Global, Urban, and Environmental Studies (GLUE)

Summer Internship in Alaska

The Tishman Environmental Merit Scholarship (Alaska Summer Internship) application is closed. Check back in Fall 2021 for information regarding the 2022 cycle.

Internship Information

Up to two students will receive the Tishman Environmental Merit Scholarship to fund their internship experience.

Awardees Receive

• $4,000 stipend to cover round-trip airfare from NYC to Anchorage, Alaska and living expenses
• Housing assistance co-arranged with your host institution

Prerequisites

• Strong interest in environmental protection and the ecology and culture of Alaska
• Preferred sophomore or junior status
• No grades of F, Z, or incomplete at the time of application
• Prior completion, with grades of B or better, of at least two Environmental Studies or related courses

Academic Requirements

• Pre-departure readings and meetings with faculty
• 12-week summer internship in Alaska
• *Environmental Studies majors may register this internship for up to 2 credits and/or apply the experience to their ES Internship requirement; please contact Christina McElderry, the Environmental Studies Advisor, at clmcelderry@newschool.edu for details.

A complete application should include the following:

• Application form (link will be made public in Fall 2019)
• Two 250-word essays as described in the Application form
• Résumé
• Transcripts (unofficial is acceptable) of college coursework to date
• Academic writing sample (a recent term paper or similar project)
• Letters of recommendation from two faculty members

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How to Apply

The Summer 2020-Summer 2021 application cycle is now closed. Please check back in Fall 2021 for more information on the 2022 cycle.

(closed) application bit.ly/alaska2020

*Note: the application form requires you to submit two faculty recommendation letters as well as a resume, unofficial transcript, and an academic writing sample. Please plan accordingly in order to prepare these materials by the application deadline.

FAQ

• Q: Can graduate students or alumni apply? What if I graduate the semester before the internship takes place?

  A: The Alaska Internship program is limited to undergraduate students at The New School. Undergraduate sophomores and juniors are encouraged to apply. Students who are expecting to graduate the semester before the summer internship (for example, in May), or who have already graduated, or who are graduate students at The New School, are not eligible.
  

• Q: What kind of work will I be doing if I am accepted as an intern?

  A: Interns will work on one or more projects, some of which they will have full responsibility for. Usually, a discussion is held online before the intern arrives in Alaska, and continues in the first days there about what the organization needs that fits with the intern’s skills and interests. Internship project examples include, but are not limited to: organizing and running a main event (from securing sponsors to organizing registration); enhancing their writing skills or creating a documentary of their experiences and work.

• Q: How long does the internship program last?

  A: The internship is typically two (2) months long and lasts anywhere from eight (8) to twelve (12) weeks. The intern is expected to be fully committed to the internship throughout this time.

• Q: Who are the host organizations or sites participating in this program?

  A: Northern Center for Environmental Conservation and Renewable Energy Alaska Project.

• Q: Are interns expected to pay for their own flights, accommodations, and personal expenses?

  A:  Interns use the stipend, in part, to book their own flights to and from Alaska. Students are provided accommodation which is typically arranged with the host site. Interns are expected to cover their own food and personal expenses.

• Q: When will I find out if I am accepted as an intern and receive the award?

  A: March 2nd, 2020.

• Q: Is there an orientation that I need to attend if I'm accepted?

  A: Professor Alan McGowan meets with the awardees several times before they travel to Alaska, discussing readings about Alaska that they have been given after the awards are made, as well as the characteristics of each organization. The selection of who goes to what organization is also discussed and decided at this time. Interns should know that the organizations themselves, who will have been given information on the awardees, also have a voice on which intern they host.

• Q: What am I required to submit after the internship is complete?

  A: All interns will be asked to make a formal presentation in the Fall semester following the internship, usually to one or more classes. The presentation (preferably in Powerpoint format) should include the work that was done by the intern, discuss their experience, as well as what the intern learned about the environmental situation in Alaska. *Environmental Studies majors may register this internship for up to 2 credits and/or apply the experience to their ES Internship requirement; please contact Christina McElderry, the Environmental Studies Advisor, at clmcelderry@newschool.edu for details.

 
 

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Previous Interns’ Experiences

• Duncan Figurski, 2016
• Samantha Schillinger, 2019 “Experiencing a Changing Alaska“



Photo Credit: Duncan Figurski

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