The Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame, in partnership with the City of Burlingame, is pleased to announce a paid Environmental Internship Program for high school students with an interest in sustainability issues, beginning in February 2018. The purpose of the program is to help motivate and nurture the next generation of environmentalists.
The students will explore, individually or in small teams, the sustainability of their own school’s culture and operations, and they will research best practices and innovative programs at other schools. The interns will meet monthly with their mentors to compare and discuss findings and introduce the next month’s project. Meetings will take place during the spring and fall semesters of 2018, and a $300 stipend will be paid to each intern at completion of the program.
The program is open to current sophomores or juniors who live or attend school in Burlingame. They must be available to meet once per month, on a Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m., at the Burlingame Public Library.
Students will discuss and research topics from four primary areas of sustainability concern:
· Transportation (For example, can carbon emissions be reduced during travel to and from school?)
· Energy (How can we improve energy efficiency on campus? Is there an opportunity for solar power?)
· Water (How can we improve water efficiency on campus?)
· Waste (How effectively are we diverting compostables and recycling from landfill?)
Students in the program will be mentored by Sigalle Michael and Mike McCord.
Sigalle Michael has served as sustainability coordinator for the City of Burlingame since 2014. Previously, she worked for eight years with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. She earned a B.A. in environmental studies from the University of Maryland and an M.A. in urban planning from UCLA.
Mike McCord taught mathematics at Burlingame High School for 35 years. He is a founding member and the current chairperson of the Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame, and he served on the city’s Green Ribbon Task Force.
In addition, Matt Biggar will advise and contribute to the program. He has 17 years of experience as a high school teacher and administrator in Palo Alto and the San Mateo Union High School District, including six years as principal of Burlingame High School. Since earning his Ph.D. from the Stanford School of Education, he has worked as a consultant (connectedtoplace.com) specializing in education, social change and the environment.
The program is supported by a grant from the Morris S. Smith Foundation (Sterling Franklin, Trustee).
Interested students should apply by January 15, 2018, by email to [email protected]. Applications must include:
· Applicant’s name, address, grade, school, cell phone number and home phone number
· A scan of the applicant’s current transcript
· A brief statement, one page maximum, explaining why the applicant is interested in the program and what he or she hopes to learn or accomplish
The Citizens Environmental Council of Burlingame is a group of volunteers whose mission is to champion a more environmentally and economically sustainable community. CEC provides leadership in local green efforts and serves as an educational resource for residents, businesses and institutions. For more information, visit cecburlingame.org.
