Why work with a Freshwater Lab Intern?

• UIC graduate and advanced undergraduate students are trained by the Freshwater Lab to specialize in water, particularly the Great Lakes basin, from collaborative, interdisciplinary perspectives.  They bring a focus on environmental justice, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and positive social transformation with freshwater at the center.
• UIC is Chicago’s largest, most diverse university.  More than a third of undergraduates are first-generation students.  By working with this urban, public institution to recruit interns, you are contributing to the Freshwater Lab’s goal of supporting future water leaders who reflect the lived experience of Great Lakes communities. 
• UIC students tend to work throughout their college careers, bringing a high level of professionalism and commitment to their internship.

What are the specialities/majors of the students who might apply for an internship?

• Freshwater Lab students are upper level undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds, including English, Urban Studies, Urban Planning and Policy, and Public Administration.  We also have scientists and Earth and Environmental Studies majors, so there is a lot of talent.  The humanities focus of the class means that there are many students with talents in writing, communication and community outreach.

What is the process for bringing a Freshwater Lab Intern to your organization? 

• Check out the Internship Process Infographic for an overview.
• At the beginning of the calendar year, the Freshwater Lab will reach out to you (or please reach out to us if you are interested) to inquire about projects and needs. 
• Contact us at thefreshwaterlab@gmail.com
• Interns are placed through one of two processes:
• You provide the Freshwater Lab with a description of available internships and those are posted on the course website.  Interested students follow your application instructions.  Once your organization has an internship description ready, please send it to Professor Rachel Havrelock to get the process going. You are welcome to utilize this job description template form.
• Professor Rachel Havrelock reaches out to your organization with a potential internship applicant whose interests align and, upon your agreement, introduces you. 
• Students apply as specified by your internship description or send in a cover letter and resume.  Upon receiving the application, you may reach out to the student directly to conduct an interview.
• As an internship sponsor, you can work directly with the student on expectations, duties, hours, and internship duration.  The Freshwater Lab keeps track of dates/locations/hours for each intern.  Once an agreement is reached between the organization and the intern, please let the Freshwater Lab know the terms of your agreement.  We do not need to be involved in the interview and agreement process, but are available if this is desired.
• No formal agreement or contract for the internship needs to be signed with the Freshwater Lab or UIC.
• Internship hours, start date, and end date will vary based on the needs and schedules of each student and the organization with which they match.  Internships may begin as soon as March (after UIC’s Spring Break) or as late as the end of the semester or early summer.  Freshwater Lab team members remain available and host check-ins and field trips through the beginning of July.
• Internships will likely (but not always) span beyond the semester into the summer.
• If students receive funding from the Freshwater Lab, then they are expected to work for eight weeks at twenty hours a week, or the equivalent 160 hours.
• If the intern is a Masters Student in Urban Planning and Policy (MUPP), then they likely need to complete 300 hours for their degree requirement.  If you bring on a MUPP student, then we ask that you commit to hosting them for 300 hours of work in order to complete the requirement.
• Importantly, there is variation in the nature of the internship for different students and we appreciate your flexibility. If you have a desired start day or number of hours, then please include that in your internship description. 
• Though timing is flexible throughout the semester and summer, internships should be completed by the third week of August when the fall semester begins. If the student and organization want to continue their work together, a new contract must be created and the Freshwater Lab strongly encourages the organization to provide compensation at that point, whether they are hired as an employee or continue as an intern. 

Do the interns get paid?

• With support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the KBIH Family Foundation, students can apply for a $2,400.00 summer stipend for their internships.  The stipends are competitive, but we have enjoyed a few years when every intern had funding from one source or another. This covers eight weeks of work at a maximum of twenty hours per week. If you would like to contribute additional money to this stipend, then you can contribute directly to the Freshwater Lab or pay the intern directly.
• Host organizations are strongly encouraged to pay interns.  If you have funding to do so, then you can pay interns directly and do not have to remain with a $2,400.00 limit.
• If you pay an intern working with you directly, then the Freshwater Lab’s funds can support more students.
• If your organization does not have funding to support an intern, then the intern does qualify for summer funding.  We offer as much funding as our budget allows.
• Although we cannot guarantee this, we hope that every internship is paid one way or the other.
• Funding makes a world of difference to UIC students and enables them to have professional experiences that can be out of reach if unpaid.

What kinds of groups do you work with?

To date, students have had internships at the following organizations: 

• • Audubon Great Lakes
  • Blacks in Green
  • Center for Neighborhood Technology
  • Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
  • Citizens Utility Board
  • Council of Great Lakes Governors
  • Delta Institute
  • EarthJustice
  • Elevate
  • Environmental Law and Policy Center
  • Equiticity
  • Field Museum Keller Science Action Center
  • Food and Water Watch
  • Freshwater Future
  • Friends of the Chicago River
  • Friends of the Parks
  • Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Cities Initiative
  • Greenprint Partners
  • Illinois Environmental Council
  • Introducing Youth to American Infrastructure
  • Just Transition Northwest Indiana
  • Little Village Environmental Justice Organization
  • Metropolitan Planning Council
  • Nordson Green Earth Foundation
  • Neighbors for Environmental Justice
  • Openlands
  • Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
  • Prairie Rivers
  • Shedd Aquarium
  • Southeast Environmental Task Force
  • Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation
  • Urban Rivers

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