36 Students Selected for Internships at DEC, DPS, NYSERDA, OGS, Parks, and SUNY System

State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the inaugural class of paid student interns from the SUNY Climate Corps Internship Program, including two from Stony Brook University. Thirty-six SUNY students from eight campuses were selected for immersive, real-life work experiences in research and policy at state agencies with environmental and sustainability missions and SUNY System Administration.

The first class of interns will include Civil Engineering major Joseph Caracci and Environmental Design, Policy and Planning major Danielle Stone, who will intern with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP).

Interns will gain experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to excel in the clean technology, energy, circular economy, conservation and environmental regulation sectors of the sustainability field. Through close partnership between SUNY campuses and state agencies, students will take advantage of a crucial opportunity to apply their classroom work and academic research to current environmental issues and gain governmental and policy-making experience. Students will also be mentored by seasoned professionals in the field, granting interns deeper insight into the industry.

Students were selected based on demonstrated interest in sustainability careers and potential for leadership and innovation, with a preference for those who come from disadvantaged communities designated under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, and students facing related barriers to obtaining an internship experience.

The selected students will conduct their internships at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC); Department of Public Services (DPS); New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA); Office of General Services (OGS); OPRHP, or SUNY System Administration. Funding for the program of $500,000 is provided through Empire State Development.

"Across SUNY we are opening up opportunities for paid internships and college credit, and in doing so, expanding our students' exposure to meaningful hands-on experiential learning outside the classroom," King said. "The SUNY Climate Corps Internship Program puts students in positions that contribute to data analysis, environmental justice, waste reduction and recycling, and everything in between, and we are thankful to our state agency partners and campuses across the state for making the experience enriching and bringing each student closer to pursuing work in environmental and sustainability-related fields."

Providing paid internships enables students from low-income households, in particular, to take advantage of applied-learning opportunities, which have a high impact on student success and completion. In turn, student interns from disadvantaged frontline communities, who are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and understand related challenges, may contribute to solutions.