Sustainability and Conservation Intern

Application Requirements

Internship applications close at end of day Friday, October 30th, 2026, or if filled prior. 

Interview scheduling will commence prior to the application closing. To apply, submit cover letter and resume with the information below via the Handshake website or email to sustainability@ocps.net. 

1. Resume detailing academic and employment experience relevant to the job description (below)
2. Simple Cover Letter, which must include the 5 items below (even if the answer is N/A). A bulleted or numbered response list is acceptable; a formal letter is not needed.
   1. List the specific OCPS initiatives in which you have interest and why you have interest in them (refer to the initiatives below);
   2. Provide examples of any past experiences that demonstrate your skills would help us achieve our goals related to our initiatives (including the desired skills below);
   3. Provide examples of any past experiences working with school-aged children or in an educational environment and how you were successful, focusing specifically on your ability to communicate well with various age-groups; 
   4. Provide examples that demonstrate your ability to work on a team of individuals with different backgrounds and your ability to work independently; and
   5. Provide any languages other than English that you speak or write in, with the level of proficiency you have (beginner, intermediate, fluent)

Quick Facts:

• Sustainability and Conservation-focused internship within K-12 school district.
• Unpaid; Academic credit available if coordinated with and accepted by the individual school.
• Part-Time: Anticipated 12-20 hours/week.
• Hybrid position available, with approximately 50% of time in-office (Magic Way, Orlando, Florida 32809).
• Expect to work outdoors, in classrooms with students, and in an office setting.
• Opportunities to explore the variety of sustainability programs at OCPS and choose a focus on an area of interest (see initiatives below).

Desired Skills:

• Basic computer skills.
• Understanding of sustainability, conservation, and environmental protection.
• Ability to work in a professional environment and with school-aged children.
• Ability to work outdoors and in the heat. 
• Fluency or working proficiency in another language.
• Good writing and communication skills.

Description:

This position will work with the Sustainability Coordinator team on various initiatives within the schools and the district administration. The role will have both office-focused tasks (like strategic planning, marketing, documentation, and resource development) and on-site support for program outreach (classroom visits, school site observations, garden building & support, and outreach activities with the community and partners).

This internship is flexible across a variety of sustainability and conservation tasks. The activities in the position will be catered to the department’s needs, the skillset of the intern, and the interest of the intern. Applicants need not have interest in all the activities listed below, but should be prepared to engage in any of them and to express their interest in specific activities during the selection process.  

Multiple internship positions may be available, depending on candidate skillsets.

OCPS Initiatives that this position can support include:

On your cover letter, please list the initiatives by name that you have interest in.

1. Green Schools program, for promoting sustainability-focused activities within schools (includes supporting schools sustainability lessons, aiding in the judging and awarding process, and supporting annual expo and award events)
2. Energy and water conservation program
3. Waste Reduction and Recycling program (including food waste diversion and composting)
4. Garden and outdoor learning program
5. Teacher resources, lessons, activities, and curriculum development
6. Teacher professional development (PD) program
7. Data analysis and dashboarding for Energy and Water consumption and Carbon Accounting
8. Student Sustainability Advisory Council's (SSAC) annual competition
9. Strategic planning for marketing and communications

Typical Assignments and Tasks:

Tasks will vary day-to-day, but a typical work may include visiting a school to observe composting and provide recommendations for improvements; helping troubleshoot or build garden items at a school; reviewing recycling data for opportunities to expand participation; helping lead a training for judges of the Green Schools incentive program; conducting energy, water, and waste audits of facilities; writing press releases, memo, and other documents for the department. 

Compliance Statement

There is no expectation for compensation or future employment based on this role; the purpose of this role is academic in nature, for training and education; the scope is limited to part-time activities related to the academic calendar. All applicants must complete all required documents and comply with district and department policies. By applying to this role, the applicant acknowledges they understand the job description and the conditions described within. If accommodations are required to apply to this role, the applicant shall email sustainability@ocps.net.