Elon has established the Environmental Council Intern program, which will provide an annual stipend to selected students to develop projects that raise awareness about the environment and conservation. The application deadline is Oct. 21. Details and application form...
Having met its goals to reduce waste and energy consumption during the 2004-05 academic year, Elon will soon take another step forward in raising environmental awareness on campus with the creation of the Environmental Council Intern program.
The program is sponsored by the Environmental Ad Hoc Advisory Council, a group chaired by Gerald Whittington, vice president for business, finance and technology. The council, which seeks to raise awareness of environmental issues such as energy conservation and sustainability on campus, will provide a stipend annually to as many as four Elon students who will act as Environmental Council Interns, with additional funding available for supplies, travel and other expenses. As interns, students will develop generally yearlong projects to raise awareness or improve university practice on issues related to the environment and conservation.
The internship program is the next phase of an initiative launched last fall that sought to promote environmental awareness. As part of the Campaign for Environmental Awareness at Elon University, students, faculty and staff worked to educate the Elon community about ways the university works to protect the environment and to promote habits and lifestyles that are in step with that objective. Students and faculty could win prizes, including free bicycles and iPods, by correctly answering a monthly question about some facet of the environment or Elon’s environmental practices. The campaign also set overall goals for the campus to reduce waste and energy consumption throughout the school year.
During the 2004-05 school year, the university saw a 12 percent reduction in total energy consumed compared to the previous year. The collection of cardboard and paper for recycling increased 26 percent and collection of plastics, glass and other recyclable materials increased 92 percent from the previous year.
The internship program, coming on the heels of these improvements, seeks to explore campus environmental practices further, leading to greater awareness, new ventures and new initiatives. Applicants must be currently enrolled juniors or rising seniors with an interest in the environmental goals of the council. Each intern will be mentored by a member of the council and will encouraged to participate in group activities while working on their own projects. The council has decided that internships during this inaugural year of the program will have a term of one-half the academic year. The stipend for this inaugural year will be $2,250 and up to $250 for supplies, travel and other expenses. For future years the awards will be for one year and the amounts will double.
The deadline to apply for the program for the 2005-2006 academic year is Oct. 21. Successful applicants will be notified by Nov. 15. To download an application, click here, or request one from the Office of the Vice President for Business, Finance and Technology.