IU Office of Sustainability accepting applications for summer 2014 internship program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Continuing a tradition of student engagement in campus sustainability research and implementation, the Indiana University Office of Sustainability in Bloomington is recruiting its 14th group of sustainability interns for the summer term.
The IU Office of Sustainability addresses issues of environmental, economic and social sustainability in campus operations, academic programs and university-community collaboration. The student interns, selected from both undergraduate and graduate student applicants, work on a broad array of issues related to sustainability, under the mentorship of IU faculty and staff.
Since its inception in 2007, the Internship Program in Sustainability has strived to promote experiential learning as an integral part of the campus sustainability initiative. More than 200 paid student interns have benefited from this program. Some student interns will continue work on previous projects, such as coordinating sustainable purchasing efforts, while others will pilot new projects such as the Sustainability Peer Educator Program on the IU Bloomington campus.
"Working with dedicated faculty and staff, these student innovators help prepare Indiana University for a more sustainable future," Director of Sustainability Bill Brown said. "They learn to bridge academic and operational boundaries through collaboration, transforming the campus into an integrated sustainability learning lab, elevating everyone in the process."
Interns begin work in May 2014 and continue until early August. The program requires interns to commit 20 hours per week to their projects, along with participation in a one-credit course designed to provide interns with a comprehensive background in sustainability and facilitate peer communication and collaboration.
Ten summer internships are open to both undergraduate and graduate student applicants. Two of these positions fall directly under the office, and seven are offered collaboratively through the office and the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board to assist in furthering the strategic goals of the board’s seven working groups. An additional sustainability internship, which the office will assist in hiring, is available through the IU Health Center. These 10 new hires will join six interns continuing their 2013-14 academic year projects.
Internships mentored through the Office of Sustainability:
- Sustainability and the First Year Experience
- Sustainable Purchasing Practices
Internships mentored through the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board Working Groups:
- Education and Research: Developing and Supporting Curricular and Co-Curricular Sustainability Initiatives
- Resource Use and Recycling: Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale
- Environmental Quality and Land Use: Rain Garden Development Program
- Energy and Built Environment: Utilities Conservation and Behavior Change
- Food: Campus Garden and Edible Campus Initiative Coordination
- Resource Use and Recycling: No Waste Program Coordination
- Sustainable Computing: Document Management, Paper Usage and Reduction
Consultancy Corps:
- Greening of the IU Health Center (IU Office of Sustainability assists in hiring for this internship, but it is not officially offered through the Summer Internship Program.)
Interested students are encouraged to attend one of two information sessions this month. The first will be from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 17, at E-House, 704 E. 10th St. The second takes place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs Room 273. Refreshments will be served on both occasions.
"The information sessions provide an important space for prospective interns to ask questions about the application and interview process, get a sense of the internship experience and tour the E-House if they’re interested," said Emilie Rex, assistant director of sustainability. "We’re lucky that many of our current interns join us for the sessions to share their important perspectives."
More detailed information on the internships and application, along with a hiring timeline, is available on the IU Office of Sustainability Summer 2014 Internships page. Applications and recommendations are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14. Applicants should log in to the system by Feb. 3 to send their recommendation requests. For questions regarding the internships or application process, contact Emilie Rex at ekrex@indiana.edu.
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Media Contacts
Katherine Glaser
- IU Office of Sustainability
- Office 812-855-2678
- keglaser@indiana.edu