The inaugural ten-week SCIPP Summer Internship Program concluded in August.
The goals of the program were to:
- Help non-profits, city or county government offices, and community-based organizations in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas enhance their capacity to address weather and climate-related challenges;
- Provide Sophomore and Junior students at the University of Oklahoma an opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in the fields of climate science and hazard preparedness, and form meaningful professional connections;
- Build the next generation workforce across the SCIPP region.
Each intern was paired with a host organization for the duration of the internship. A total of seven interns completed the Program across the four-state region (see Figure 1 below).
Student Interns:
Seven interns from the University of Oklahoma participated in the program this summer. Three were Sophomore standing at the time of application for the program, and four were Juniors. Academic majors represented included Meteorology (majority), and Environmental Sustainability. Academic minors represented included Geographic Information System, Environmental Science, Law & Policy, and Math.
Host Organizations:
- Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development (New Orleans, LA)
- City of Shreveport (Oklahoma City, OK)
- City of Oklahoma City Office of Sustainability (Shreveport, LA)
- LEAD Agency (Miami, OK)
- Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (Oklahoma City, OK)
- Pope County Office of Emergency Management (Russellville, AR)
- Texas Impact (Austin, TX)
Prioritizing the local organization’s project needs, interns developed skills in data collection, outreach services, Geographic Information System mapping, policy, emergency management, hazard planning, and more. The Summer Internship Program was viewed as a meaningful way to build capacity of organizations in our region to address weather and climate-related impacts, while also providing students with valuable, hands-on experience. Even within the first few weeks of the internship, several city officials and organizational representatives noted meaningful benefits from SCIPP student intern involvement. A formal evaluation will be conducted to measure program impact and usefulness. A more in-depth summary of the program is forthcoming.
