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PURPOSE

Building on the success of the URI Energy Fellows Program and the RI Agriculture and Food System Fellows Program(s), URI Cooperative Extension seeks to establish a new Environmental Management Fellows Program (EMFP) for URI undergraduates and Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) students. The EMFP will create opportunities for experiential learning through real-world environmental management projects, and provide professional development training and networking opportunities. The EMFP will establish career pathways for students interested in applying their skills and interests to positions that support environmental protection. With advisement from RI Department of Environmental Management leadership, members of the RI Chapter of the Environmental Business Council, and academic experts in natural resources science, geosciences, landscape architecture, civil and systems engineering, communications and marketing, finance, business administration and others, the program will shore up linkages between students and industry need.

Environmental Management

Fellows Program

500 hour experiential learning opportunity

Professional development training

(3 academic credits)

Formalized Networking

TALENT PIPELINE

ROBUST WORKFORCE

GOALS

Create career pathways for students studying environmental sustainability, engineering, natural sciences, communications and business who are interested in applying their academic knowledge to an environmental management career

Build a talent pipeline for organizations (federal and state agencies, manufacturers, consulting firms, etc.) seeking candidates to fill early- to mid-level positions in the environmental management industry

Foster the creation of high quality, well-paying jobs in RI suited for program graduates.

COMPONENTS

RI Environmental Management Fellows Program

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MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Outline an environmental management-related project or activity with a scope of work that clearly identifies a measurable outcome for the Fellow to achieve within the fellowship year;
Secure funding to: a) compensate the Fellow for a minimum of 500 hours during the fellowship year and b) pay a one-time program fee to support the Fellow’s professional development;
Provide project management oversight and mentoring over the duration of the fellowship year;
Allow scheduling flexibility to allow the Fellow to participate in URI-led training and events; and
Maintain contact with the EMFP Coordinator regarding student performance.

URI COOPERATIVE EXTENSION RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide program management services, student advisement and coaching, and mentor support;
Liaison between CCRI faculty and staff, CCRI students, EMFP mentors and URI program staff;
Manage targeted and competitive student recruitment, interview and hiring process;
Instruct a professional development course that covers public speaking, interpersonal skill development, program design methodologies, professional networking and workplace ethics; and
Manage the Summer Industry Training that incorporates site visits and lectures by topic experts.

CLICK HERE to express your interest in serving as a mentor in 2027!

RI Environmental Management Fellows Program

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ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST TO MENTOR ORGANIZATION

STUDENT WAGES: Student participants in the Environmental Management Fellows Program are paid hourly by their mentor organization at a pay rate set by the mentor organization. The table above outlines the estimated annual cost to a mentor organization based on suggested student pay rates established by the RI Department of Administration: uri.edu/financial-aid/student-employment/current-pay-rates.

NOTE: Mentor organizations may be eligible to receive partial reimbursement for wages paid to students (50-75% of the first 400 hours) by applying to the RI Work Immersion Program.

STUDENT HOURS: Start dates and weekly work schedules are determined by the mentor organization and the student, considering the student’s course schedule and the organization’s policies. Mentor organizations should plan to provide a minimum of 500 internship hours during the fellowship period (February - December). Students are strongly encouraged to limit work hours to 10/week during the spring and fall semesters to allow ample time to focus on their academic program.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION FEE: This provides direct support for the Energy Fellows Program Coordinator position, whose responsibility it is to manage the following elements of the program:

Targeted student recruitment through URI Career Fairs, in-class presentations, and direct marketing to University colleges and academic departments during the spring and fall semesters;
Management of the student application portal in URI Handshake;
Initial screening of all completed applications received during the application period;
Initial in-person interviews with all qualified applicants to determine best matches among available internship placements and student skills and interests;
Direct student advisement and coaching throughout the fellowship year;
Direct mentor support throughout the fellowship year as needed;
Three-credit, asynchronous professional development course; and
Thirty-hour Summer Industry Training that incorporates site visits to critical infrastructure and lectures by topic experts to expose students to the depth and breadth of the industry.

ACADEMIC YEAR	Undergrad	Graduate
Spring Student Wages: ~100 hrs x $17.00/hr [undergrad] or $33.12 [grad]	$1,800	$3,400
Summer Student Wages: ~300 hrs x $17.00/hr [undergrad] or $33.12 [grad]	$5,100	$10,200
Fall Student Wages: ~100 hrs x $17.00/hr [undergrad] or $33.12 [grad]	$1,800	$3,400
Program Administration Fee (invoiced in Q3 of FY27)*	$5,000	$5,000
TOTAL COST:	$13,700	$22,000

RI Environmental Management Fellows Program

Questions? Please contact Kate Hardesty at kate@uri.edu or 401-874-4096.

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📅 JULY 1 - SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

URI CoopExt conducts 2027 RI Environmental Management Fellows Program mentor recruitment.

📅 SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Deadline to submit the 2027 RI Environmental Management Fellows Program Mentor Expression of Interest Form. Note that students are recruited based on each mentor’s need; meeting this deadline allows for ample time to solicit applications from top students. If you miss this deadline but are interested in participating as a mentor, please contact kate@uri.edu or 401-874-4096.

📅 OCTOBER 16, 2026

Deadline for URI and CCRI students to submit the 2027 RI Environmental Management Fellows Program Application.

📅 OCTOBER 19 – NOVEMBER 13, 2026

Initial student interviews are scheduled and conducted by URI CoopExt staff.

📅 NOVEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 4, 2026

Second student interviews are conducted by 2026 mentors.

📅 DECEMBER 15, 2026

Final presentations by 2026 Environmental Management Fellows (mentor attendance requested).

📅 DECEMBER 18, 2026

Deadline to confirm 2027 RI Environmental Management Fellows Program placement match-ups.

📅 JANUARY 26, 2027

First day of classes and start of the 2027 RI Environmental Management Fellows Program year!

📅 JANUARY 26 – MAY 3, 2027 (Spring 2027 semester)

Fellows attend weekly professional development class led by URI CoopExt staff and work ~10 hours per week at their placements.

📅 MAY 24 – AUGUST 27, 2027 (Summer 2027 term)

Fellows attend weekly Summer Industry Training, including microlectures and site visits curated by URI CoopExt staff and led by environmental management experts, and work ~30 hours per week at their placements.

📅 SEPTEMBER 8 - DECEMBER 13, 2027 (Fall 2027 semester)

Fellows participate in monthly professional development trainings led by URI CoopExt staff and work ~10 hours per week at their placements.

📅 DECEMBER TBD, 2027

2027 Fellowship Symposia and Mentor Luncheon at URI’s Kingston campus.

URI Environmental Management Fellows Program

Timeline

RI Environmental Management Fellows Program

Year 1 Timeline

CLICK HERE to express your interest in serving as a mentor in 2027!

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