Job Description

The Delaware River Watershed Fellowship is a 12 week, paid summer job opportunity designed to introduce young people from local communities to careers in environmental education. Fellows are hired at one of 20 environmental education centers across the Delaware River Watershed. Fellows participate in training sessions to help prepare them for a summer of helping people connect with nature and informing their local communities about issues affecting the Delaware River, the source of drinking water for 15 million people living in the region.

Independence Seaport Museum, a member of the Alliance for Watershed Education (AWE), is seeking to hire a Fellow from the greater Philadelphia area to help connect with local community members around protecting the Delaware River and its waterways.

Start date: June 1-10, 2026 End date: August 14-21, 2026

Position Location: Independence Seaport Museum is located at 211 S. Columbus Blvd . The Fellow will spend much of their time in and around Penn's Landing and on the Delaware River, in Old City Philadelphia.

Compensation: Fellows are paid $16.50/hr. 35-40 hours a week over the summer.

Duties:

• Fellows will participate in a 3 day watershed education training, at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (overnight, June 10-12.)
• Fellows will help their host Center lead programs and activities, whether in-person or virtually, for community members and visitors to their site.
• Fellows will attend in-person meetings with Fellows from other AWE Centers.
• With guidance from their supervisor, Fellows will focus their efforts on a specific Capstone Project and present their work at the end-of-program Summit event (August 14).
• Fellows will document their progress by completing a short log report every other week.

The Independence Seaport Museum Fellow will specifically:

- Assist with on-water programming.

- Lead (or assist with) environmental education programs both in the museum and on the docks.

-Assist with dock and fleet maintenance.

-Perform water quality testing.

-Develop an on-water environmental education lesson.

- With guidance from their supervisor and mentor, Fellows will complete a capstone project and present their work at an end-of-program Summit.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Age 18+ by June 1, 2026 start date.
• A background in environmental education is not required.
• Comfortable working with youth and teen groups.
• PA Child Abuse History Clearance required.
• Willing to work outside in all weather.
• A positive attitude and willingness to greet visitors and start conversation with strangers.
• Occasional weekend hours required (please be specific) .
• Basic computer skills.
• Experience on-water operating kayaks or rowboats preferred.

Essential dates: - June 1, 2026: Fellow start date at Independence Seaport Museum (Fellows may arrange with their Supervisor to begin any time within the first week of the program.) - June 10-12: Fellowship Orientation (overnight) at Pocono Environmental Education Center. (Meals, transportation and accommodations provided. ) - August 14: Watershed Fellowship Summit (location to be announced). - August 21: Last day of Fellowship (Fellows may finish their term of service any time after the August 14 Summit as needed.)

How to apply: Please complete and submit the application form linked below:

Application Deadline : Wednesday, April 22, 2026

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More about Independence Seaport Museum

The Independence Seaport Museum, located along the Delaware River at Penn's Landing, invites visitors of all ages to discover Philadelphia's river of history and world of connections. With water as the unifying thread, stories of those who lived and worked along our regional waterways come to life through award-winning exhibitions. Our historic ships, the Olympia and the Becuna , connect Philadelphia to the rest of the world, telling tales about the people and cultures they have interacted with on their journeys. These stories are woven into every aspect of the visitor's journey, from the first time they enter the lobby to when they walk off the gangway of Olympia .

More about the Alliance for Watershed Education

Organized in 2016, the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River is a regional initiative of twenty partnering environmental education centers. Each of these centers is located along the Circuit Trail or a major connecting trail, and on waterways throughout the Delaware River Watershed in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

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