Sustainability Corps

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Are you an UMN undergraduate looking for an internship or research opportunity this summer? Do you have an interest in sustainability and the environment? Apply for the IonE Sustainability Corps, a summer program to engage undergraduates in internships focused on the Institute on the Environment’s impact goals around energy transition, clean water, and sustainable land use. 

  • Application opens: February 1, 8 am, 2023
  • Application deadline: [Extended] March 20, 6 pm, 2023 or until positions are filled

Program Details

  • Award Amount: Up to $2,500
  • Program Dates: All selected students are required to attend orientation May 31st, 10-12 pm (save the date!), and will develop a weekly schedule with their supervisor for June 5-August 11. All students will meet as a cohort on Wednesdays 1-2 for training, reflection, and support.
  • Time Commitment: 14 hours a week (140 hours total) + 1 hour a week for meetings (11 hours total) = 151 hours total commitment
  • Program Elements: An exciting internship or research assistantship in which you will make an impact on important sustainability issues in Minnesota, twelve hours of leadership and professional development training, and a Sustainability Corps water bottle.
  • Types of Internships: To contribute to the Institute on the Environment’s impact goals around energy transition, clean water, and sustainable land use, we are prioritizing internship sites that can put students in positions working in one or more of these areas. To preview position descriptions, click here.

Community and Campus Leaders: Are you interested in hosting an intern or research assistant? If so, please find more information here. 

Questions can be directed to Aaron Hanson, hans4732@umn.edu

Sustainability Corps and the Institute on the Environment gave me the perfect platform to channel my creativity and passion for sustainability while working towards dismantling asymmetrical power structures, centering indigenous knowledge, and empowering local communities.

I interned with the MN350 Food Systems Team and my project consisted of creating content and onboarding curriculum materials for the Headwaters Bill, a piece of legislation focused on transforming our unjust food system into a regenerative, sustainable circular food economy that serves communities instead of corporations.

When applying to this internship, I knew that I would enjoy the policy aspect of sustainability, but I didn’t have any real practical experience with lobbying or organizing around a piece of legislation. This internship and the experiences I’ve gained through it, have solidified for me that I have truly found my calling.

Manashree Padiyath

B.A. in Political Science, B.S. in Sociology (Policy Analysis focus), and Minor in Public Health