A2X Consulting

Matthew Watkins was an intern at the St. Louis Metro, the city’s public transit agency, last summer. He used many resources to find this environmentally oriented internship.

Where to Find Environmental Internships

“I found sites featuring databases on environmentally-focused internships, such as “The Big Green Internship Book,” he said. “Eventually I saw a post on the youth environmental activism blog “It’s Getting Hot in Here,” that told of a program called Summer of Solutions. Basically Summer of Solutions seeks to bring about positive social change with groups of young activists. It also connects students to internships.”

Summer of Solutions Site: A Good Resource

From using the Summer of Solutions site, Watkins found the St. Louis Metro internship, which paid 10 dollars an hour. The fact that the experience was paid made it even more worthwhile. His work with the transit authority included working with another intern. Watkins and another student worked as social media interns. “I wrote blog posts and helped create and maintain a Facebook fan page for Metro,” he said. He worked the traditional business hours of 9 to 5.

More than Just an Educational Experience

While he admits the experience was educational, Watkins learned more about actually being in the workforce than he knew previously.“I learned more about what it’s like to work in a professional environment. I had never worked a 9-5 job before.” he said. He stated that the benefits of completing an internship will help his future. “I think students can use lessons gained from internships more for their future careers than for college courses. It’s good to get a preview of your potential career to see if you would like it.” he said.

Other sites to find environmental internships include Idealist and eco.org.

By Kelly McLendon. Kelly is studying Environmental Policy and Journalism. She can be reached at mclendon.kelly@gmail.com.