Student Intern Program

Student Interns standing in front of Aldo Leopold's shack
Office of Sustainability student interns for 2024-2025 at the Aldo Leopold Foundation

The Intern Program

The Office of Sustainability Internship is a year-long program in which student teams work to raise awareness of sustainable practices, influence consumer behavior, and train partners across campus in individualized strategies for implementation. Interns work closely with campus offices, departments, and auxiliary units like University Housing or the Wisconsin Union. Students can expect to gain concrete knowledge of sustainability solutions as well as professional development training in an upbeat, collaborative environment.

The student intern program is open to any undergraduate who is passionate about sustainability, regardless of major. Application periods are announced both on the Office of Sustainability homepage and in the Office of Sustainability Newsletter. You can learn more about the current student interns here.

See below for some of the collaborative services that our interns offer to campus partners.

Working as an OS intern has given me invaluable insights and an invaluable community. We have a unique opportunity as university employees to see the complex system of our campus as a microcosm of the broader systems in the world at large. This internship program provides an amazing way to dive into that headfirst. From hosting and producing podcasts, to helping lead a group of student-athletes, to riding along in a recycling truck, working here has provided some truly unbeatable experiences. And the best part is that I get to do it all alongside some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met!

Eliza Lindley, 2021-2023 Intern

Intern Teams

Communications Team

The Communications Team creates content for social media, the Office of Sustainability newsletter, and other platforms that helps create a culture of sustainability on campus.

Group photo of Education and Outreach intern team 2024-25. From left to right stands Hannah Stahmann, Chandler Wells, Catie Stumpf, Lily Jenkins, Jordyn Czyzewski, Alicia Lopez.

Education and Outreach Team

The Education and Outreach Team strives to advance sustainability through student-focused, peer-to-peer education on the UW–Madison campus.

Podcast Team

The SustainUW Podcast is created and hosted by student interns. Each episode explores a different question related to sustainability as it impacts the UW–Madison campus and the broader community. Guests include professors, student activists, campus staff, and other experts.

Student interns along with Tim Lindstrom and Audrey Stanton conducting a waste audit at the 2024 Sustainability Symposium

Green Events

The Green Events team advises campus partners on improving the sustainability of their events.

Jordyn and Hannah (OS Interns) auditing the Goodnight Hall Green Office Event

Green Office

The Green Office Certification Program provides resources for UW–Madison employees to learn how and why to integrate sustainability into their workplaces.

Student Interns with Magnetic Resonance Lab leaders in front of their EMR spectrometer

Green Labs

The Green Labs team helps all laboratories on campus, whether research or teaching, to become more sustainable.

Academic Research and Writing Team

The Academic Research and Writing Team is responsible for collecting data, analyzing campus sustainability metrics, and preparing academic journal articles, posters, and conference presentations.