Student Internships
The Office of Sustainability collaborates with other departments to create internship opportunities for students. One unique internship opportunity was a semester long Environmental studies based course, led by Dr. Denise Burchstead. This class connected students with different internship opportunities on and off-campus. The students used the class meeting time to share their experiences, gain advice, and work on their professional development skills. Julia Anselmo, Maddy Thomas, Julia Yates, Heather Massad, Rachel Loseby, and Sean Smith each accepted internships with the Office of Sustainability.
The Single Use Switch
Lloyd’s Marketplace and Hoot-N-Scoot have made the switch from single-use plastic bags to reusable totes. Previously, the two locations offered single-use plastic bags to students carrying out food. Although the switch is temporarily postponed due to coronavirus concerns, the intention is that all plastic bags will be eliminated from use at KSC. The switch was proposed Fall semester of 2019 by two students interning for the Office of Sustainability. The students, Madelyn Thomas and Julia Yates, initiated the "Single-Use Switch" campaign as a way for the college to begin to move away from single-use plastic and towards reusable products.
Caitlin Howell, Marketing Director for Keene State Dining and Jennifer Ferrell, Director of Campus Life played crucial roles in moving this initiative forward and supporting the students who proposed it. Jennifer Ferrell formally accepted the proposal put forth by students to discontinue single-use plastic bags in the two dining facilities starting the spring semester of 2020.
To ensure that students are still able to carry out their food comfortably, Caitlin Howell, along with Chartwells dinning services rolled out a line of reusable totes to replace the plastic bags previously offered at the two dining facilities. The reusable totes are available to all students at the Lloyds Marketplace and Hoot-N-Scoot check out. Students are encouraged to continue to reuse their tote each time they purchase food to carry out. In addition to reusable totes, paper bags will also be offered for a 10-cent fee.​The Eco-Reps will continue to promote the "Single Use Switch" initiative to encourage students to avoid single-use plastic in their everyday life. Switching from single-use plastic bags to reusable totes is a great step towards reducing our waste and encouraging sustainability across campus. A bag share box was also placed by the main stairwell in the Student Center Atrium for anyone to grab a reusable bag if they need one or drop off a bag if they have extra and would like to donate some. Phasing out plastic bags is the first step of the larger campaign; the next steps will focus on other plastics such as plastic water bottles, and food packaging.
Other Internship Opportunities
There are also additional employment and internship opportunities provided by the Department of Environmental Studies. One of the favorite sustainability-related internships available to students is made possible by the long-standing partnership between KSC and the Harris Center for Conservation Education, in Hancock, NH. Each year, four undergraduate KSC students are provided with training and field experience in many facets of the Harris Center’s work, including conservation, education, and stewardship. Student interns work under a joint supervision structure and are supported by both a KSC faculty member and a Harris Center staff member. These are just some of the many sustainability-focused internship and employment opportunities available to students at KSC.