Education
Student Internships, Work Study, and Employment Opportunities
Overview of information provided below
Office of Sustainability Internships
The Office of Sustainability employs dozens of undergraduate and graduate students through four unique internship programs to provide support on strategic sustainability initiatives ranging from communications, outreach, and education, to best practice research, and sustainability reporting. There are two internships available from the OS: Sustainability Internships and Sustainability Outreach Internships. Reach more about each below.
Sustainability Interns
Sustainability Interns work 10 hours per week at the Office of Sustainability and support OS initiatives such as campus sustainability engagement events, sustainability data reporting, and outreach efforts. Applicants to the program must be a current first-year or second-year undergraduate student. Learn more about the program and see application materials here.
Sustainability Outreach Interns
The Sustainability Outreach Internship is a collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and ResLife. In each residential hall at UConn, there is a Sustainability Outreach Intern (SOI; formerly known as EcoCaptains until Fall 2025) that works as a liaison between the OS and UConn's residential students. SOIs work 5 hours per week and endeavor to bring awareness to sustainability initiatives on campus through related programming and educational events for their residents. Learn more and see application materials here.
Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) Programs
The Natural Resources Conservation Academy (NRCA) engages diverse teens and adults in conservation through place-based, experiential outdoor education and community partnerships that advance local environmental solutions. Challenging traditional leadership models, NRCA fosters innovation, equity, and inclusion across age and ability. Its programs—Conservation Ambassador Program, Conservation Training Partnerships, Teacher Professional Learning, Difference Maker Mentors, and Eco-Digital Storytellers—empower participants with natural resource science, geospatial technology, and digital media storytelling to address environmental justice. Central are near-peer mentorship, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and trauma-informed practices. To date, NRCA has supported 700+ participants and 340+ partners on 350+ projects across 185 communities.
Difference Maker Mentors
Difference Maker Mentors (DMMs) are part of a 10-month leadership position and serve as program leaders of the Conservation Ambassador Program, a 9-month program for high school students (grades 9-11), and near-peer mentors to the teens part of the program. Potential DMMs take NRE 1250 Community Engagement for Environmental Action (spring course); mentors are then chosen from the course and help facilitate the summer CAP field experience. From July to April, each DMM guides a group of CAP teens through a locally impactful environmental action project, which is presented a spring showcase. To learn more about the Difference Maker Mentors program, visit the NRCA webpage here.
Eco-Digital Storytellers
The Eco-Digital Storytellers (EDS) program is a 7-month program that brings together high school student-teacher teams and UConn undergraduate EDS mentors to create community-focused digital media projects that introduce the idea of environmental storytelling through maps and other media. Potential EDS mentors take a fall course regarding environmental storytelling; selected EDS mentors then undertake a paid near-peer mentor internship in the spring which partners them with a high-school team. The experience culminates in a professional showcase event to present the digital project products. Skills gained include storytelling and geospatial and multimedia technologies, such as animation and filmmaking. To learn more about the EDS program, visit the NRCA webpage here.
Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering (CESE)
CESE laboratories employ up to 8 students per semester as laboratory assistants. These students obtain initial training in proper analytical chemistry techniques, chain of custody, quality assurance, and standard operating procedures. As their skills develop, they will be trained in more advanced tasks such as data entry and translation as well as instrument operations. Visit the UConn Student Employment website for more information about available student jobs.
Green Careers Panel
The Green Careers Panel (GCP) is an annual event held by the Office of Sustainability featuring professionals in sustainability-related fields, ranging from government and nonprofit organizations to the private sector. Panelists at multiple stages of their careers discuss their job paths and provide key insights to students entering the field.
Haunted HEEP Trail Walk
The Haunted HEEP is an annual Halloween haunted trail walk established in 2020 aimed at promoting new student engagement with the OS and natural spaces on campus. During this scary experience, hundreds of students plunge into the shadows, daring to explore the creepy scenes set up along the one-mile Red Trail of the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP). The HEEP provides miles of trails for the community to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of nature.
Earth Day Spring Fling
Earth Day Spring Fling (EDSF) is an annual celebration of sustainability co-sponsored by UConn Dining. Established in 2008, the festival features vendors of sustainable and hand-crafted goods, organic and local foods, environmental organizations, and student groups that join together to produce the greatest day of environmental awareness all year! Dining offers a special outdoor zero waste BBQ for lunch. Recent celebrations have included a party bike tour of campus sustainability features and goat yoga. Coinciding with the event is UConn's annual Arbor Day celebration and ceremonial class tree planting. The event is held near the end of April.
Climate Change Cafe
The Climate Change Cafe an annual poster and networking session highlighting student research and perspectives gained from experiential learning, including UConn@COP Fellows, as well as Environmental and Social Sustainability Grant recipients.
Environmental Leadership Awards
The Environmental Leadership Awards are a biennial event recognizing individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions toward advancing sustainability goals at UConn and beyond. Recipients of the ELAs are honored at an award ceremony commemorating their achievement.
Don't Mess with Mansfield Litter Cleanup
In partnership with the Town of Mansfield, Student Activities, and Facilities Operations, the OS leads volunteer recruitment and coordination of two community-wide litter cleanup days targeting on and off campus locations annually.