Office of Sustainability

Intern with us!

As an Office of Sustainability Intern, you will gain real-world experience supporting all sustainability initiatives on campus. All interns are involved in all parts of campus sustainability - including the Native Plant Garden, Food Recovery Network, land stewardship, dining engagement, community outreach, waste management, Earth Month, along with other various opportunities that come up each semester. Our goal is for the interns to be at the forefront of whatever sustainability projects are happening on campus. The latter part of the internship will entail personal projects for interns to take ownership in executing. We are looking for interns who are flexible, adaptable, and ready to make a difference!

Our team is composed of two types of internships. 

Empire State Service Corps	Academic 2 Credit
Academic year-long minimum commitment with SUNY-wide Empire State Service Corps in partnership with AmeriCorps Paid hourly at rate of $17/hour  Expected work of 300 hours for the academic year About 150 hours (10 hr/week) per semester JobScore application to Office of Sustainability and additional external application to SUNY system	Semester-long minimum commitment Payment on first-come, first-service basis from Career Development Center’s Purchase Academic Internship Stipend (PAIS) Expected work at least 75 hours per semester 2 credits for 6 hours a week JobScore application to Office of Sustainability only

 

Academic interns must have the following qualifications to proceed with the application.

• • At least sophomore academic credit status
  • Good academic standing
  • 2 credits in your fall academic semester schedule
  • Average 6 hours a week throughout the semester to reach total 75
  • (Strongly recommended) Previous volunteer work with sustainability initiatives on campus

If you cannot commit to the full internship in a given semester, consider the volunteer options available. We are always looking for help!

 

Applications for fall 2026 academic internships are now closed. 

Please note our three Empire State Service Corps positions have been filled for the 2026-2027 term. Applications for the 2027-2028 term will be announced and open in the spring 2027 semester.

Please submit your application by September 4, 2026 at the latest to apply for a fall 2026 internship. 

This application includes a submission of your resume and a cover letter. In your cover letter, make sure you answer the following prompts:

1. State your academic path including your credit status and major.
2. Explain why sustainability is important to you and why you are interested in this internship.
3. Explain what work you have already done related to sustainability (can be campus volunteer work or at a previous job/school).
4. Explain what experience you have working collaboratively and how you navigate working as part of a team (can be in classes, jobs, anything and doesn’t have to relate to sustainability).

Early consideration deadline: April 30, 2026

Last application deadline: September 4, 2026