Jen Kleindienst, Sustainability Director

284 High Street, Room 104
Middletown, CT 06457
jkleindienst@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3242

Join the Sustainability Office 

The Wesleyan Sustainability Office offers internships for students passionate about promoting sustainability on campus. For job descriptions, click on the internship position titles below.  Interns are generally hired in April/May for the fall semester and November/December for the spring semester and are expected to work at least one year for the Sustainability Office.

Want to know more? Meet current interns and past interns. 

Academic Year Positions

15 Environmental Fellows (4 hours/week + Orientation Week)

  • Environmental Fellows (EFs) are a group of students with a range of interests and backgrounds who build their own skills to provide students with the tools, education, and encouragement necessary to develop sustainable living practices, as well to encourage a sense of environmental consciousness and social responsibility, regardless of prior sustainability knowledge. If you’re excited to learn more about sustainability, build skills, and are fun-loving, then you have the ability to be a great EF. No previous experience or knowledge about the environment, sustainability, or social justice is necessary. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

  • This position will open applications (5-8 openings) in December 2024 with interviews in late January/early February 2025. This position will start work in late March 2025.

2 Environmental Fellows Co-Coordinators (5-10 hours/week + Orientation Week)

  • Co-manage the Environmental Fellows Program, preference is given to students who have served as Environmental Fellows
  • Coordinators are hired internally from past Environmental Fellows and are open through November 19, 2024 (1 opening).  

2 Waste Not/WesThrift Coordinators (5 hours/week + Senior Week + Orientation Week)

  • Manage Waste Not collection and move-out program and the WesThrift free store during the full academic year.
  • This position gives strong preference to students who currently work in the Sustainability Office
  • This position (1-3 openings) will next be open in December 2024 with interviews in late January 2025 and a start date of February/March 2025.

3 Composting Interns (4 hours/week + Senior Week + Orientation Week)

  • Manage the residential composting programs and food waste reduction programs
  • This position (2 openings) will next be open in December 2024 with interviews in late January 2025 and a start date of February/March 2025.

1-2 Sustainable Middletown Interns (5 hours/week)

  • Coordinate with the City of Middletown to identify and implement projects to support the statewide Sustainable CT program.  
  • This position is not currently accepting applications.

2 Sew What Coordinators (3 hours/week)

  • Participate in the entire tailoring process which includes tailoring items and keeping tailoring documents up to date. Communicate and coordinate with the Sew What team, WesThrift team, and broader Sustainability Office about advertising, progress, event planning, and usage statistics.
  • This position is not currently accepting applications.

1-2 Office Coordinators (3-6 hours/week)

  • Build intra-office collaboration by coordinating all-office gatherings, meetings, and training opportunities. Manage sustainability office email requests, listserv signups, calendar, and social media. Market office initiatives through social media, website, and signage.
  • Coordinators are hired internally from Sustainability Office employees. The next hiring cycle will begin in mid-spring 2025.

6 Sustainability Strategic Plan Ambassadors (up to 15 hours/semester)

  • Student Sustainability Strategic Plan (SSP) Ambassadors will work on SSP education and publicity and/or work with a team of faculty, staff, and students to implement a specific objective.  
  • This position is not currently accepting applications.

Off-Season Positions

1 Summer Sustainability Coordinator (20 hours/week for 12 weeks)

  • Work within the Wesleyan Sustainability Office on a variety of projects including those related to strategic planning, marketing, and general office assistance.
  • This position is not currently accepting applications and will be open in February 2025.

35 Waste Not Workers (Spring)

  • Are you interested in collecting STUFF? And sorting and storing said stuff? Want to be part of a great team and help carry on one of Wesleyan’s greatest traditions? In the spring, you’ll be helping collect donations from students moving out, then sorting and storing it for the summer so that the sale can go on without a hitch in the fall. Volunteers must attend a 1 hour training during finals week and work approximately 20 hours between undergrad move-out day and senior move-out day.
  • Perks include:
    • free housing
    • free meals during training and on move-out days
    • first dibs on free stuff from Waste Not
    • Work-study students are eligible to be paid.
  • Hiring will open in April 2025.

30 Waste Not Volunteers (Fall)

  • Are you interested in sorting STUFF? Love thrifting or garage sales? Want to be part of a great team and help carry on one of Wesleyan’s greatest traditions? Then apply to work for Waste Not! Waste Not is Wesleyan’s student-run fall tag sale.  Join the volunteer team to help reduce waste, avoid capitalistic consumption, and provide affordable goods to other students.

    Perks include:

    • free housing starting Thursday 8/29

    • free food on sale days

    • first dibs on free stuff from Waste Not and discounts on big items

    • Work-study students are eligible to be paid

    • opportunity to be PAID to help with move-in cardboard collection on 8/31 (optional - need to apply in Handshake when the job is posted)

  • Hiring will begin in May 2025.