The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is an innovative summer internship for high school students.

    Our Mission

    Our mission for the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is to engage, inspire and diversify the next generation of fisheries professionals.

    Our Goal

    The principal goal of the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is to recruit from traditionally excluded backgrounds (this includes students from minoritized groups, who identify as LGBTQIA+, who are first-generation college bound, and/or identify as women) in the fisheries profession today and introduce them to the field of fisheries science and aquatic resource management. This is done by placing selected students in summer internships among fisheries agencies and institutions. We hope the student’s experience through the Hutton Program is  the catalyst that encourages them to study and ultimately pursue a career working in the field of fisheries.

    General Program Overview

    The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program is a paid summer internship and mentoring program for high school students sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS). Selected students known as “Hutton Scholars,” are matched and mentored by a fisheries professional in their local area to enjoy a hands-on fisheries science experience in a marine and/or freshwater setting.

    Hutton Scholars receive payment over the course of their internship as well as valuable work experience in an exciting and rewarding field. Each student must complete mid-summer and final reports in order to successfully complete the program.

    Oversight

    The American Fisheries Society has overall program management responsibility. The Executive Director of AFS provides an annual report on the program to the Governing Board of AFS. A Hutton committee appointed by the AFS President evaluates and makes recommendations for improvements in the Hutton Program.