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The Community Engagement and Ecological Restoration internships provide a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in community engagement, ecological regeneration and environmental journalism projects around Maryland and Delaware.
In an era of dramatically compromised ecological systems, economically impoverished and minority communities have experienced the brunt of this environmental degradation, and are particularly vulnerable to stressors like flooding, droughts, heat waves, pollution, and disease caused by climate change. Through this internship, students will gain clinical experience in restoring our human and ecological communities; ecological science; social justice history and dynamics; non-profit operations; community development; and narrative storytelling.
Working alongside Delaware’s Lenape and Nanticoke Indian Tribes, UD students have helped remove tons of trash and hundreds of invasive trees, and helped design and plant an Indigenous food forests and vegetable gardens. In West Baltimore, students have spent more than 2,500 hours working alongside local church groups, nonprofits, and the U.S. Forest Service to plant 4,000 trees, build hiking trails, and train elementary and high school students about ecological restoration. In central Baltimore, students have helped grow thousands of pounds of organic produce that is delivered free of charge to local community kitchens, where it is prepared and donated to some of the city’s food insecure communities. In Baltimore County, we have helped a community of Nepalese immigrants build 80 raised beds and plant upwards of 100 fruit trees as they seek to establish a food sovereignty farm.
Working closely with Professor McKay Jenkins and community partners in Delaware and Baltimore, student interns will join inspiring teams engaged in:
- Indigenous land restoration
- Urban reforestation, including invasive removals and tree planting
- Food Justice Farming, including planting, harvesting, and delivery
Internship Details:
Anticipated State Date: June 8, 2026
Length of internship: 10 weeks
Estimated Pay: $5,000
Schedule: Monday – Friday 9-1 PM. Exact schedule will vary slightly from week to week as determined by the advisor and community needs.
Location: Interns will work on-site at various locations in Delaware and Baltimore. Student interns will need a car, or be willing to carpool with fellow team members.
Primary Responsibilities: Intern responsibilities will vary day by day to accommodate the needs and schedules of community partners but will likely include tasks such as:
- Building greenhouses and raised garden beds
- Planting trees in urban reforestation projects, and removing invasive plants
- Planting, harvesting, processing, and delivering locally grown food
- Teaching short environmental education courses to small groups of K-12 students
- Communicating their internship through an end-of-summer project, which might include an original piece of journalism; a presentation at the UD undergraduate research symposium; a poster; or other similar products.
Internship requirements:
Roughly 20 hours per week over an 10-week internship period. Interns will work on-site at various locations in Delaware and Baltimore. Student interns will need a car, or be willing to carpool with fellow team members.
Qualifications: No previous experience necessary. Interest and experience in ecology, social justice, and food systems a plus.
Funding: Although some funding has already been secured, students are encouraged to seek their additional funding through the university’s Undergraduate Research Office’s Summer Scholars Program (https://www.urp.udel.edu/summer-programs/summer-scholars/) and the Community Engagement Summer Scholars Initiative (https://cei.udel.edu/students/summerprograms/cei-summer-scholars-and-fellows/)
To apply: E-mail a resume and one-page cover letter that explains your interest in this internship and any related experience to Professor McKay Jenkins, mckay@udel.edu.
Applications due by: Friday, February 28, 2026. Follow-up interviews will be planned for early March.