Environmental Studies Impact Internship

Open Space STL is a non-profit organization founded in 1965.  Our mission is to work independently and collaboratively to conserve and sustain land, water, and other natural resources for the health and well-being of people throughout the St. Louis region.

Open Space STL provides services through our volunteer programs to restore and enhance our region’s waterways and biodiversity that our public lands provide.  Our programs are designed to engage community members in hands-on activities to protect and restore native biodiversity through invasive species management, tree planting, and native plant installations.  Our programs also engage volunteers in cleaning up trash and debris in communities throughout the St. Louis area to improve aquatic habitat in our waterways and to provide safe, clean and healthy recreational opportunities and access to nature. 

Hours and Schedule:

Hybrid work, Flexible. A combination of in office, at home and in the field at project locations. 

Specific hourly schedules are determined by each intern and their supervisor. It is hoped that

Interns will attend volunteer events as needed to understand programming and weekly check-ins to be decided between interns and supervisor.

Brief Description of Internship Deliverable:

Interns will initially focus on developing a protocol for evaluating our volunteer programs’ environmental effectiveness and social impacts in the communities our programs serve. Interns can then use this work to inform the development of a community outreach strategy for volunteer recruitment for certain program areas.  

Internship Duties that Will Result in Deliverable: Volunteer evaluation and outreach Intern will work on the type of projects outlined below, as capacity and project progress allow:

1. Regularly attend and assist with Open Space STL Community Stewardship Alliance, Operation Wild Lands and Trash Bash volunteer events to become familiar with program services and communities they serve.
2. Review current data collection and reporting to assist with data analysis to determine a protocol for translating current data reporting into broader outcomes as they relate to climate change and biodiversity health.
3. Determine a protocol for evaluating how our current programming impacts the behaviors, attitudes and outcomes for communities.
4. Identify strategies for engaging community members in participating as volunteers where we see low volunteer turnout

Required Qualifications:

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Appropriate for environmental sciences, or social sciences undergraduate or graduate student

2. Strong interpersonal skills

3. Strong oral and written communication skills and organization/attention to detail

4. Tech proficiency in Google Drive, video chat software

5. Experience with data analysis using Excel or other software. GIS experience could be useful but not required.

6. Ability to work professionally in virtual setting using Google Meet technology as a

communication tool

Application Instructions: To apply, please send a resume, Class Schedule and cover letter to Griffin Knipp, knipp@wustl.edu.

As a River City Outdoors Intern you will work closely with the Program Manager to help achieve the desired outcomes which is to change the way outdoor recreation is accessed in the region by removing barriers and educating our community using our equity lens.

We will engage through our already and continuing to grow partner network, providing youth opportunities to learn about, play and enjoy different recreational activities that can include river trips, fishing, rock climbing, camping, and paddling to name a few. We will also educate and advocate what it means to be a good steward to our environment. The intern will play a key role as we seek to expand our network of community partners and strengthen the bonds with existing ones. Through meetings with key stakeholders from the education, political, business and non-profit sectors throughout the region so that we can best leverage our network to best serve our communities.

The Intern will:

1.     Assist in day-to day operation in all aspects of programming, teaching and scheduling events in the community.

2.     Develop written documents such as activity guides to be used by educators and a RCO program calendar.

3.     Assists in representing RCO views to community members and the general public by giving testimony, participating in meetings, public speaking events, and by establishing and maintaining professional contacts.

4.     Performs some general office duties and other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications: 

•    Interpersonal communication skills
• A commitment to racial equity and social justice
• Reliable Transportation

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Outgoing, excited to engage in St. Louis community
• Love of outdoors

 Additional notes:

Opportunities to spend a great deal of time exploring nature in a variety of settings, rivers, lakes and many more of Missouri’s outdoor amenities weather permitting.

Application Instructions: To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Chris Geden a thriveoutside@rivercityoutdoors.org and to Griffin at knipp@wustl.edu in pdf format. In the cover letter, please highlight your interests and most relevant experience.

The City of Clayton is recognized throughout the metropolitan area for an outstanding quality of life combining a bustling downtown with quiet, secure residential neighborhoods. Just west of the Washington University Danforth Campus, and the City of St. Louis, Clayton is the seat of St. Louis County. While 81% of Clayton’s land is dedicated to residential or park use, the City’s Central Business District combines 7,000,000 square feet of office space with the vitality of 1,000,000 square feet of retail space. For more information see: https://www.claytonmo.gov/government/about-clayton.

The Sustainability Action Committee (SAC) advises the Mayor, Board of Aldermen and City Manager with respect to the development and support of ecologically sound and sustainable programs and practices within Clayton’s municipal government, the community and metropolitan St. Louis Region.

Hours & Schedule: Hybrid work, Flexible. Specific hourly schedules are determined by each intern and their supervisor It is hoped that Interns will attend the SAC monthly meetings (third Tuesday of the month between 4:30 and 5:30pm) in person at Clayton City Hall.

Brief Description of Internship Deliverable: Interns will initially focus on projects within the Strategic Planning process for the Sustainability Action Committee. This will include projects such as planning for fleet vehicle electrification, application for recognition as a SolSmart Silver level Community and Building Benchmarking programs (the “Projects”).

Internship Duties that Will Result in Deliverable: Sustainability Action Intern will sequentially work on the type of projects outlined below, as capacity and project progress allow:

Internship Duties that Will Result in Deliverable: Sustainability Action Intern will sequentially work on the type of projects outlined below, as capacity and project progress allow:

1)  Regularly attend SAC meetings and participate in the engagement process leading to a finalized SAC strategic plan.  We anticipate that most of this work will be competed by May 2023 but any remaining work on the Plan will be addressed first. 
2)  Develop a phase 1 plan for the electrification of Clayton’s fleet
3)  Compile documentation for  Clayton’s Silver application for the SolSmart program working with the U.S. Dept of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office.
4)  Assist with the development of Clayton’s Building Energy Efficiency program
5)   Attend and contribute to local sustainability initiatives as a representative of the Sustainability Advisory Committee. 6) Assist with data collection, interpretation, and application in connection with each of the four program tasks as well as crafting presentation materials.

Preferred Qualifications:

1)    Appropriate for environmental sciences, business or engineering undergraduate or graduate student
2)    Strong interpersonal skills
3)    Strong oral and written communication skills and organization/attention to detail
4)    Tech proficiency (Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and video chat software)
5)    Experience with data analysis using Excel or other software
6)    Ability to work professionally in virtual setting using zoom technology as a communication tool 

Application Instructions: To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to Griffin Knipp (knipp@wustl.edu).

This position will provide the opportunity to work with Ujima, learn more about philanthropy, and become more involved in the St. Louis community. Food justice, environmental stewardship and youth empowerment are Ujima’s foundations. As a non-profit, pay-what-you-can service provider, they provide equitable access to food, education, and employment to marginalized communities. Ujima cultivates community through food justice, environmental stewardship, and youth empowerment.

The intern will provide support to George Washington Carver Farms (Ujima’s urban farm), produce donations, Apprenticeship Program, Be Well Cafe’s Farmer’s Market, Fairground neighborhood clean up efforts and additional programming support. An ideal candidate has some level of experience in grassroots and community philanthropy, urban agriculture, community engagement, social media management, fundraising, and/or data entry. Reliable access to transportation is essential because we will meet at multiple sites throughout the summer.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Access to reliable transportation is required
• Helping Founder with planning and executing special events
• Support staff to plan and manage social media content for Ujima’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. 
• Support staff with farm and garden maintenance 
• Support staff with neighborhood clean up efforts and other special events
• Lead or co-lead tours and volunteer groups as needed
• Coordinate produce and meal donations as needed
• Developing an evaluation for participants in Ujima’s Apprenticeship Program.
• Learn about Ujima, and issues in the St. Louis community by attending meetings with staff, board members, and other volunteers as needed
• Support planning and coordination of Apprenticeship Program workshops, field trips, and camping trips
• Ensure implementation of policies and practices during Apprenticeship Program
• Monitor project budgets and track expenditures/transactions
• Keep all members of the team up-to-date with relevant project information
• Bi-Weekly check-ins will Founder to discuss Apprenticeship Program progress
• Keep updated records of attendance and create reports as needed
• Create presentations, summaries and helping materials to ensure better communication for information sessions and board meetings

Skills/Qualifications:

• Efficient – able to complete tasks in a timely and effective manner
• Flexible – able to respond to a variety of tasks and needs; able to work some evenings and to attend community events on occasional weekends (work schedule adjusted to provide equal time off during the work day)
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong computer skills
• Desire to learn more about philanthropy
• Desire to learn about community development, food justice, cooperative ownership, social enterprise, community wealth-building, and local economic development
• Desire to learn more about effective nonprofit practices, and what makes strong nonprofit and community groups
• Experience working or volunteering with diverse groups.
• For more information about Ujima, visit www.ujimastl.org.

Application Instructions: To apply, please send a resume, class schedule for the fall and cover letter to Nick Speed (Ujimastl@gmail.com) and Griffin at knipp@wustl.edu in pdf format. In the cover letter, please highlight your interests and most relevant experience.

Cabanne District Community Development Corporation (CDCDC) is a Westside St.Louis City, BIPOC nonpartisan not-for-profit organization committed to promoting policies and actions that facilitate the accelerated deployment of Electrification upgrades & EV on a mass scale within eastern Missouri Justice 40 communities. Where an opportunity to thrive is not a standard but a way of life for all Women,Children and Elders. We are implementers of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Ferguson Commission Signature Priority Areas.

The CDCDC is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Together, we are embarking on a journey where each and every one of us, individually and collectively, welcomes and celebrates individual differences.

Position Description: We seek a passionate, and innovative student to support our work to maximize recent federal Justice 40/Electrification efforts in housing and Ev programs. As a Electrification/J40 intern will work with the Executive Director and others. To support equitable energy projects farther by driving public and private partnerships to unlock capital, break down state and local barriers to deployment, create technical support that can work at scale, and build capacity in community and within the stakeholder community to support rapid adoption of housing/transportation electrification solutions for those living within eastern Missouri Justice 40 communities. In the frame of a five-month internship in Equitable Energy, you will be able to put theory into practice by contributing to our projects on lessening energy burdens and access to EV products.

Key Responsibilities

• Contribute to writing projects, including reports, policy briefs and white papers, op-eds, and similar technical documents. 
• Curate and support convenings and building stakeholder relationships. 
• Present information to public audiences through conferences, webinars, and other events.
• Support projects to achieve specific deliverables.
• Research and analyze government and private sector electrification/Justice 40 related policies, funding opportunities, and deployment programs.
• Develop internal/ external resources based on new federal, state, and local guidelines.
• Collaboration in the implementation of projects, from the design to the presentation. 
• Support in the design and sizing of the system.
• Design graphics and material for numerous communication methods

Minimum Qualifications 

• Excellent skills with the Microsoft Office suite of programs, specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. 
• Demonstrated ability to research primary and secondary sources. 
• Skill in managing multiple activities, delivering on commitments, and operating with speed, accuracy, and strong judgment. 
• Strong professional work ethic. 
• Ability to think critically and problem solve. 
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team and be a self-starter. 

 Additionally, applicants should have fluency in racial equity issues, dialogues around race and public policy, green energy, sustainable design, architecture and the concept of ‘energy burdens’ and consequences for health equity. They should be self-directed, have organizational skills, attention to detail, oral and written communication skills.  

Applicants should familiarize themselves with the “Environmental Racism in St. Louis” report prepared by the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic at Washington University’s School of Law, and should strive to incorporate or leverage some of the report’s conclusions as part of the internship. 

Applicants can also review the report “Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide,” produced by Health Equity Works in the Brown School at Washington University. 

To Apply:  Please apply by sending a cover letter, Fall class schedule and resume to Griffin at knipp@wustl.edu in pdf format, and include “Electrification Sustainability Internship” in the subject line. In the cover letter, please highlight your interests and most relevant experience.

A Red Circle (ARC) launched the Food and Justice fellowship in 2021 so as to offer opportunities for young adults to develop skills and experience in three crucial areas: environmental justice & agriculture, understanding & navigating systematic inequalities, and entrepreneurship. ARC is seeking peer mentors to assist both in tailoring the program to the fellows’ interests and needs and readily adapting the program to a rapidly changing world and political climate.

North St. Louis County’s economy can be traced to racist laws and public policies. A Red Circle’s vision is to restore North County to a safe, vibrant, sustainable, and economically viable community that remains diverse, and in doing so, help heal racial strife. Located in The Promise Zone, A Red Circle’s programming is designed to address five focus areas: employment, education, holistic living, policy, and the arts.

This position will be performed in person – with some time spent at A Red Circle’s office in Wellston, Missouri, near the Wellston Metrolink Station, and some time spent in the garden or at the urban farm.  “Transportation can be arranged from A Red Circle.”

Internship Activities

• Perform supervisory tasks such as prepare curriculum, create documents, monitor attendance, administer an evaluation survey, and more
• Work on A Red Circle’s urban farm and community garden
• Share their insights into the topics from their educational experience
• Help coordinate other A Red Circle events and activities

Experience and requirements

• Passion for social and environmental justice
• Experience in peer mentorship
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines to effectively reach goals
• Self-motivated, flexible, and independent worker
• Experience living, working, or volunteering in North St Louis County preferred (not required)
• Means of personal transportation
• Personal phone and laptop preferred

Site Supervisors:  Erica Williams, MBA, erica.williams@aredcircle.org and Deborah Rice-Carter, deborah@aredcircle.org

Site location:  A Red Circle’s office, 6439 Plymouth Ave, and North County Agricultural Education Center

To Apply:  Please apply by sending a cover letter, Fall schedule and resume to Griffin at knipp@wustl.edu in pdf format, and include “A Red Circle” in the subject line. In the cover letter, please highlight your interests and most relevant experience.

Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU) is a grassroots organization composed of St. Louis area congregations of all faiths. They put faith into action by developing leaders who move their congregations, organizations, and communities to change public policy for the common good. Since our organization’s founding in 1991, MCU’s efforts have utilized relational organizing tools to build grassroots community power by developing strong relationships grounded in trust and leadership building to fight for collective social justice. MCU is the Environmental Justice campaign started in 2020. This campaign aims to support clergy leaders, community groups, and impacted residents to build the power necessary to fuel a local environmental justice movement and fight for policy change that addresses the disproportional impacts of environmental racism on low-income communities of color. 

      MCU is partnering with 19 organizations to hold air quality monitors and do community meetings, working as a coalition to implement recently passed legislation in Missouri on Get Out the Lead, and continuing to push for illegal dumping reform. The 2019 Environmental Racism in St. Louis report detailed the lack of available outdoor air quality data in St. Louis City. High rates of asthma and many point sources of air pollution in North St. Louis City. In response, we have created and found funding for the Community Based Air Quality Monitoring Program to launch the campaign in a larger way in 2021.

      The Air Quality Monitoring Intern will report directly to Beth Gutzler, Lead Environmental Justice Organizer for MCU, and will work with other members of MCU as needed. This internship is expected to be mainly remote, with periodic socially-distanced, masked, in-person activities. Regular communications with your supervisor will occur by phone and video. 

Internship Activities:

• Assist MCU’s environmental justice team with outreach to develop strong relationships with local congregations, clergy leaders, and residents of color throughout St. Louis, MO utilizing basic relational organizing tools. Training for organizing leadership development will be provided. 
• Assist MCU’s environmental justice team with implementing a pilot air quality monitoring program, in partnership with researchers & staff from Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering and the Environmental Studies program at WashU. 
• Intern will assist with data collection, interpretation, and sharing results with community stakeholders and MCU EJ staff to plan next steps. 
• Assist with providing presentations and education workshops on air quality and other EJ topics for the Interfaith Environmental Justice Task Force, youth groups, and community leaders. 
• Work on environmental justice focused policy change 
• Maintain communication with MCU Environmental Justice Campaign Staff and attend MCU activities. 
• Regularly attend MCU EJ & Task Force meetings.

Applicants should familiarize themselves with the “Environmental Racism in St. Louis” report prepared by the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic at Washington University’s School of Law. 

Applicants can also review the report “Segregation in St. Louis: Dismantling the Divide,” produced by Health Equity Works in the Brown School at Washington University. 

Qualifications:

• Experience navigating conversations about race and racism, the environment, science, and public policy 
• Working toward a major or minor in, or have taken significant coursework in, a combination of public health, engineering, data analysis, and/or environmental studies preferred 
• Excellent relationship building skills 
• Demonstrated love of the St. Louis community 
• Strong oral and written communication skills and organization/attention to detail 
• Tech proficiency (Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and video chat software)
• Ability to work professionally in virtual setting using zoom technology as primary communication tool 
• Experience with data analysis using Excel or other software. Include information on any relevant courses you’ve taken in which you have analyzed data.  

To Apply:  Please apply by sending a cover letter, and resume  to Griffin at knipp@wustl.edu in pdf format, and include “Environmental Justice Internship” in the subject line. In the cover letter, please highlight your interests and most relevant experience.

The Restorative Justice Movement Center is a community resource in The Ville neighborhood for formerly incarcerated individuals or those facing drug addiction to re-integrate into the community. The RJM Center hosts support group meetings, sober events, and community outreach events to reach this goal. They also have a community garden to host educational events and help provide fresh produce in a food desert.

The Outreach & Garden Intern will help develop an outline for seasonal maintenance of the the RJM Center’s community garden, along with tending the garden, planting, and harvesting. In addition to community garden work, Intern will research Restorative Justice methodology and practices, manage documents and databases for compiled data and research, and help organize two fundraising events. There is ample opportunity for interns to gain experience related to nonprofit administration, events coordination, and to get to know community members. Past interns have assisted the RJM Center with initiatives like hosting health clinics, hosting Narcan trainings, and becoming a food pantry outreach site with the St. Louis Food Bank.

Internship Duties: 

• the intern will research RJM methodology, outreach, and grant information
• track data using developmental programs outlined by grant requirements
• maintain a database for community resources
• keep up with community garden maintenance
• and assist with event planning for the center. 

Required Qualifications:

• Commitment to environmental justice and anti-racism work
• Desire to work with people who are unhoused, recovering from addiction, formerly incarcerated, or otherwise marginalized.
• Strong verbal and written communication
• Strong sense of initiative and independent problem-solving
• Patience and a go-with-the-flow attitude
• Highly organized and detail oriented

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Excel, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Applications
• Experience working with people who are unhoused, recovering from addiction, formerly incarcerated, or otherwise marginalized.

Location: This internship will take place at the Restorative Justice Movement Center, located at 2707 N Taylor Ave in The Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. Please send a resume and cover letter to Amber Harris at amberisouth@yahoo.com and Griffin Knipp at knipp@wustl.edu with “Restorative Justice Movement Center Intern” in the heading.