SustainableUMD Internships, Volunteer Opportunities, and Events

The Office of Sustainability seeks students and recent grads to support campus sustainability programs, projects and initiatives.

Internships:

• Sustainability Associate
• 40 hours/week, paid with benefits
• A full-time entry-level position for which a recent UMD graduate would be ideal. The associate will help run outreach programs and communications initiatives.
• Apply by August 6, 2021 for best consideration
• Green Chapter Intern
• 10 hours/week, paid & eligible for 3 class credits
• Provide support, training, coaching, presentations, and event facilitation to Greek chapters pursuing Green Chapter certifications. Support the Department of Fraternity and Sorority Life and Office of Sustainability in program coordination, support sustainability chairs for participating chapter, collaborate with outreach interns, and support the Resident Director (RD) Graduate Assistant assigned to the Green Chapter Program.
• Apply by August 15th, 2021
• Green Office Intern
• 10 hours/week, paid & eligible for 3 class credits
• Intern to help offices earn their annual certification by consulting and coaching, tracking, reporting, and updating each offices’ checklist.
• Apply by August 15, 2021

Volunteer Opportunities:

• SustainableUMD Ambassador
• 3 hours/week, volunteer position & eligible for 1 class credit
• Apply to join a select team of student leaders who conduct tabling to encourage action and awareness through hands-on activities, commitments, and events.
• Apply by September 8th, 2021
• Sustainability Advisors
• 4 hours/month, volunteer position
• Apply to join a select team of student leaders who provide an hour-long sustainability lesson to introductory classes during the Fall semester.
• Apply by August 31, 2021
• UMD Arboretum
• Join the UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden for monthly volunteer events including plantings, litter clean-ups, and invasive species removals. The Arboretum also offers tours of the sustainable features of the campus landscape and plantings including pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and vegetable gardens- virtually or in person. Support greening of the campus landscape by dedicating a tree, volunteering, and more! Your office, organization, or Greek chapter can also ‘adopt a garden’ to tend to consistently.

Events:

• UMD Symposium on Environmental Justice & Health Disparities
• Aug 19th - 21st, 2021
• The 7th annual UMD Symposium on Environmental Justice & Health Disparities will convene numerous community members, nonprofit organizers, and researchers for an in-depth examination of ongoing environmental justice and health disparity issues affecting the DC-Maryland-Virginia region.
• No cost, Hosted by UMD’s Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice, and Health (CEEJH).
• Register here
• Climate Corner Webinars
• Free Climate Corner webinars occur every other Wednesday from 4-5:30pm from June 23rd until September 15th, hosted by Dr. Sara Via, Professor and Climate Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland College Park.
• Register here 

National Farmer's Union Executive Assistant

National Farmers Union, the oldest general farm organization in the United States, advocates for 200,000 family farmers and ranchers and the communities in which they live. They are looking to grow their team with bright and ambitious individuals who are just as committed to improving the food and farm system as they are.

The Executive Assistant is responsible for supporting the National Farmers Union (NFU) office through administrative functions, with a strong emphasis on fostering greater NFU member engagement in Federal policy. This individual is also responsible for managing and overseeing the NFU internship program.

Applications are due August 20th, 2021. For more information about qualifications, responsibilities, compensation, and how to apply, click here.

Overlea Farmers Market Manager

Are you passionate about food? Food access? Bringing local vendors to a local audience? Do you want to bring your energy to Overlea? Do you have drive, vision, and a willingness to push through whatever comes your way?

Then you are perfect! Overlea Farmers Market is in need of a new Market Manager for their 2022 season. Please click Apply to start your application. This is a part-time paid position with a salary range of $2,500-$3,500/year. Hours will follow a weekend schedule of 10-19 hours per week. For more information and to apply, click here.

Climate Corner Webinars with UMD Climate Extension

Free Climate Corner webinars occur every other Wednesday from 4-5:30pm from June 23rd until September 15th, hosted by Dr. Sara Via, Professor and Climate Extension Specialist at the University of Maryland College Park. Topics Include: 

• Human impacts on insects and native plants: Restoring biodiversity
• Natural climate solutions: Letting plants reduce atmospheric CO2
• Don’t mess with the carbon cycle & the path(s) to “net-zero”
• Your carbon footprint and how to shrink it
• Taming residential food waste
• Moderation in all things: Moving toward a plant-based diet
• How well do different policies work to curb climate change?

For more information and to register, click here. 

Grown@Pope Food Production and Donation Coordinator

• Are you passionate about food systems and sustainable agriculture?
• Do you enjoy collaborating and working with partners in the community?
• Are you creative and strategic in your approach to problem solving?

If this sounds like you, The Montgomery County Department of Parks is the place you want to be! They are currently seeking a dynamic, highly organized Grown@Pope Food Production and Donation Coordinator.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a six-time National Recreational and Parks Association Gold Medal Award Winner.  Behind the vast and diverse Montgomery County Department of Parks system is a career staff complement of nearly 800 employees, 424 parks and almost 37,000 acres of park land that serves a diverse population of more than one million residents in the Washington, DC area. The Horticulture, Forestry, and Environmental Education Division has an exciting opportunity focused on food production and food donations. Reporting directly to the Community Gardens Program Manager, the Grown@Pope Food Production and Donation Coordinator will lead the Montgomery County Department of Parks in managing a parcel of .2 acres dedicated to producing vegetable crops to increase access to fresh food in the county. 

Applications are due July 31st, 2021 at 11:59pm EST. For more information and to apply, click here. For questions, contact Michelle Nelson at michelle.nelson@montgomeryparks.org

Students Needed for Campus Photography

The Strategic Communications Photo Team is looking for students to participate in a new series of photoshoots on campus to show student life getting back to normal (and maskless) -- hopefully starting next week since they know the need is there! They are looking for students that would be comfortable walking around campus and possibly in the halls/classrooms of ESJLTC, McKeldin Library. These photos would then be made available to the larger campus communicators group for usage.

If you have any questions or are interested, please contact Gail Rupert gcinoski@umd.edu.

Gunston Hall Historic Horticulturist

Gunston Hall, a historic house museum in northern Virginia, has an horticulture opening. The job has many aspects, as the main garden on the site has perennial beds, a vast kitchen garden, and fruit trees they are training as espaliers and cordons. They support food security programs by donating plants and produce to area food banks. And they are, at the base, an education institution with communicating with the public at their core.

For more information and to apply, click here.