Over the last two years, the M. A. Cargill Foundation grant for environmental study at St. Olaf College has funded student internships focused on the environment or sustainability at places like Milkweed Press, the Asian Rural Institute, and Transit for Livable Communities. In partnership with the Piper Center, we are pleased to offer grant awards for first years, sophomores, and juniors pursuing unpaid or underpaid internships focused on environmental study or sustainability during the summer 2015.
This internship is open to environmental study and sustainability work across all sectors – government, for profit and not for profit, private and public. The maximum award is $3,500. Students who are not selected for the M.A. Cargill Internship Award, will automatically be considered for the general Piper Center Internship Award (maximum of $2,000).
Deadline March 25th
*Depending on available funding there is a possibility that a second deadline will be added. Please check this website on April 1st to see if a second deadline has been added.
Eligibility Guidelines
- Minimum of 240 hours total spanning at least 8 weeks in the summer of 2015.
- The internship must have at least one-third of its responsibilities and work focused on the environment or sustainability. Internships with greater focus on environment and sustainability have higher priority over those with lesser focus.
- Please see Piper Center Grant Award for other eligibility criteria.
Internship Search Resources
The links found on the following resources may be useful if searching for environment and sustainability internships. Keep in mind that at least half of internships are hidden (not posted) positions.
Application Process
All applicants will use the submission process detailed under the Piper Center Grant Award for paid or unpaid internships. When completing the Grant Award Application (online form) applicants will have a chance to indicate that you would like to be considered for the M.A. Cargill Environment & Sustainability Internship Award. Applicants will then be prompted for a two or three sentence description of how their internship duties and responsibilities overlap with environmental concerns, impacts or the sustainability objectives of their potential employer.
Terms of Agreement
All terms listed under the Piper Center Grant Award for paid or unpaid internships apply to this grant award. In addition all grant award recipients are expected to submit the following to Paul Jackson, the M. A. Cargill Award Project Director:
- A summary reflection about what you learned about yourself, the workplace, and environmental study or sustainability during the internship.
- Any additional deliverables provided to your employer that illustrate your work and what you learned that are not subject to confidentiality agreements or covered as trade secrets.