Sustainability Fellowship for Partners

Thank you for your interest!

You design the project. We recruit a highly qualified Fellow with qualifications specifically tailored to the needs of your project and organization. We work together to train and mentor your Fellow throughout the summer, jointly invested in the project’s success and the Fellow’s education. Here’s what partner organizations get out of hosting a Fellow: 

• World-class talent working on-site with you to support your sustainability initiatives 
• A pool of applicants with skills aligned to the needs of your project 
• Collaboration and support in developing your project plan 
• An outstanding Fellow who is supported by an active network of sustainability professionals 
• Recruiting, hiring, payroll, HR, and professional development coordinated by UNH 
• Opportunities to network with other organizations engaged in similar work 

Join the online info-session to learn more and get your questions answered.

September 25, 2024
1 - 2 p.m. EST
Register

Have questions?

Please reach out to Alexis Dwyer (Alexis.Dwyer@unh.edu) anytime to discuss project ideas for 2025 or a future summer. 

Host partners are primarily responsible for the design of the Fellowship projects and for the day-to-day oversight of their Fellows. Partners are asked to participate in the selection of their Fellow, co-develop a project plan with our staff, engage with the network, and most importantly, prioritize the meaningful mentorship of their Fellow. Specifically, partner organizations commit to:  

• Develop a project that will be impactful for the partner organization and intellectually stimulating for the Fellow. Create a position description and a detailed project work plan in collaboration with our staff.  
• Engage in the interview and selection process.  
• Designate a primary Fellowship Mentor who will provide project guidance, be accessible on a day-to-day basis as needed and reserve at least two hours per week for regularly scheduled meetings with the Fellow during the Fellowship term, see key dates above.  
• Encourage the Fellow’s participation in training and networking opportunities provided by our staff, Fellowship presentations and additional activities relevant to the Fellow’s project and/or career.  
• Ensure that the Mentor can participate in  day two of the Orientation, attend the Launch , and the Showcase event (see dates listed below).  
• Be available for 2-3 planning calls with us and provide one brief written updates on the Fellow’s progress over the course of the summer.   
• Actively connect with other Fellows and partners throughout the network.  
• Provide the Fellow with a computer and other necessary resources and contacts required for the successful completion of the project. If the Fellow has a disability, the partner organization will make reasonable accommodations.  
• If project related travel is a part of the project, the Host Organization must reimburse the Fellow for the incurred costs from the travel.
• Provide and receive feedback at the end of the Fellowship term. 

2025 Summer Sustainability Fellowship Program Dates
 

November 14, 2024 1-2 p.m.
Fellowship Info-Session

December 20, 2024
Positions posted online, student application opens 

February 9, 2024, midnight
Student applications due 

February 24 – March 7, 2024
Student interviews 

Mid-March 2025
Fellows receive offers 

April 4, 2025
Fellowship cohort finalized

Fellowship Dates: May 27 - August 15, 2025 

May 27 & 28: Orientation 
June 17 & 18: In-Person Launch Event 
August 7: Showcase 

We mutually invest with host partners, in the learning experience of each Fellow and the impactful outcome of each project. Fellows receive compensation for their work according to their level of education. Host partners are asked to contribute at the following rates*:  

Undergraduate Fellow: $8,000  
Post Baccalaureate Fellow: $9,500  

*UNH raises funds to enable partners to host Fellows, even if they are not able to contribute at this level. In their proposals, host partners have an opportunity to state the level at which they can contribute. Through the generous support of Jane’s Trust Foundation, alumni of the program, and others, UNH is able to offer grants to offset a portion of the partner’s contribution for many organizations, especially municipalities and non-profits. 

*$1,500 of your Sustainability Fellows funding will be considered a charitable gift, unless you are a government organization or municipality and governed by laws around use of public funds. The remaining portion, which will support your Fellow’s work in your organization, may still be deductible for you as a business expense. You will be able to make a single payment that covers both of these aspects.

If your organization is seeking a larger philanthropic investment, we would love to speak with you about support for this program beyond the cost of Fellowship placement. All additional funds go directly toward placing students within small businesses, nonprofits and municipalities who may not otherwise have the budget to support a Fellow. 

If your company is interested in providing support to a nonprofit or municipality to make a 2024 Fellowship possible, please don't hesitate to get in touch with Alexis Dwyer. Past Fellowship projects have been supported by Bangor Savings, Mascoma Bank, Tom’s of Maine, and Unitil. 

Application Information 

When completing the application, you’ll be asked to complete and upload a project proposal. Click here to review and complete the proposal in advance.

Apply here

Ideal Fellowship projects include the following characteristics:  

• The project is likely to catalyze long-term, substantial change, and/or to establish a replicable model.  
• The project goals and approach are considered through a social justice lens.       
• The work is challenging, in-depth, and the selected Fellow can assume significant ownership.  
• The outcomes are tangible and can be completed in 400 hours during the summer.   
• The Fellow’s time and expertise are critical to completing the work.  
• Mentors are invested in the outcome of the project as well as the Fellow’s experience.  
• Partner organizations have a demonstrated structure in place to support and supervise a Fellow.  
• Partner organizations can demonstrate that diversity, equity, and inclusion are important aspects of the organization’s mission, operations and/or mentorship team.   
• Partner organizations are in geographic proximity to one another - consider suggesting that other organizations in your local area might host a Fellow.