The Haines Science Center is looking for ways to help the Haines Borough in our recovery efforts. Haines is a small community (about 2000 people). With COVID and the weather disaster, our little 10 person “government staff” is simply too overwhelmed to handle everything with optimal results. Haines is experiencing a “double-disaster”. There are expert consultants specifically for disaster recovery. It has come to our attention that the State of Alaska will actually pay for that expert consulting, the Borough just has to ask. If expert consultants are not desired or cost prohibitive, the Haines Science Center has already started looking for graduate level interns who are being trained in exactly the expertise we need. Below is the Job Description we put out to the Univ of Alaska and Univ of Colorado students who are getting their Master of Public Administration in Emergency Management:
| On December 2nd, 2020, Haines Alaska experienced a 500-year weather event which resulted in the deaths of 2 people and the damage of over 50 homes and road infrastructure (Google search). The initial emergency is (almost) over and the process of recovery is in its infancy. For those of you who are interested in Emergency Management and Recovery, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to come help out. You will be helping the Haines Borough manage grants and contracts with FEMA, the State of Alaska, NGOs, etc. You will help the Tribal Government’s parallel path in recovery. You will help plan the response with the Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation, and the Borough while interfacing with local community needs and buyout possibilities. You will help leverage all the assistance into a bigger vision, comprehensive plan and efficient execution. You will help Haines recover from a “double-disaster” (given that COVID and these landslides occured at the same time).
This internship has four (or more) openings. Some slots can earn class credit and some slots are paid work. The internship would ideally be on-site. This means you will live and work in Haines, AK (only ~19 in-town cases of COVID ever). If on-site does not work for you, we can certainly bring you to town remotely. Please send a letter stating: your interests; what your ultimate career goals are; and an idea you have that could help the recovery efforts (i.e. something you learned in class, something we haven’t considered, some experience or network you have that could help, etc). A resume is optional, but welcomed. |
Given that any move to Alaska is a big one (whether you are a student or professional), the Haines Science Center will identify a funding source to help these students with full or part-time work while they are here. The students would work with, and for, the Chamber of Commerce, the Haines Economic Development Corporation, Chilkoot Indian Association, the Haines Borough, the Alaska DOT, and other organizations that are needed to realize a successful long term recovery.