Bald Head Island Conservancy

The Bald Head Island Conservancy (BHIC) will create and implement a structured workforce development pipeline to prepare participants for careers in museums, conservation organizations, and informal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. BHIC will create a vertically integrated program that combines high school volunteer engagement, undergraduate internships, and post-baccalaureate residencies and fellowships with professional development, mentorship, and applied research opportunities at a hub for coastal conservation research and informal education. The project bridges early exposure, hands-on experience, and long-term career preparation to provide hands-on training and mentorship for participants, ensuring participants develop the STEM, research, communication, and leadership skills required for science-based careers at museums and informal education centers. Through structured mentorship, immersive fieldwork, and applied research opportunities, the project will equip the future museum workforce with technical, leadership, and communication skills and provide a living laboratory for experiential STEM learning for high-school students and early-career professionals in STEM and museum workforce pipelines.