Pesticide Safety Internship

Employment type: Internship
Job Location: East Lansing, Michigan
Application Due Date: April 15, 2025

6 - MSU Extension Summer 2025 Internship - East Lansing, MI/ Campus - Pesticide Safety Internship

$15/hr

Onsite, based in East Lansing, Michigan, United States

Work in person from the location

Internship

Full-time∙From May 12 to August 1

US work authorization required

Open to candidates with OPT/CPT

Application

Application screening starts immediately and ends upon selection of suitable candidate. All selections completed by April 15, 2025. Please apply early. Refer questions to the primary educator listed below. See attachment for all internships and locations.

Internship Name: Pesticide Safety Internship Staff Name and Institute: Safa Alzohairy, safa@msu.edu, 517-353-9903, AABI Location: East Lansing, MI/ Campus Internship Description: The internship with the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) at Michigan State University will focus on developing a comprehensive training program for pesticide applicators seeking to earn Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) recertification credits. The intern will have the opportunity to work on creating training materials that address common topics across various commercial applicator categories, allowing attendees to recertify in multiple categories of their choice. The developed training program will be delivered through various formats, including self-paced online courses, webinars, and in-person events. Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to develop educational videos to aid in training pesticide applicators. The intern will not only participate in developing and delivering these programs but also gain valuable hands-on experience in creating educational materials for pesticide safety, organizing events, and offering both virtual and in-person training sessions.

One key aspect of the internship will be learning to adapt online materials into engaging in-person training events by incorporating hands-on activities. The intern will work on topics such as Safety Procedures to Protect Non-target Species, Identification of Common Pests Encountered by Applicators, Principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and Worker Safety. Additionally, the intern will create handouts, such as an insect identification guide for pesticide applicators.

Throughout the internship, the student will have inspiring opportunities to collaborate with MSU specialists and Extension educators, building connections and expanding their knowledge in pesticide safety education. This position offers a unique blend of project development, educational program design, and event coordination, ideal for agricultural sciences, environmental safety, and education students. Ideal majors

Agriculture majors include entomology, weed science, plant pathology, plant microbial sciences, and agricultural communication, such as agricultural, food, and resources economics, agricultural, food, and natural resources education, and community sustainability. Also, Fisheries and Wildlife.

Expectations and Eligibility

Interns will be matched with an Extension Educator and Specialist team that will utilize the student’s academic preparations to further develop essential career skills. During the internship experience, students work full-time on a substantive faculty-guided project, demonstrations, workshops and participate in professional development activities, including attending seminars and completing periodic writing assignments. Due to the intensive nature of this program, it is expected that students will not enroll in summer coursework or accept other employment during the work week. Taking (1) online course up to 4 credits during the summer would be acceptable. Students may opt to enroll for academic credit in ANR 493 (3 credits) or an appropriate XXX 493 or XXX 293; the student is responsible for any tuition and enrollment fees. Regardless of academic enrollment, all interns will complete the same academic intern reporting including time sheets, weekly reports, mid-internship report and evaluation, final evaluation, and final internship poster. Applicants must meet all the following criteria:

· Is a current MSU or NC A&T undergraduate student thru August 2025,

· Preferably is returning for one or more semesters of undergraduate study after Summer 2025 (i.e., not graduating before December 2025),

· Is eligible for employment in the USA; international students must obtain an appropriate visa,

· Cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on a 4.0 scale),

· Able to commit to full-time employment during the 12-week summer program,

· Have access to reliable transportation, and

· Will be at least 18 years old by May 1, 2025.

Compensation, Housing, Travel, and Other Relevant Information

Students participating in the MSUE internship program are paid $15.00 per hour and typically work 40 hours per week for up to 12 weeks. Participants are employees of MSU and are responsible for applicable taxes. $1,000 will also be provided for operating expenses and business travel; many internship hosts have additional funds available to support programmatic travel. Students are responsible for their own housing unless specified otherwise. In some cases, housing at no-cost is available at MSU Research and Extension Centers. For those travelling from out of state or looking at other internship opportunities, there may be support to cover housing costs. It is expected that

applicants will have a housing option in proximity of their area of choice. Multiple Michigan geographic regions are available. The start/end dates of the internship are flexible depending on the need of the Extension professional and the schedule of the student. In general, internships will start May 12, 2025, and end August 1, 2025.

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