2018 Fall Wesustain Interns
Leadership, Sustainability and Exploration
The Wesustain Internship Program is a semester-long, paid and discovery-driven opportunity for ambitious students looking to gain leadership experience while exploring both on- and off- campus sustainability projects. The primary goal of the new Internship is to provide students from all academic backgrounds with the necessary skills to be well-informed and effective advocates for creating a sustainable future for all. The Wesustain Internship Program will inspire a diverse cohort of emerging leaders through experiential learning, weekly meetings, career development and hands-on activities such as renewable energy tours, permaculture workdays and skill building classes. Students can expect a high level of administrative feedback and meaningful reflection throughout the course of the program.
What can I expect to learn from the Wesustain Internship Program?
(1) Students will be able to describe and discuss the state of the planet and be able to articulate the consequences of their everyday actions on multiple scales (on themselves, their communities and on those distant from them in space and time, including non-humans).
(2) Students will develop a deep understanding of the coevolution and interconnectedness of all species and use this knowledge to explore human development opportunities and priorities that promote improvements in quality of life for all (especially the flourishing of nonhumans and endangered cultures).
(3) Students will explore leadership strategies, model sustainable behaviors and experiment with changing their (and potentially others’) patterns of thinking and behaviors.
(4) Students will develop an understanding of the organizational goals and corresponding short- and long-term objectives that propel sustainability efforts at Western Michigan University on local, national and global scales.
(5) Students will be able to effectively articulate, through written and oral communication, their knowledge of and appreciation for complex, interconnected and sometimes conflicting sustainability challenges across multiple perspectives.