Work & Volunteer

Star Island Corporation owns and operates Star Island in the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire. The island is ten miles from mainland New Hampshire and is operated as a seasonal religious and educational conference facility. The Corporation generates and manages all its own utilities (water, waste, power) and operates its own first aid station. The island has 34 buildings including numerous historic hotel and guest housing buildings as well as utility buildings and meeting spaces. The Corporation also operates a transportation system for staff that comprises Corporation-owned and staffed boats as well as contracted ferry and boat resources. The Corporation employs 10 year-round staff people and between 100 and 120 seasonal staff people (“Pelicans”, largely college-aged) annually.

Star Island is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in regard to race, sexual orientation or gender identity.

 

Year-Round

There are no year-round positions available at this time.

 

 

ANNUAL SEASONAL POSITIONS – “PELICANS”

Message from Star Island CEO Joe Watts:

My Pelican summers were some of the most enriching and enjoyable experiences of my life. It is always rewarding to see Pels bond with our guests, the island, and each other in ways that can last a lifetime.

So, what makes a successful Pelican? In addition to normal qualifications, like being reliable, responsible, hard-working and presentable, we seek candidates (18 years or older) who will be especially safe, cooperative, and respectful, who can thrive in the close working and living quarters of our remote setting.

Beyond these essential attributes, we will be strongly focused on candidates who would contribute to our mission of hospitality and participate in forming a healthy island-wide community.

We appreciate your consideration of what we are looking for in our Pelicans. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,

Joe Watts
Chief Executive Officer

End of Season Pelican Applications

We are looking for applicants (18+ years of age) who can work at least a full week (preferably longer) during the period of mid-August to mid-September. As a special incentive this summer, applicants who work 3 or more weeks will get a $100 bonus at the end of their employment.

Apply Online

(Or download a hard copy)

We encourage all applicants to send in a supplementary cover letter and/or resume to accompany their application. That can be mailed to our office or emailed to: office@starisland.org.

First time applicants are required to have two references completed for their application to be considered complete. References from family members are not accepted. Additional reference forms are encouraged but not required.
Warning: the on-line application form will time out after 10 minutes. If you do not receive a confirmation email your application has not submitted correctly.

Reference Forms

If you have never worked on Star Island, you must submit two reference forms. These could be from an employer/supervisor, professor, advisor or school guidance counselor, principal, teacher, minister or religious education director, etc. References from family members will not be considered. Additional peer or character references (beyond 2 required references) are encouraged.

Your application will be considered incomplete until both references received.

Please provide your references the link to our online reference form:
Reference Form
(Or download a hard copy)

General Information for Pelican Applicants

Click here to learn more about working on Star Island and for a description of each of the positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to see a list of frequently asked questions about the Pelican hiring process.

Selection Criteria

Click Here to learn how we select our Pelican staff from amongst a large pool of applicants.

Hiring Process Timeline

Applications for End of Season are accepted on a rolling basis with preference given to those received by the end of June. We will continue accepting applications for EOS until any vacant positions have been filled.

Please note: email communications regarding your application will be sent by our Office Manager, Kate Brady (kbrady@starisland.org). Please be sure you add her email address to your safe senders list so you do not miss out on any messages regarding employment with Star Island.

#pelicansarepelicans

Hear from past Pelicans about their experiences on Star Island:

A Busy Summer
A Pelican Summer: Music Director
A Pelican Summer: Bellhop Supervisor
Pelicans Take Flight (pg 38)

Follow Hiring Activity on Twitter

 

 

Food Systems and Garden Internship

Description:  The Food Systems and Garden Intern will work to build and support a dynamic island food system.  This will be accomplished through:

  • Garden management: Planting, weeding, harvesting, basic maintenance, irrigation lay-out and repair.
  • Assisting with daily management of island’s composting facilities in accordance with state requirements: set-up, daily temperature readings, pile management, sifting, testing as required, and distribution.
  • Working with garden volunteers.
  • Maintaining records and tracking produce generated on-island and food waste diverted from the waste stream.
  • Assisting with care and daily oversight of island livestock (poultry, possibly pigs).
  • Working with food service management and staff to facilitate incorporation of island food products and other locally sourced produce into staff and guest menus.
  • Participating, as a member of the environmental services team, in weekly team meetings, general day-to-day tasks, sustainable system tours, and environmental education programs.

 

This is not a comprehensive list, and other projects or duties may be assigned as needed.

 

Internship Site: Star Island, Isles of Shoals, NH

This is a residential position on Star Island.  Star Island is part of the Isles of Shoals, a small group of islands just off the coast of Maine and New Hampshire.  The island is home to a seasonal conference center serving nearly 300 guests a week and operated by just over 100 staff members.  Star Island is a great place to be a part of a dynamic community, experience island living, and enjoy a unique natural environment.

Sustainability on Star Island

The Green Gosport Initiative (GGI) is Star Island’s sustainability program.  The GGI focuses on supporting the concepts of reduce, reuse, recycle across the island, but also describes the general approach to island energy, water, food, and waste systems.  For information about Star Island see https://starisland.org/ .  For more information about Star Island sustainability see https://starisland.org/island/green/ .

Desired qualifications/skills/coursework:  Student pursuing degree in sustainable agriculture, horticulture, environmental studies, or related field; Proven communication skills, including public speaking; Ability to both work independently with limited supervision and collaboratively in group settings; Safe, cooperative, respectful individuals who will thrive in the close working and living quarters of Star Island’s remote setting.

Supervision: Star Island’s Environmental Services Manager and Sustainability, Garden, and Compost Coordinator   

Start and End Dates:  10-12 week period between June and September 2018 (exact start/end dates are flexible)

Time Commitment:  36-44 hours/week.

Compensation:  $1500-$2000 stipend will be provided in 3 monthly payments.  Position also provides the opportunity to earn 3-6 credits through the intern’s institute of study.  Room and board is provided, including all meals, dormitory-style accommodations in staff quarters, and a rustic island environment.  Island residency is required 6 days/week with transportation to and from the island provided from Star Island’s dock in Portsmouth, NH.  Upon completion of internship can apply to work both through ‘end of season’ (mid-September) and into ‘close-up’ (October).  During internship contract, there may be opportunities to make additional income.

How to apply:  Submit a resume, cover letter, and references to ksimard@starisland.org by Friday, June 22nd.

 

 

Volunteers

Summer Volunteers

The 2018 Summer Volunteer application is now available!  Please click here to apply. 

Summer volunteers help support our seasonal operation in many ways as well as work on specific projects. Let us know if you are available to volunteer any time during our season (mid-June through mid-September), and we'll let you know if we have work to be done and room for you!

 First, a couple ground rules:

  1. All volunteers must be at least 18 years old.
  2. Volunteering is essentially working for your room and board, so that means that volunteers need to be prepared to work, not just hang out. Unfortunately, if people don’t work when they’re supposed to be volunteering, they might not be allowed to come back, or they might have to pay for their stay.
  3. Likewise, Volunteers (like staff) are not allowed to attend conference events unless specifically invited by the conference. Volunteering is a way to contribute to the island, not a way to go to your conference for free.
  4. Having volunteers is always dependent on the island having enough housing for them. There are weeks during the summer when conferences use every guest room available. We can’t house volunteers during those times. These weeks are listed on the application.
  5. Volunteers work on many crews, such as Housekeeping, Gardening, Grounds, Dish Crew, etc. For more information about the positions that might be available please see the Volunteer Position Descriptions below.

What To Bring

We will supply you with bed linens and shower towels. You should bring personal medications, glasses (reading/sun), comfortable shoes, flashlight, sun block, battery operated alarm clock, hat and swim wear (optional). Be prepared for all weather conditions; it can be warm and muggy or cold and rainy. Layers work well. Clothes should be neat and comfortable. For jobs with which you have contact with guests, but please also bring some clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty. You might want to bring snacks and a water bottle, but if not, they can be purchased on island.

Lodging

Volunteers stay in rooms assigned by the on island Volunteer Coordinator and Island Registrar. While we would love to give everyone singles, space is limited so most of the time you will be sharing a room.

Volunteer Position Descriptions

Grounds

Grounds work includes mowing the lawn, killing poison ivy and simple landscaping work. Assisting our groundskeeper may require use of power equipment for mowing and weed whacking.

Housekeeping and Laundry

Housekeeping is one of the largest areas of need on the island. Expect to be dusting, sweeping, mopping, and washing walls, windows, and furniture. Daily rounds include taking out trash, replacing linens, and making beds.

Gardening

Help take care of the island’s many flower and vegetable gardens! Tasks are varied and may include weeding, selecting and cutting flowers for floral arrangements, starting seeds, transplanting, harvesting veggies for meals, and watering. The island is also home to a small poultry flock and, if interested, volunteers may be involved in everyday poultry care and management: feeding, watering, and cleaning the coop.

Brute Strength work: moving and hauling

If you choose this work, you might be helping the truck crew move the food from the dock to the kitchen, or the luggage from the rooms to the dock. There is always a lot of work requiring strength on the island.

Refinishing Furniture

Star Island has some beautiful antique furniture that needs care and repair. This summer we will be refinishing Snack Bar chairs and some of the guest room dressers.  Interested? This is a great job for those who don’t want to do a lot of lifting and moving.

In-Town, changeover assistance

This volunteering area is for anyone interested in catching some Star Island spirit on the mainland. On Saturdays our conferences change over which means one group departing and one arriving. You may be asked to greet people as they arrive, move baggage or direct parking all in conjunction with our Pelican changeover crew.

Spring Volunteer Weekends

Come help reawaken Star Island from its winter slumber and spend a beautiful spring weekend on the island! We have five spring work weekends in May and early June.

Learn more about our spring volunteer weekends

If you have questions about volunteering, contact us at rounder@starisland.org.

 

Ambassadors

Love Star Island? Become an ambassador! (You probably already are one). Check out our ambassador page for ideas and materials to spread the word about Star Island.

Ambassador Webpage