Sawyer Free Library Launches Fall Internship Program for GHS Students

Information session about paid opportunity scheduled for Wednesday June 11

This fall, Sawyer Free Library is offering a new internship opportunity for Gloucester High School students in support of its innovative Digital Learning Lab. The Library is hiring student interns as Digital Tutors to assist with the inaugural Computer Basics Course, a community program designed to help adults gain essential digital skills.

Digital Tutors will serve as trusted guides, helping participants navigate internet use, computing devices, and common digital applications. The course includes 15 hours of self-paced, hands-on training. Qualified adult participants who complete the program will receive a free Chromebook and a one-year internet service plan.

“Student interns will gain valuable work experience while making a meaningful impact on closing Gloucester’s digital divide. “Students will be developing two sets of skills,” said Assistant Director Lisa Ryan. “They’ll build hard skills such as setting up and troubleshooting devices, using Google applications, navigating the internet safely, and practicing email and telecommunications best practices.”

“We’ll also focus on soft skills,” Ryan continued. “Through on-the-job experience and a weekly workshop, students will strengthen their communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving—skills that colleges and employers are increasingly prioritizing alongside technical knowledge.”

Interested students should send their application to jobs@gloucester-ma.gov or drop them off or mail them to Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930. References may be from a teacher, coach, employer, or guidance counselor—but not family or friends. The application deadline is June 18, 2025, with interviews scheduled between June 23 and 27.

Interns will complete paid training in early September. After training, they may work up to 16 hours per week through December 12, 2025, with shifts available on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons, and Saturdays. Interns will be paid $18/hour, and those who complete at least 54 hours of tutoring may earn high school credit.

Students interested in pursuing careers in technology, education, psychology, social work, or digital literacy are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors.

An information session will be held Wednesday, June 11 at 2:10 p.m. in the Guidance Conference Room at Gloucester High School.  For more information, contact Assistant Director Lisa Ryan at lryan@sawyerfreelibrary.org with your contact information, a brief summary of relevant experience and interest, and availability.

This first of its kind digital intern program at the Sawyer Free Library is funded through the generosity of an Essex County Community Foundation Digital Equity Partnership Grant.

Hobby to Side Hustle: Empowering the Creative Arts Entrepreneur

Are you curious about shifting your creative hobby to an income-generating venture? Could you use marketing support but you’re not sure where to start? Planning tools and resources will be provided to help you clarify your needs and goals as you begin to brand your own creative arts business.

Join the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, September 17 at 5:00 to 6:00 pm for the first of a three-part series entitled “Branding Your Own Creative Arts Business: A Three-Part Marketing and Communications Series.” The workshop will be led by Leah Hancock, owner and founder of Placid Marketing with over 15 years of experience in integrated and online marketing communications.

The program will be held on the Main Floor of the Library located at 21 Main Street in Gloucester.

For more information or question, please contact Meg O’Neill at moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5562.

Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact – Author Talk with Liz Wiseman

Join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday, August 25 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm for a virtual conversation with Liz Wiseman, New York Times Best Selling author, researcher, and executive adviser. Liz will talk about her latest book, Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact, and her other work. Register HERE for the link!

In Impact Players, Liz asks the question, why do some people break through and make an impact while others get stuck going through the motions? In every organization, impact players are indispensable colleagues who can be counted on in critical situations and consistently receive high-profile assignments and new opportunities. Managers know who these top players are, understand their worth, and want more of them on their team, whether on center stage or behind the scenes. 

Wiseman reveals the secrets of these stellar professionals who play the game at a higher level. Drawing on insights from leaders at top companies, Wiseman explains what the most influential players are doing differently, how small and seemingly insignificant differences in how we think and act can make an enormous impact, and why– with a little coaching–this mindset is available to everyone who wants to contribute at their highest level and do more meaningful work.  

Register HERE

About the author:  Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives worldwide. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Multipliers:  How the Best Leaders Make Everyone SmarterThe Multiplier Effect:  Tapping the Genius Inside Our Schools, Wall Street Journal bestseller Rookie Smarts:  Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work, and Wall Street Journal bestseller Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact. She is the CEO of the Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, California.