New Student Sustainability Involvement Opportunities at UK

The Student Sustainability Council pre-COVID 19
The Student Sustainability Council pre-COVID 19

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 8, 2021) — The University of Kentucky’s Office of Sustainability is announcing two exciting opportunities for students to get involved with campus sustainability efforts. One opportunity is through the undergraduate Sustainability Internship Program and the other is to become a member on the Student Sustainability Council. Both of these programs are now accepting applications for students to join their teams for the 2021-2022 school year. 

The Sustainability Internship Program is an exciting partnership between the Student Sustainability Council, the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment and various operational units across campus. These undergraduate internships are paid $11 an hour for 8-10 hours per week from August 2021-May 2022. Interns will work with a mentor on supporting a specific sustainability unit on campus, develop an independent project and participate in a professional development series with the full cohort of interns. 

There are 15 open positions that cover a wide variety of areas such as athletics sustainability, waste reduction efforts, sustainable purchasing protocols and much more. Applications opened March 1 and are due by March 15 at 11:59 p.m. For a full list of job descriptions and how to apply, see here.

Additionally, the Student Sustainability Council is now accepting applications for new organizational representatives and at-large members. The SSC meets bi-weekly throughout the school year and is responsible for distributing the Environmental Stewardship Fee to fund campus sustainability projects. Members on the council have a voice in furthering sustainability at UK and get exposed to exciting projects along the way. 

If your student organization is related to sustainability and would like a seat on the council, please fill out an application on their website. To apply as an at-large representative, please send a resume and cover letter to uksustainabilitycouncil@gmail.com. Both of these applications are due by March 15 at 11:59 p.m.

“These two opportunities provide a high impact experience for our students,” said UK Sustainability Officer Shane Tedder. “Both of these opportunities will give students the tools and experiences they need to enter a career in the sustainability field.”

 If you have any questions about either of these opportunities, please reach out to Sophie Beavin at scbe226@uky.edu. Sustainability Internship Program applications due March 15, 11:59 p.m. Student Sustainability Council applications due March 15, 11:59 p.m.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.