Penn’s Civic Sustainability Fellowship is open to both undergraduate and graduate students at Penn. This eleven-week summer program aims to support the City’s regional, sustainability objectives and provide professional development and real-world learning opportunities to Penn students by placing research interns in summer positions with city agencies and non-profit organizations. Selected organizations are dedicated to sustainability and social equity.

Fellowship Placements: Civic Sustainability Fellows are matched with organizations from across the region. Such locations have included:

• City of Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability
• Philadelphia Energy Authority
• Solarize Philly
• Philadelphia Green Capital Corp
• The School District of Philadelphia
• UC Green

Fellows work closely with these organizations to develop specific outcomes and goals for their internship projects. If you are a local organization interested in hosting a summer fellow, contact our office. 

Requirements: To be eligible for this internship, applicants should have familiarity with sustainability issues, strong writing and communication skills, project management capabilities, and knowledge of environmental sustainability topics such as energy efficiency, waste and recycling, transportation, stormwater management, or urban greening. Previous experience working with diverse stakeholders is also preferred.

Job Duties: Fellows collaborate with project partners to define objectives and anticipated outcomes for their summer projects and are responsible for implementing specific projects and initiatives as directed by their project partners. Additionally, they are expected to measure and evaluate the success of their projects and provide recommendations for future improvements. Each fellow will present their work to the Penn Sustainability Office, their project partner, and other stakeholders at the end of the summer term. 

Internship Details: The program offers three paid positions every summer and is 30 hours of work per week. The fellowship period spans the academic summer term and all work is completed in-person. Applications open in February and are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Preference is given to applicants who are eligible for work-study opportunities.

Overall, the Penn Civic Sustainability Fellows program offers a unique opportunity for Penn students to gain hands-on experience in sustainability-focused roles within city agencies and non-profit organizations. It aligns with the city's sustainability objectives while fostering professional growth and community engagement among the interns.