The Environmental Center: Internship Program

Click here for Internship listings.

What is the TEC Internship Program?

The Environmental Center has teamed up with our 40 member groups to create educational and skill-building internship positions. Besides gaining new experience and, in many cases, a small stipend, interns can earn college credit through the OSU-Cascades Campus for their service.

Each season, these internships offer exceptional hands-on work experience with local environmental and community service organizations. We have successfully linked over 50 interns with sponsoring organizations.

Find out what the intern experience is like by reading an intern report journal.

What do past interns have to say about their experience in our program?

Being involved with the TEC internship program has really helped me see the steps in taking on a major project. It has also helped me to make personal connections with people around central Oregon and prepare for starting my own recycling business. Launching a new program for ReStore was a challenge and I am proud of what we accomplished - I feel that the internship definitely made a difference.
-Callahan Dillon, ReStore Winter/Spring 2007 Intern

“Attending the Bend City Council meeting where they agreed to endorse the Mayor’s Climate Protection Agreement was the most rewarding aspect of my involvement with Energy Independence Month. To see the fruits of our labor and the support of the community made all of our hard work worthwhile.” - Lara Gray, EIM Intern, Summer 2007

“I became interested in studying geography, specifically hydrology and riparian restoration during my last few months of school. During my internship with Wolftree I learned a great deal about how to work with high-school students and about forestry and invertebrate sampling. It was great to see how to go through a whole plan for restoring an actual riparian site. I feel that my internship has taught me a lot and really helped me see the steps in taking on major restoration projects. I would recommend interning to other students as a great way to get experience and find a career that is right for you.” - Bess Ballentine, Wolftree Watershed Restoration and Education Intern

Click here to learn how you can apply for an internship. Click here if you are a member of TEC and have an internship project.

How do students benefit from the program?

Hands-on experience tackling environmental issues, participation in service to their community, and opportunities to network and expand their job possibilities. In addition, many positions offer a modest stipend. The internship fulfills OSU’s personal experience requirement/internship credit. School credit is arranged through the college by individual students and their advisor. In general, one credit is awarded for every 30 hours of work.

Who qualifies?

Our internship program is open to community members, both students and non-students, interested in an educationally focused work experience. Some of our internships are suited for high school juniors and seniors also! Although our partnership is with OSU-Cascades, we are here to help students from any college or university earn credit.