For 27 years, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center has been Midcoast Maine’s source for marine science education and exploration. Our mission to educate students and communities about the connections between the ocean, inland waters, and Maine's economy reaches over 10,000 visitors annually.
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center – Assistant Environmental Educator
Position Summary
Position details
Start Date: 09/04/2026
End Date: 08/06/2027
Term Date: Note: Start and end dates flexible
Location: Port Clyde, ME
Focus Area: Age Friendly, Community Outreach, Outdoor Education, Public Health, Youth
Come to Port Clyde, Maine to help the Herring Gut Coastal Science Center improve their nature-based classrooms inside and out!
Herring Gut Coastal Science Center is a science-based education center that offers hands-on learning for all ages year-round. Located in Port Clyde, Maine, near Marshall Point Lighthouse on the St. George Peninsula, we connect Mainers to the coast through programs focused on watersheds, the marine environment, and the blue economy.
In 2025, we served 5,255 children and adults across eleven Maine counties. Many participants come from under-resourced rural communities with limited access to educational enrichment and high rates of poverty. Our programs introduce learners to the marine world while highlighting careers connected to Maine’s coastal environment.
Programs range from one-hour workshops to semester-long courses. We offer teacher professional development in nature-based science, free touch-tank tours, and hands-on learning that integrates art, outdoor exploration, and real-world experiments at our Port Clyde campus, in schools, and on Allen Island. Our three-acre waterfront campus also hosts summer marine science camps, tide-pool programs, Aquatots for pre-K learners, family programs, and science experiences aboard a local sailing vessel.
The AmeriCorps member in this role will help expand and improve our aquaponics facility, where we raise tilapia and grow produce in a closed-loop system, while also helping design engaging outdoor classrooms, exhibits, kiosks, and interpretive signage across our waterfront campus. Although our campus is beautiful, many outdoor spaces are underutilized due to a lack of interactive learning features. The member will help create inviting outdoor experiences that bring our surroundings to life and strengthen our mission to connect Mainers to the coast. These improvements will help the thousands of students and public visitors who come to our campus each year better understand Maine’s coastal habitats, the importance of working waterfronts, and how fishermen and aquaculturists rely on access to the sea to harvest and grow food.
In addition to AmeriCorps benefits, including a stipend, education award, and health insurance, site benefits include free or reduced-cost housing with utilities, laundry, internet, and bike and kayak access, free produce, coffee, and snacks, a great working environment in a beautiful location, and professional development and networking opportunities.
Already have a MyAmeriCorps account and want to apply for this specific role? You can find that listing on MyAmeriCorps here.