summer. We took the obstacles that were thrown at us and ran with them, not letting one negative thing slow us down. Thank you, Pauline, Gray and everyone else for a great summer.  

A very different summer
This summer was very different than it would be under normal circumstances. COVID-19 had a huge impact on the teaching methods for the students, but we pushed through. We successfully taught them and had them engaged in the material that was being introduced. Creating activities and videos for the kids to do on their own time was one of my highlights this summer. I enjoyed creating videos of activities that I would have done with them if it was in person. Overall, this summer was a blast and there was never a dull moment for an instructor or student.

Thankful for an enjoyable and educational summer
Despite the hardships of Covid-19, BSSC was able to guarantee all of its interns with jobs for the summer of 2020. Many internship programs were canceled completely due to the outbreak. BSSC allowed the staff to have a fun summer job where we gained sailing, powerboat, and maintenance skills. In addition, we were able to run our summer camp program with children through zoom and seesaw activities. This allowed us to create educational videos to teach students about sea life, scuba diving, and many more ocean-related subjects. All in all, I am very thankful for Pauline Dion’s determination to keep the program running for the 2020 season and I would like to thank my fellow staff members for making the summer enjoyable!

We all had a great time
While this summer was a bit unusual, we all had a great time at the Center learning a bunch of useful skills on boats and in the classroom. Having kids on Zoom was a blast and I’m so glad we were able to make this summer work for all of our students.

I can't wait to see what the summer of 2021 has to offer
This summer was great! Given the opportunities that we had due to COVID-19, BSSC made the best of what they could do. I learned a lot this summer and had a lot of fun meeting new instructors and working in the program. The Zoom calls were hard because they were so new to everyone but BSSC did a great job with it. I can’t wait to see what the summer of 2021 has to offer.

Spirit and Community of BSSC was alive
Although BSSC was executed through an online platform this summer, the quality of instruction did not fall short. I am blessed to have worked alongside a hardworking and dedicated team to make this summer equally productive, engaging, and enriching for both staff and students. Despite the barrier of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, the outreach to students over Zoom and Seesaw kept the spirit and community of BSSC alive. Together we were able to build our online educational presence for future summers. Again, I am always delighted to work with Pauline Dion and the rest of the instructors every year. Here’s to the next 2021 season!