Science Communication Internships in Wildlife Education and Career Mentoring

Fancy Scientist LLC is offering 2 internships in social media and podcasting in the field of wildlife education and career mentoring.

Sep 20, 2025

Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler)

Wildlife Biologist and Science Communicator, Fancy Scientist LLC

Liked by SIMON KARIUKI and 2 others

About the Organization:

Stephanie Manka, Ph.D. is a wildlife biologist of 20 years turned digital content creator who loves to teach people about wildlife, conservation, and science, providing lifestyle solutions so that we can collectively make a difference to help wildlife and restore the planet. She empowers and prepares aspiring and entry-level wildlife professionals so that they can fulfill their life’s purpose of protecting wildlife while getting paid and loving their job. In 2020, she formed the Fancy Scientist LLC to accomplish this mission.

Internship expectations and conditions for ALL internships:

Location: 100% remote, open to any location
Experience: none, but see preferred qualifications
Dedicate at least 10 hours/week towards internship (more are available if interns are able to and interested!); hours will be tracked in Toggl
Commitment from early October until late December; internship is open for longer if intern desires - this is encouraged
As this is a small business with limited funding, this internship is currently unpaid (but see next bullet point). In exchange for services, interns will receive immediate access to the Successful Wildlife Professional, a group mentoring program that has launched the wildlife careers of dozens of students around the world (https://stephanieschuttler.com/swptestimonials/, https://stephanieschuttler.com/?s=alum). The intern will receive top-level mentoring from Dr. Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler) a professional wildlife biologist with 20 years of experience and nearly 30 publications throughout the duration of the internship. Interns will be able to maintain access to course content indefinitely given internship responsibilities have been fulfilled and they remain in good standing
If the intern desires to and is in good standing, the internship can last longer than the noted period and has the potential to be paid/turn into a part time job depending on funding.

------

Internship 1: Social media

Responsibilities for social media intern:

Repurpose existing and new content to create short videos and social media posts for Instagram, YouTube shorts, TikTok, BlueSky, Threads, Facebook, and X (Twitter)
Create and maintain a social media calendar
Track analytics of different platforms and provide insights on results with new ideas for posts
Work with other interns, especially the YouTube and podcast intern, to identify content for posting
Other tasks as needed

Expectations for social media intern:

Generate at least 3 posts per week throughout internship

Essential qualifications for social media intern in addition to core qualifications for all internships (see below):

Love for social media and experience with all or most of the platforms mentioned (experience in personal use is ok)
Strong organization skills
Understanding of/and or ability to stay on top of and identify current social media trends
Ability to work within a fast-paced team

------

Internship 2: Podcast

Responsibilities for Podcast intern:

Create and edit podcasts including audio and videos for YouTube
Write draft of show notes
Create show notes page in Wordpress and update links
Correspond with guests when applicable including podcast expectations, reminders, and follow up
For YouTube videos: add key visual elements to attract viewers and retain watch time
Create thumbnails for YouTube, write titles and descriptions maximizing key words, and choose tags
Create graphics to accompany podcast
Track analytics of audio and video performance
Other tasks as needed

Expectations for Podcast intern:

Produce one podcast at least every two weeks

Essential qualifications for Podcast intern in addition to core qualifications for all internships (see below):

Excellent writer
Ability to work within a fast-paced team
Strong sense of visual design, style, and aesthetics
Highly organized
Love for science communication

Preferred qualifications for Podcast intern:

Experience with WordPress
Experience in Canva

------

Core Qualifications for ALL internships:

Detail-oriented, MUST be able to follow directions and receive and incorporate feedback
Must be passionate about wildlife, nature, and/or conservation and the mission of the organization
Must have a “can do” attitude; although there will be specific directions, at times problems will come up and intern is expected to attempt to solve some problems on their own, especially as they relate to technology and software
Self starter, self motivated
Committed

To apply for an internship:

Submit an application using this form: https://forms.gle/3pMGscuSKWMMj31Z6 by Monday, September 29th 7 AM Central Daylight Time. In the cover letter, state which internship you are most interested in, why you are interested in that internship, and why you are a good fit for that internship and working at Fancy Scientist LLC in general. If you are interested in multiple internships, state all that you are interested in, but it is not necessary to go into detail as to why you are a good fit for each one. Also include your desired career path and your favorite wild animal. The form will ask for a link to your cover letter and resume. Combine both into one document and provide a single link.

Stephanie Manka (formerly Schuttler) (She/Her)

Wildlife Biologist and Science Communicator, Fancy Scientist LLC

Wildlife biologist 🐘 Mentor 👩‍🎓 Your Biggest Career Cheerleader 📣 Communicator 👥 | Showing animal lovers how to get their dream job✨ | Connecting people with nature for conservation 🌿 and community 🏙️