Since its inception in 2012, our internship program has on-boarded over 80 students. Bringing a variety of skill sets and backgrounds to the team, student associates have significantly expanded our reach and impact at the university, while gaining valuable experience through professional development and enrichment activities. Turn over occurs as students are graduating or studying abroad, allowing us to work with new associates each semester.
Below are listed multiple internship opportunities related to sustainability, climate and community engagement for the spring semester, in affiliation with WashU entities.
Food Associate with the Office of Sustainability (1 position)
The Food Associates work to raise awareness about the environmental impact of food choices, at the institutional level as much as the consumer level. This means that the team works in conjunction with the Office of Sustainability staff, WashU Dining Services, and other campus stakeholders to make a meaningful impact on campus food choices. This includes the planning and marketing of the Green Monday campaign, the distribution of the Food Guide and the promotion of the Community Supported Agriculture program. In addition, Food Associates organize events such as the annual Harvest Festival or panel discussions revolving around our local food system. Associates also assist with tracking report metrics that will improve transparency and accountability in the university food system.
Skills / Qualifications:
- Commitment to supporting local and sustainable food options;
- Knowledge of and interest in the environmental and public health impacts of food choices;
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and public speaking skills;
- Ability to approach challenges creatively and problem solve;
- Experience with event planning and creating promotional materials.
Environmental Justice Associate with the Office of Sustainability (1 position)
Environmental Justice (EJ) Associates support the development of a strong internal and external EJ network by informing, energizing, and connecting students, faculty, staff and community partners through forming relationships and offering resources. Associates support the Environmental Justice Steering Committee; coordinate events; conduct research to build out the EJ database and resources on the EJ Initiative website, and more.
Skills / Qualifications:
- Proficiency with MS Word and Excel;
- Prior experience or coursework providing greater context for EJ issues is highly desirable;
- Experience facilitating group discussion;
- Demonstration of a strong connection to a variety of student groups is desirable;
- Experience with event planning and creating promotional materials (PowerPoints, graphics, flyers, etc.) are a plus.
Communication/Marketing Associate with the Office of Sustainability (1 position)
Communication/Marketing Associates work to promote the University’s sustainability initiatives, accomplishments, and upcoming events. Communication Associates play a key role in managing the ongoing communications needs of the office as well, including developing content for the website and the bi-monthly newsletter; designing materials such as flyers, posters, and logos; maintaining and building our social media communications and follower base (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
Skills/Qualifications:
- Strong written and verbal communications skills;
- Design experience with the Adobe Creative Suite (mainly In Design and Illustrator);
- Familiarity with social media;
- Ability to research and learn quickly about various aspect of sustainability;
- Experience with marketing strategy is desirable.
Waste Reduction/Diversion Associate with the Office of Sustainability (1 position)
The Waste Reduction/Diversion Associates support WashU’s efforts to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill through recycling, composting, reuse, and donations. Tasks include conducting waste audits in various campus locations to determine opportunities for improvement and diagnose problems; coordinating the Recycling Genius outreach program and the Green Event certification program; tracking campus-wide waste data, and supporting special project development.
Skills / Qualifications:
- Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
- Experience planning and running projects
- Experience recruiting and training volunteers is a plus
- Ability to conduct research to evaluate different strategies
- Foundational knowledge of sustainability, the impact of different waste streams, and how waste sorting operates on campus
Green Social Enterprise Associate with Environmental Studies (1 position)
Dutchtown South Community Corporation runs the So Fresh So Clean So Creative Project (SFSCSC), which aims to create a Green Social Enterprise addressing waste management issues and generating green jobs for neighborhood residents. The Green Social Enterprise intern will build upon previous work done for this project and become the liaison between solid waste management & recycling businesses, community members, and other key stakeholders on behalf of DSCC. This internship will take place at Dutchtown South Community Corporation’s office, located at 4204 Virginia Ave St. Louis, 63111.
Skills / Qualifications:
- Applicants must be enrolled students at WashU for the duration of the internship
- Very organized and willing to follow deadlines
- Self-directed worker with strong initiative
- Able to treat internship as a high priority
- Able to effectively and realistically manage time (sticking to a consistent internship schedule, taking on only as much work as you can complete, not over-committing to outside tasks).
- Strong verbal and written communication.
- Experience writing grants a plus.
Climate Associate with the Washington University Climate Change Program (1 position)
The Climate Associate will support the work of the Program Steering Committee and provide background research and support to the Program’s efforts to sharpen WU’s climate focus in curriculum, research, community outreach, and operations. The Associate will participate in Office of Sustainability and school-wide professional development opportunities and will be exposed to a broad range of projects through the Office of Sustainability and other departments and research groups on campus.
Skills / Qualifications
- Basic knowledge of and passion for climate issues
- Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University faculty and staff.
- Strong organizational skills, time management skills and attention to detail.
- Proficiency with MS Word and Excel.
- Interest in research or outreach and education.
- Understanding or experience with WUSTL climate research initiatives.
- Experience in program management and event planning.
- Experience in website development and construction, including WordPress.
For all the positions listed above, applicants need to fill this form along with submitting a cover letter and resume. The application deadline is November 14.
Community Assistant for Engage STL (2 positions)
Join a team of professional staff from The Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI), and the Office of Sustainability to coordinate implementation of Engage STL, an immersive experience program for first year students that is part of Bear Beginnings 2019. Community Assistants support the Bear Beginnings orientation program through fostering community during the Immersive Experience Program (IEP). Community Assistants support the development of the three-day experience with campus and community partners. This includes assisting in the logistics, planning, and implementation of Engage STL, as well as supporting the training and management of the First-Year Orientation eXperience (FOX) leaders.
Skills / Qualifications
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.75
- Be in good standing with the university- we will conduct checks with the Office of Student Conduct and the Gender Equity and Title IX Compliance Office
- Be a full-time student in spring and fall semester
- Experience with civic and community engagement; passion for and commitment to diversity and social justice; and/or knowledge of sustainability with a willingness to learn new skills
- Professionalism and initiative
- Commitment to team approach and ability to collaborate with others
- Flexibility and creative problem-solving
- Enthusiasm for welcoming first year students to WashU and the St. Louis communities
- Tolerance for ambiguity
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
The application deadline is November 30 at noon.
Please submit an online application and a cover letter and resume as one PDF file to the Gephardt Student Internship Program.
In the cover letter, please share why you are interested in working as a paid Community Assistant for Engage STL in 2019, and any specific skills or experience that will make you stand out as an applicant.