College Student Intern – Sustainability

The College Student Intern in Sustainability provides entry-level support for the City’s sustainability, resiliency, and environmental programs. Working under the direction of the Sustainability Manager, this position assists with the development, implementation, coordination, and reporting of the City’s sustainability initiatives, policies, and procedures, and performs related work as assigned.

Program Term:

The Office of Sustainability will accept undergraduate college students for any academic semester, and applicants with the ability to remain in the position (in-person) over academic breaks are preferred. If deemed beneficial to the Office of Sustainability and the intern, the position may be extended multiple semesters until the intern receives their undergraduate degree.

Available Positions:

The Office of Sustainability hosts one (1) Intern at any given time. 

DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION:

The Office of Sustainability is dedicated to advancing Boca Raton’s role as a leader in environmental stewardship and community resilience. The City Council actively supports initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve water, enhance tree canopy, and embed sustainability into all City operations. 

Sustainability is integrated across many facets of Boca Raton’s planning, infrastructure, and outreach efforts. The Office coordinates and advances key initiatives such as the City’s Sustainability Action Plan, climate vulnerability assessments, adaptation and resilience strategies, renewable energy adoption (e.g. solar programs), water conservation measures, waste reduction, sustainable landscaping, tree canopy management, and promotion of green building, transportation alternatives, and public engagement. 

Through partnerships with City departments, community groups, and residents, the Office of Sustainability ensures that sustainable practices guide decision-making, public education, and long-term planning. The College Student Internship offers students the opportunity to support these efforts and gain hands-on experience in real-world sustainability projects.

Essential Functions:

• Assisting with the development of a community-wide greenhouse gas inventory and Resilience Adaptation and Action Plan, and updates to the City’s Sustainability Action Plan. 
• Managing various aspects of the City’s Blue Flag Beach program (i.e., attending monthly program meetings, participating in and reporting on educational activities, water quality reporting, and assisting with organization of annual flag raising event).
• Organizing and independently running some events associated with the City’s Earth Month programming. 
• Interact with and educate the public about sustainability initiatives. This includes attending and providing oversight or support at community outreach activities, some of which fall on evenings and weekends. Activities may include tree giveaways, community planting and restorations events, lectures, coastal cleanups, documentary screenings, recycling events, and BioBlitzes.
• Assisting with the preparation of the quarterly Sustainability Matters newsletter, which may involve writing certain sections.
• Preparing outreach materials that promote sustainability and the City’s sustainability programs (i.e., content for flyers, pamphlets, social media posts).
• Providing support for development and roll-out of energy reduction programs.
• Responding to resident queries regarding sustainability programs and initiatives.