SUMMER POSITIONS – “PELICANS”
Thank you for your interest in applying to be a Pelican for 2021! 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.
2021 promises to be a year like no other. We are working hard to reduce the risk of everyone who comes to Star Island, especially our employees! We don’t know exactly what 2021 will look like at this time, but we are going ahead with our hiring process to prepare for the possibility of being able to open next season in some capacity. One thing we do know now is that the health and safety of our Star Island family is our top priority. Our goal is to plan for an enriching Pelican experience in 2021, though it is evident that this experience will look and feel different than it has in the past.
Our commitment to you is that we will provide the best information we have as we have it. To this end, we will communicate regularly about what we are expecting for 2021. When we send out employment offers in March, we will send out the most up-to-date information on our various health and safety protocols to help those who are offered a position make an informed decision.
Regardless of what the upcoming season will look like, we know a few tried and true things about 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
Pelican Applications
Applicants who have not worked for Star before:
New Pelican Application
Returning Pelican applicants:
Returning Pelican Application
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 if both references are not received or postmarked by January 31st.
Please provide your references the link to our online reference form.
Or download a hard copy of the reference form.
Please note: if you applied for the first time in 2020 and completed the 2 required reference forms, it will not be necessary to submit references again for 2021.
General Information for Star Island Applicants
Click here to learn more about working on Star Island and for a description of each of the positions.
Selection Criteria
Click here to learn how we select our Pelican staff from amongst a large pool of applicants.
At Star Island we appreciate the value and richness of different perspectives and experiences. We constantly strive to be a more diverse and inclusive workplace. We work to make you feel welcomed and engaged as a valued member of the team. We provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Star Island will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Hiring Process Timeline
While there is still much uncertainty because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are intending to stick with our usual hiring timeline, as we anticipate we will know much more about the state of things by March when hiring decisions would be sent out. Applications for 2021 are provisional with the understanding that COVID may impact our ability to offer jobs on Star Island and may impact applicant’s ability to work on Star.
Application Deadline- January 25, 2021
Letter of interest regarding supervisory-level positions emailed to office@starisland.org (in addition to your application)- January 25, 2021
Reference Form Deadline (for new applicants)- January 31, 2021
Hiring Decisions Emailed to Applicants- by mid-March 2021
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.
Video: What it's like to be a pelican
Video: What it means to be a pelican
Being a Pelican is more than a summer job on Star Island– it is about joining a community of interesting, talented, and hard working individuals. We seek staff members who will commit to doing a good job, whether that job involves providing direct services to conferees (such as making beds, cooking food, or working at the front desk) or serving on our support crews (such as repairing trucks, painting buildings, or running our wastewater treatment facility). The powerful Pelican community that arises each season is an outgrowth of common goals, hard work, and mutual support.
A Pelican on Star Island is both a worker and a member of the island community. We share a small island with people who come for rest and relaxation. Our job is to make a good week on Star possible for our guests.
General Information for Star Island Applicants
Click here to learn more about working on Star Island and for a description of each of the positions.








Thanks to Anna Solo for the photos!
#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)