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Internships

The School of Environmental Sustainability connects students with internships that provide valuable hands-on experience in the environmental field. We offer internships on campus and partner with premier Chicago-area organizations to provide opportunities beyond the university. Most of the following SES internships are paid positions supported primarily by donor gifts. In addition, students can find many more outside internships in the Chicago region, providing an expansive range of experiences in environmental jobs.

Current Internal SES Internship Openings

SES Searle Biodiesel Lab Internship - Spring 2026

The School of Environmental Sustainability’s Biodiesel Program is seeking qualified student interns to operate the Biodiesel Program in the Searle Biodiesel Lab. The Biodiesel Program was founded as and continues to be a student-designed, student-driven program. All aspects of the program from biodiesel fuel production and equipment design, to project management and brainstorming are run in part by Loyola students. This opportunity is open to students of every level and from every discipline.

Application deadline: November 16, 2025 

Position details: Biodiesel Internship Information - spring 2025

Online application

Current SES Internships with External Organizations

SES partners with external organizations to offer internships on a per-semester basis. Job descriptions and schedules vary based on the needs of the host sites. Selected students will commit to working with host sites for a minimum of 10 hours per week, at a rate of $16.20 per hour, for up to a maximum of 140 hours ($2,268.00) for the internship duration. (Wages may vary slightly based on state minimum wage rate increases). The internship is funded by Loyola University (hours are logged in KRONOS), and the total number of weekly hours for all Loyola positions combined cannot exceed 19.5 hours. Please note: Students can apply for multiple positions but can only hold one external internship position at a time.

To apply, students must submit a 1-page resume, which should include relevant courses and experiences, and a 1-page statement of purpose/cover letter which outlines what they hope to do with their career and how this internship could help them advance their goals and enrich their Loyola experience. 

Students submit these materials to Karen Schauwecker at kschauwecker@luc.edu by Monday, November 24, at 11:55 pm. Please note the following instructions:

  • Combine the resume and cover letter into one PDF document before submitting it.
  • Name the document “last name_first name_name of organization.”
  • If you are applying for multiple sites, please submit separate applications.
  • Email the materials to kschauwecker@luc.edu using the subject line “External Internship application materials.”

Applications will be shared with the host organizations, and their staff members will contact students regarding interviews. Please email kschauwecker@luc.edu with any questions.

Open positions: 

Chicago Council on Science and Technology Internship - Spring 2026

Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST) is a non-profit organization in Chicago that provides live science and sustainability programs throughout neighborhoods in Chicago to raise awareness about how science helps society. An SES student internship at C2ST would provide a student with skills in science communication, science writing, marketing, event planning and promotion, and general community outreach. Interns also develop science communication content for the C2ST website and social media channels. The internship position at C2ST is mostly virtual, with some in-person components.

Application deadine: Monday November 24 at 11:55 pm

Position details: C2ST Internship - Spring 2026

Environmental Law and Policy Center Internship - Spring 2026

The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy organization. ELPC offers several policy and science internships for undergraduate and graduate students. Applicants should have a strong academic record, excellent writing and analytical skills, and a demonstrated interest in and commitment to public interest and environmental advocacy.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Collections Internship - Spring 2026

Under the supervision of Collections staff, the intern will assist with processing insect specimens, both pinned and fluid-preserved, collected by participants of the PNNM’s TEENS program. This will include capturing collection data from labels; identifying insect specimens; organizing, rehousing, and labeling specimens; and may include imaging or species research.

Application deadline: November 24, 2025 at 11:55 p.m.

Position details: PNNM-Collections-Internship-Spring-2026

WasteNot Compost Internship - Spring 2026

WasteNot Compost invites SES students to join their internship program to learn more about the commercial composting industry. 

Additional SES Internships

SES offers students a variety of internships on campus and with partner organizations in the Chicago area. Applications for the following positions are currently closed. Check back soon for new open positions. 

SES Lab Assistant

The School of Environmental Sustainability is seeking a qualified undergraduate student assistant to contribute to the mission of the SES through the maintenance of research and teaching labs. This position will work closely with the SES Analytical Lab Manager on cleaning and organizing the labs, maintaining inventories, preparing solutions, etc. 

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

SES Communications Internship

Two internship positions will support communications efforts for Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability. Key focuses of the position are writing, social media, and website content management. Depending on the interests and skills of individual interns, activities may also include graphic design or video production.

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

 

SES Program Assistant (Graduate Student)

The School of Environmental Sustainability is seeking a qualified graduate student to join the team as a program assistant to contribute to the mission of the SES through the implementation of special projects and events. This position will work closely with the SES Director of Strategy and Planning on the implementation of special projects and events, including the annual Climate Change Conference/Symposium, the Abrams Sustainable Business Challenge, curricular mapping, strategic planning, and other projects as needed. 

Apply by sending your resume/CV and a cover letter describing your interest in the position, including the contact information for two references, to shokenmaier@luc.edu. 

Application Deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

SES Urban Agriculture Internship: Spring 2026 (unpaid)

Internships in the SES Urban Agriculture program are aimed at providing an entry level hands-on learning experience in agricultural production and food systems for LUC students.  Student Interns will develop skills and knowledge of aquaponics food production and maintenance, hydroponics systems, outdoor food production using Organic methods, mushroom cultivation, sales and distribution in local markets, data collection and analysis, pest management practices, plant health and soil fertility, and more.

Application deadline: Check back for future openings

SES Urban Agriculture Team Leader: Winter-Spring 2025-2026

Team Leaders support the Urban Agriculture program goals and lead small teams of students in the maintenance and operations of the aquaponics and hydroponics systems, Greenhouse Lab, mycology lab, farmers market, plant sales, and outdoor food production. Team leaders will be assigned management-level responsibilities in these areas with reporting requirements and weekly meetings. This position is aimed at LUC students with previous experience in food production, current SES students concentrating in food systems and sustainable agriculture, graduate program students, and third and fourth year undergraduate students. 

Application deadline: Check back for future openings

Office of Sustainability Graduate Internship - Communications and Engagement

The Office of Sustainability is seeking qualified student interns to contribute to Loyola’s campus sustainability programs. Sustainability reaches into many corners of the University and involves partnership building to set strategies and goals in creating a culture of sustainability through action. The graduate intern position will work closely with Office of Sustainability staff as well as the larger undergraduate intern team to develop communications materials, conduct outreach, and have a leadership role with events and projects related to waste reduction, transportation, energy, and other campus sustainability initiatives. 

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

Office of Sustainability Internships

The Office of Sustainability is seeking qualified student interns to contribute to Loyola’s campus sustainability programs. Sustainability reaches into many corners of the University and involves partnership building to set strategies and goals in creating a culture of sustainability through action. Interns will work in a team capacity with each other and staff to support data collection, conduct outreach, and have a leadership role with events and projects related to waste reduction, transportation, energy, and other campus sustainability initiatives.

Application deadline: Check back for future openings

Office of Sustainability Graduate Internship

The Office of Sustainability is seeking qualified student interns to contribute to Loyola’s campus sustainability programs. Sustainability reaches into many corners of the University and involves partnership building to set strategies and goals in creating a culture of sustainability through action. The graduate intern position will work closely with Office of Sustainability staff as well as the larger undergraduate intern team to collect and analyze campus sustainability data, conduct research, and have a leadership role with events and projects related to waste reduction, transportation, energy, and other campus sustainability initiatives. 

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

Office of Sustainability Internship, Health Sciences Campus

The Office of Sustainability is seeking a qualified student intern to contribute to Loyola’s campus sustainability programs for the Health Science Campus. Sustainability reaches into many corners of the University and involves partnership building to set strategies and goals in creating a culture of sustainability through action. This intern will work with Office of Sustainability staff to deliver new sustainability programs for the Loyola University community.

Application deadline: Check back for future openings

Healing Earth Internship

The Healing Earth (HE) Student Worker supports the HE team in administration, organization, research, outreach, communication, translations (if applicable), and miscellaneous tasks that are associated with the Healing Earth project. Healing Earth is a free, online environmental science textbook for upper-level secondary school students, beginning college students, and adult learners. 

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

One Year for Earth (1y4e) Internship

One Year for Earth (1y4e) is a resource hub and online program designed to help individuals answer the question: "how much can you do to fight climate change in just one year?" This internship directly supports 1y4e’s mission to empower individuals to take meaningful climate action by contributing to the refinement of existing resources, such as current articles or downloadable offerings, and/or expanding 1y4e’s reach through outreach and engagement.

Position details: Summer 2025 1y4e Internship

Bronzeville Neighborhood Farm Internship

The Bronzeville Neighborhood Farm values local heritage, health, and diversity. This organization strives to be a hub for healthy food, nutrition education, sustainable environmental and economic practices, and heritage awareness. Programs and projects include growing and selling nutritious, locally grown food for the Bronzeville community at reasonable prices, providing meaningful work with reasonable compensation for one or two individuals in the community, convening the community to learn about healthy food choices and lifestyles, as well as share and learn about urban sustainability in a historically underserved community.

Position details: Summer 2025 Bronzeville Neighborhood Farm internship

Glenwood Sunday Market Internship

Three Glenwood Market internship positions will be available for the Summer/Fall 2023 semesters with the Rogers Park Business Alliance. Internship start date is June 1 and the end date is October 28, 10-15 hours per week, at a rate of $15 per hour. Students can take the internship for Experiential Learning/Internship credit (ENVS 395).

Position details: Summer 2025 Glenwood Sunday Market internship

Institute of Cultural Affairs Internship

The Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA) promotes a just and equitable society by catalyzing sustainable communities and demonstrating sustainable practices to reverse the negative human impact on the planet. ICA seeks dedicated and driven student interns who are taking coursework in the sustainability field(s) and are interested in community and human development. 

Position details: Summer 2025 ICA internship

Delta Institute Internship

The Delta Institute is a nonprofit organization formed in 1998 that works in partnership with business, government and communities in the Great Lakes region to create and implement innovative, market-driven solutions. Delta works to build environmental resilience, economic vitality, and healthy communities. You can learn more about the Delta Institute at www.delta-institute.org.

Depending on the specifics of the individual intern, interns provide a variety of different services in areas like writing and content development for social media and web platforms, and providing support for events, fundraising initiatives, and project communications. Delta values the diverse perspectives our interns bring to our work, and interns are invited to our staff meetings and any relevant project meetings during their internship.

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings. 

Edgewater Environmental Coalition - Fall 2025 Internship

EEC is a coalition of community members and environmental stewards. The organization is looking for an energetic, community-minded individual to assist non-profit leaders in managing neighborhood-based advocacy, projects, and other organization priorities. This position includes a combination of project management, public, and volunteer communication, marketing and public outreach, and administrative tasks.

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Animal Husbandry Internship

This internship involves working with animals in the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (PNNM) conservation programs, such as Blanding’s turtles and smooth green snakes, as well as all animals in the Living Collections, including snakes, amphibians, fish, box turtles and aquatic turtles, birds, and invertebrates. Activities will include feeding, cleaning, and handling. 

Position details: Summer 2025 PNNM Animal Husbandry internship

Stein Learning Garden Internship

A fall semester 2023 internship is available at Stein Learning Gardens, located at 7840 Sout Racine in Chicago. The student will work at least 10 hours per week, at a rate of $16 per hour, for up to 140 hours ($2,240) for the internship duration. The student can take the internship for experiential learning/internship credit. 

The intern will play a crucial role in supporting the organization's mission by assisting with community engagement and helping to plan educational programming. This internship offers a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in urban farming, environmental education, and community development while positively impacting the community. 

Application deadline: Closed. Check back for future openings.

St. Thomas Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen/Production Gardens Internship

Mary, Mother of God Parish is located on the northside of Chicago in the Uptown/Andersonville neighborhood and is comprised of three church campuses (St. Thomas of Canterbury, St. Ita, St. Gregory). The parish houses food production spaces at St Thomas and St Gregory, as well as the St. Thomas food pantry and soup kitchen program which aim to provide supplemental food for local residents in need.

Position details: Summer 2025 St Thomas Food Pantry internship 

Windy City Pollen - Fall 2025 Internship (UNPAID)

Windy City Pollen is a Chicago-based beekeeping company dedicated to creating healthier urban communities by supporting pollinators. This unpaid internship focuses on investigating the relationship between undomesticated and domesticated pollinators through their floral visitation patterns.

External Internships

The Chicago area is home to diverse businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies that provide exceptional environmental internships. We strongly encourage all our students to seek early work experience by participating in one or more internships during their undergraduate careers. Internships help students understand various environmental careers and provide valuable work experience that will help new graduates get hired. Loyola students can find internships and jobs outside SES on Handshake.