A Legacy of Environmental High-Achievers

 

Since 2003, the OS’s practical internships have enabled undergraduate students to:

• Gain excellent work experience at competitive hourly pay rates– OS interns gain project management and teamwork skills in an office environment. Their job duties and responsibilities, and performance expectations, are similar to those of entry-level employees, such as college graduates, working in business and industry, non-profit organizations or public sector jobs.
• Hone leadership skills– Bolstered by their OS work experience, many interns have served as elected presidents and officers of environmental student groups and organizations, ranging from EcoGarden to Engineers Without Borders and USG. A few interns have been captains of UConn varsity and club sports teams while others have been nominated for (and even won) the University’s most prestigious student leadership awards.
• Win academic scholarships– Over the past 16 years, OS interns have won a multitude of national scholarships, including UConn's first Rhodes Scholar, 4 national Udall/Environmental Policy scholarships and 2 Udall Honorable Mention scholarships. Dozens of others have been among the select few students nominated annually by UConn for this coveted, national award.  Our interns have also won other scholarships and fellowships during and after their UConn years, based on both their academic excellence and OS work experience.
• Be accepted at prestigious graduate schools- Recent OS interns are attending and working towards graduate degrees, or have received graduate degrees, in a range of environmental disciplines from programs here at UConn as well as Yale, Columbia, Brown, Duke, Cal Santa Barbara, Vermont Law School, Colorado (law school), Oregon State and Imperial College of London.
• Pursue an environmental or sustainability-related career– Former OS interns currently hold or have held positions, ranging from entry level to management, at United Natural Foods, Inc., Waste Management, Inc., Sunlight Solar Co., the CT Green Bank, the Environmental Defense Fund, Housatonic Valley Association, Siemens Energy, Inc., Fuss and O’Neill, BL Company, GZA, UTC, Northeast Utilities (Eversource), Dominion Energy, and the Hampshire Council of Governments, plus financial services firms such as HAIG in Boston and RBS in Stamford. Past interns have also held various positions with the CT DEEP, the Peace Corps, and the Student Conservation Association after leaving UConn.

Join a team of high-achieving, environmentally-focused undergraduate students as an intern at UConn’s sustainability office! The OS hires interns during the spring semester, with work beginning in the fall semester (summer if desired) and continuing throughout the academic year.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a current first-year or a second-year student pursuing a bachelor's degree at UConn
• A minimum GPA of 3.2
• An interest in the environment, sustainability and their interactions with society
• Demonstrated peer leadership and project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting professionally with faculty, staff, and students
• Commitment to learning and continuous improvement
• Self starter
• Ability to work in a team
• Positive attitude, adaptability, enthusiasm, professionalism, and patience

Details:

• Interns are paid an hourly rate ($15.50/hr to start) and  work 8-12 hours per week during UConn business hours (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Mon-Fri)
• Occasional paid evening and weekend events
• Office continuity is vital to our success. We value dedicated and reliable interns, who will earn increased responsibilities and leadership roles as they gain experience and effectiveness working in the OS.

Duties:

Job assignments are varied, but we strive to match students with projects that align with their strengths and career interests. Some examples include:

• Researching, analyzing, and summarizing best environmental practices at peer institutions on topics ranging from Energy & Buildings, to Climate Change, Environmental Justice, Waste Reduction & Diversion, Outreach & Engagement, Water Resources, Food & Dining, Purchasing, Transportation, Grounds, Open Space & Conservation and more, in order to develop and improve sustainability programs at UConn
• Coordinating with other departments to implement ongoing campus sustainability outreach activities and annual events, such as EcoMadness, Earth Day Spring Fling, Green Game Day
• Identify and pursue opportunities to advance environmental justice at UConn
• Assisting with meetings of the University's Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC) and its workgroups – this includes meeting preparations, presentations, notes, and identifying and following up on action items
• Working with any workgroup, committee or task force, and/or supervisory staff to carry out the University’s strategic sustainability plans
• Assisting with sustainability publications such as the OS's newsletter and biennial sustainability progress report
• Coordinating the efforts of student volunteers participating in campus sustainability activities and events
• Compiling UConn's annual greenhouse gas inventory, and tracking and reporting about progress toward UConn’s Climate Action Plan and carbon-neutrality goals
• Researching, preparing and updating content for the Office of Sustainability website, blog, and social media
• Tracking UConn’s performance on key campus sustainability indicators, drafting environmental progress reports, and responding to surveys (such as AASHE STARS) and questions about UConn’s environmental practices

How to Apply:

• We post on JobX mid-Spring semester. The application for '23/'24 is now closed.
• For more information on internships with the Office of Sustainability, email sustainability@uconn.edu with “Sustainability Internship” in the subject line.