UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — New, part-time internships are available through Penn State’s Sustainability Institute.
The Sustainability Institute, founded in 2012, integrates sustainability into the University’s research, teaching, outreach and operations to prepare students, faculty and staff to be sustainability leaders. The institute executes and oversees initiatives such as the Sustainable Communities Collaborative, the Student Farm, Green Paws and Green Teams programs, educational initiatives, and public events.
There are multiple paid and for-credit internship opportunities currently available for undergraduate and graduate students.
“Interning at the Sustainability Institute gives you the freedom to follow your own interests and ambitions while advocating for a sustainable campus,” said Julia Gray, a senior advertising/public relations major and current communications intern with the institute.
The Sustainability Institute is requesting applications for an academic programs intern. This intern will support academic programs strategy, support program functions, and work on original research.
There is an opening for a communications intern. This intern will be responsible for researching and writing content about sustainability efforts at Penn State for social media, the sustainability.psu.edu website, and various news media.
“The encouraging atmosphere and sincere support from the staff allowed me to pitch and follow through with social media campaigns and projects,” said Gray.
The institute also is seeking a programmatic intern. This intern will assist with the Green Paws Program, the Green Teams Program, and the Sustainability Communities Collaborative. The intern will contribute to the preparation of annual reports, the creation of toolkits, the management of program webpage, and the planning of events.
“As interns, we are given the space and the liberty to be creative and productive, not just in our required tasks but in projects that we can entirely shape ourselves," said Micah Houston, a senior community, environment and development major and current programmatic intern with the institute.
The Sustainability Institute is requesting applications for a recycling and composting education intern. This intern will create educational materials and programs to encourage Penn State students, faculty and staff to sort their waste into recycling and composting bins.
Finally, there are multiple openings for Student Farm interns. Student Farm interns will learn about and contribute to farm production, harvesting, product marketing, community engagement, volunteer management, event planning and more.
Information about the internships and details about how to apply can be found in the links above. Applications will be accepted until Friday, Feb. 3. All internships are paid, and for-credit options can also be offered. For questions about the internships and application process, email sustainability@psu.edu.
For more information about the Sustainability Institute and sustainability efforts at Penn State, visit sustainability.psu.edu.