Students returned to work in the classroom at Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) this week, but some H-SC students kept busy on behalf of the college during the summer in North Carolina.

A Hampden-Sydney press release noted that an on-going partnership between Hampden-Sydney College and the Hatteras Island Ocean Center has evolved into a commitment to manage the facility, providing unique experiential learning opportunities on North Carolina’s beautiful Outer Banks.

Eight Hampden-Sydney students spent the summer as interns with the Hatteras Island Ocean Center, supporting wildlife conservation and cultural preservation on the island, officials in the release stated.

According to Hatteras Island Ocean Center Director Amy Thompson in the release, “Our Hampden-Sydney students are driven and motivated. In addition to their work at the center, all are working on independent projects that serve the Hatteras Island community and align with their individual career goals and interests.”

The release cited that students’ individual research projects ranged from ecological topics — oyster bed restoration, bat conservation and native plant diversity on Hatteras Island — to education and nonprofit management — revamping ocean center exhibits, marketing the center online and within the local tourist industry and developing a new business plan for the center.

Officials concluded the release by noting that from economics to government to biology, students are using their Hampden-Sydney coursework to find solutions to real-world problems.