UC Berkeley Student Environmental

Training Program Katherine H. Walsh

Director, Student Environmental Resource Center

University of California, Berkeley

April 2014

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Why a Student Environmental Internship Program? • Students are seeking environmental and sustainability-related

leadership and professional development in preparation for post-college plans.

• Students are seeking non-academic environmental and sustainability educational opportunities.

• Students are seeking mentorship from and collaboration with experts and professionals.

• On- and off-campus staff have time and project opportunities for student interns.

• UC Berkeley has a responsibility to educate and train its student for global civic responsibility.

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Potential Internship Placements • We received 11 individual requests spanning 8

campus departments requesting 23 student interns.

– This could easily be expanded through contacting

additional departments and off-campus employers.

• Topics included habitat restoration, energy, water,

transportation, built environment, and behavior

change.

First Eco Reps Program, Tufts University, 2001

The program had clearly stated goals, including:

• Train a core group of students as environmental educators

and activists;

• Increase overall student awareness of environmental

actions and ways to effect individual change on campus;

• Institutionalize environmental stewardship within the student

body.

– Erickson, Christina. Student Sustainability Educators: A Guide to

Creating and Maintaining an Eco-Rep Program. AASHE 2012.

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Environmental Leadership Program (National)

Program topics include:

• Building Community and Leading across Differences

• Creating Learning Organizations

• Developing Partnerships and Collaborations

• Utilizing Strength-Based Leadership

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Sierra Student Coalition Summer Grassroots Leadership Training Program (SPROG)

• Setting Strategy and Planning Campaigns to Win Real

Change

• Working with the Media

• Confronting Oppression and Standing up for Justice

• Meeting with Decision Makers

• Building your Base and Developing Leaders

• Effective Meeting and Group Facilitation

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UC Berkley Program Focus

• Provide UC Berkeley undergraduate students with a year-long professional and educational environmental leadership experience.

• Connect the participants with campus and local experts for opportunities of mentorship and advising.

• Provide participants with a professional and paid internship that includes hands-on technical environmental experience.

• Offer required educational trainings and events that explore the 3 E’s (Equity, Economy, Ecology) and help participants to develop “eco-consciousness” and values of environmental stewardship.

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Program Implementation Steps 1. Conceptualize Program Vision and Capacity.

2. Develop the Program.

3. Recruit.

4. Manage the Program.

5. Assess the Program and Determine Change Points.

6. Develop an Alumni Network.

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Step 1: Visioning

1. Assess the student need for environmental leadership

and professional development programs.

2. Assess potential campus partnerships and support.

a. Could be potential mentors & supervisors.

3. Establish program goals/focus and priorities.

4. Assess internal leadership and supervision capacity.

5. Determine the ideal size of the program.

6. Gauge funding options for program.

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Step 2: Develop

1. Develop Learning Objectives and Program Outcomes.

2. Develop Assessment Strategies.

3. Map out a Program Timeline.

4. Create an Intern Application and Contract.

5. Create a Mentor Application and Contract.

6. Develop Marketing and Outreach Strategies for Program.

7. Develop Intern and Mentor Educational Training Programs (flexible).

8. Secure Funding.

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Program Logistics • 10-15 Berkeley undergraduates as interns.

• 10 mentors and supervisors.

• Academic Year Program; Accelerated Summer Program.

• Paid Internships at $12.00/hr.

• Interns required to work 8 hours per week with staff projects.

• Interns required to meet all together every week.

• Interns required to complete 2-4 educational hours/week

(includes meeting together).

• Interns required to take one of two SERC DeCals during the

year.

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Potential Learning Objectives

• Each student will be able to define the 3 E’s and explain their interrelation.

• Each student will be able to explain how sustainability relates to their lives

and their values, and how their actions impact issues of sustainability. (ACPA)

• Each student will have completed Strengths Quest and developed an action

plan with their Mentors’ and SERC Director’s support.

• Each student will understand principles of new wave environmentalism and

examples of related actions.

• Each student will have contributed to campus environmental stewardship by

1) completing a campus sustainability project and 2) educating the campus

community about the principles of sustainability.

• Each student will have completed X total hours of education and training.

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Step 3: Recruit

1. Publicize application process to mentors.

2. Select mentors and projects.

3. Publicize application process to students

4. Hire and match student interns with mentors.

5. Train and sign contracts with both parties.

6. Clarify or edit learning objectives.

7. Mentors and interns develop work plans using SMART.

8. Program Director conducts initial knowledge check

surveys of interns.

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Step 4: Manage 1. Empower, support, and educate interns.

2. Train and support mentors.

3. Provide consistency and historical knowledge.

4. Track success and challenges.

5. Adjust and troubleshoot.

6. Document, document, document.

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Theories and Educational Themes • Adaptation & Risk

Management

• Environmental Quality

Improvement (Resources)

• Enoughism vs. Consumerism

• Environmental Markets

• Restoration

• Human Behavior

• Environmental Justice

• Ecofeminism

• Biodiversity

• Personal Development

and Leadership

– Accountability

– Responsibility

– Honesty

– Integrity

– Civic Engagement

– Leveraging One’s Strengths

Collaboration

Common Purpose

Controversy with Civility

Civic/Community Responsibility**

Consciousness of Self

Congruence

Commitment

Social Change Model of Leadership

Group Values

Individual Values Society/Community Values

** instead of using “Citizenship

Adapted from Astin, Helen S. and Alexander W. Astin. A Social Change Model of Leadership Development Guidebook Version III. The National Clearinghouse of Leadership Programs, 1996.

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Lessons from Nature “Nature runs on sunlight.

Nature uses only the energy it needs.

Nature fits form to function.

Nature recycles everything.

Nature rewards cooperation.

Nature banks on diversity.

Nature demands local expertise.

Nature curbs excesses from within.

Nature taps the power of limits.” - Benyus, Janine M. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York: Harper Perennial, 2002. Print.

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Skills and Practice • Planning & Executing an

Education and Behavior

Change Campaign

• Strategic Planning

• Implementing a Vision

• Public Speaking

• Partnership and Team

Building

• Grant Writing

• Budget Management

• Project Management

• Analyzing and Reporting

Quantitative and Qualitative

Metrics

• Community-Based Social

Marketing

• Measuring Success

• Soft Job Skills

• Interpersonal Skills and

Sensitivity

• Fundraising

• Policy Writing

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Collaboration with SERC Student Directors

• Assist with shaping the intended learning outcomes.

• Conducting publicity and outreach to on- and off-campus partners

to serve as the internship supervisors and mentors.

• Conducting publicity and outreach to fellow undergraduate students

to apply to the program.

• Participating in grant writing and fundraising for the program’s

financial needs.

• Planning monthly educational seminars, workshops, and events for

the interns and other interested students.

• Lead or teach some of the educational trainings for participants.

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Step 4: Assessment

• Interns kept personal journals of status reports.

• Evaluate intern work plans that were established using

SMART.

• Interns complete 360 evaluations at the end of each

semester; fall evaluation results should be used in

development of spring semester work plan.

• Evaluate learning objectives each semester.

• Peer-to-peer evaluation of interns upon giving

educational trainings or presentations.

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• Quiz or review of key program terms and theories.

• Interns fill out surveys on program, supervision, and

support.

• Conduct exit-interviews.

• Submission of project reports, evaluation of project

metrics. Author how-to guides of projects.

• Evaluation of interns participation and performance in

all requirements.

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Step 5: Alumni Network • Graduates of the Student Environmental Internship

Program can become peer or alumni mentors.

• Alumni can assist with expanding the mentor network to

include colleagues or fellow alumni.

• The mentoring network would grow each year; the

program could host network-only events and provide

special educational opportunities.

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In Closing…

“Educate students who will become the leaders of our

world so as many people as possible on the planet are

healthy and can meet their basic needs; have fair and

equitable access to Earth's resources; have a decent

quality of life; celebrate cultural diversity; are realizing

their highest aspirations; and restore and preserve the

biologically diverse ecosystems on which we all depend.” – Envisioning a Student Affairs Division that Supports Sustainability,

http://www2.myacpa.org/images/about-

acpa/docs/Student_Affairs_Vision.pdf

– Modified from Second Nature