Build Your Skills on Beautiful Catalina Island
Want to learn new skills or gain more confidence for internships and job opportunities? Looking for more real-world experience in the field, lab, or workplace? We have a workshop for you!
Through our Weekend Workshop series for undergraduate students, you can experience our Catalina Island campus while developing valuable skills that will make you a stronger candidate for internships and jobs. Each fast-paced, 2- or 3-day course covers a specific theme focused on lab, field, or workplace activities in the environment and sustainability.
Registration for spring 2024 workshops is now closed. Complete our interest form to be notified when fall 2024 workshops open for registration!
How it Works
All courses in the Weekend Workshop series include a 2- or 3-day stay at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC), the Wrigley Institute’s satellite campus on Catalina Island. Students complete a fast-paced, activity-packed schedule that includes hands-on experiences in the field and/or lab. Courses do not have prerequisites and are open to all USC undergraduate students interested in environmental or sustainability careers. If demand exceeds availability, preference may be given to majors or minors from the USC Dornsife Environmental Studies Program.
Note: This experience has out-of-pocket costs that vary by course. Costs cover transportation to and from Catalina Island on the USC vessel Miss Christi, room and board while on Catalina Island, and all planned instructional activities. Financial support is available. The Wrigley Institute values diversity and believes that financial need should never be a barrier to a world-class education.
If you have questions about the Weekend Workshop Toolkit series, please contact Wrigley Institute Education Coordinator Meghan MacGregor.
Weekend Workshops
Spring 2024 Weekend Workshops are closed for registration, but see the descriptions below for information on the types of learning opportunities available through this program.
Dates: 2025 dates TBA
Cost: Fees will be announced when fall 2024 workshops are opened for registration. Every effort will be made to keep fees as low as possible, and financial aid will be available. Fees will cover transportation to and from Catalina Island aboard the USC vessel Miss Christi, room and board on the island, and all planned instructional activities.
Fill out our interest form to be notified when fall 2025 workshops open for registration.
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This workshop provides practice in skills such as species identification, and scientific interpretation, and in concepts such as conservation management and human-environment interactions. It is designed for students who are interested in fields such as conservation, environmental education, and museum work.
Friday: Travel to the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island. Complete course introduction and spend the afternoon snorkeling and learning about marine ecology in a local Marine Protected Area.
Saturday: Tour Catalina Island’s backcountry while learning about the island’s human history, natural history, biogeography, and conservation efforts through the Catalina Island Conservancy’s Naturalist II course.
Sunday: Round off the weekend by showcasing some of your new science interpretation and communication skills on a hike with your new cohort. Return home in the afternoon.
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This workshop provides training in skills such as water sampling, data collection, and laboratory work. It is designed for students interested in careers in scientific research and marine science.
Saturday: Travel to the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Catalina Island, where you’ll spend the day learning oceanographic methods with Wrigley Institute Senior Scientist Dr. Diane Kim. Practice monitoring methods for harmful algal blooms, including the opportunity to contribute to statewide water quality datasets.
Sunday: Learn more about oceanography internship and research training opportunities for undergraduates, including tips on how to leverage your participation in the toolkit series to prepare a competitive application. Complete additional lab exercises before heading home in the early afternoon.