Community Partnership Opportunities

The Rubenstein School helps students build skills and experience through a diversity of experiential learning opportunities. We've worked with hundreds of community groups, non-profit organizations, schools, churches, museums, municipalities, and state and federal agencies to make these opportunities possible.

Our community partners have been involved in Rubenstein School internships and service-learning courses. There are multiple ways to interact with our students and we can help you determine the best type of student collaboration for your organization.

Students standing outside learning from an instructor about ecological processes on farms

Engaged Citizenship

Our goal is to integrate reflective career development, course, and co-curricular activities to foster competencies that will make Rubenstein School graduates highly competitive professionals and engaged, effective citizens.

Experiential Learning Programs

Internships

Overview
Body

The Rubenstein School Internship Program engages with site partners in a variety of ways. Students can be in paid or unpaid internships and either earn or not earn academic credit associated with the experience. At the lowest level of oversight and support, students are engaging in the experience and not earning credit. At the next level of oversight and support, students are earning credit for the experience, either to be eligible for funding or to go towards their degree. The highest level of oversight and support is through the Rubenstein Perennial Internship Program, which is a cost-share program between Rubenstein and the site partner, involving trainings, check ins, and academic credit of the student intern.

Internships that involve academic credit should be skill-based for student growth and they require a formal Experiential Learning Plan (a 4-way agreement between the Rubenstein School Experiential and Community-Based Coordinator, a faculty advisor, the student, and the community partner) and involve an MOU. Students are required to work, at minimum, 45 hours per credit earned.

Working with UVM
Body

UVM Career Center Internship Information and Best Practices

Employer MOU Form

Recruiting Interns
Body

NACE Best Practices for Internship Programs

Recruitment Strategies for Enhancing and Supporting Racial Diversity

Employing International Students

Applicant Review and Interviewing

Interviewing with Neurodiversity Awareness

Working with and Supporting Interns
Body

This is an ever-evolving list of resources. If you see something that you have questions about or if you have resources that you would like to share, please contact the Rubenstein School's Experiential and Community-Based Learning Coordinator, Sarah Mell.

Gender/LGBTQIA+ Resources:

Anti-Racism Resources:

Accessibility Resources:

Equity-Based Resources

Mental Health Resources for UVM Students 

Service-Learning Courses

Overview
Body

Service-learning is a teaching pedagogy that combines service in the community with classroom instruction, with a focus on personal reflection and the development of civic and personal responsibility. 

Courses are taught by Rubenstein School faculty each academic year in collaboration with many different community partners. The majority of service-learning courses are taught during the fall and spring semesters. Service-learning projects can vary in scale and scope from small, focused, one-time projects to semester-long, broad, and ongoing projects that adapt and allow for collaboration between students and community partners. 

These projects are unpaid and are associated with a specific UVM course. Projects should define a specific need identified by a community partner and can involve small groups of students or entire classes. For more information on service-learning partnerships or if you are interested in getting connected with Rubenstein faculty and courses, contact Sarah Mell. 

Resources
Body

UVM Community-Engaged Learning Office (CELO)

Service-Learning Teaching Assistant Program 

Environmental Studies Internship Capstone

Overview
Body

RSENR undergraduates that are Environmental Studies majors must meet the requirements of the Environmental Studies Program (ENVS) at UVM. ENVS internships are intended for students who would like to apply their interdisciplinary environmental skills and knowledge in an organizational setting. 

ENVS Senior Capstone Internships: 

  • Are for senior or advanced level activities 
  • Count for 6 credits of upper level senior work, and is partnered with an upper-level environmentally relevant course 
  • Should account for at least 200 hours of work with the sponsoring organization (approximately 45 hours for each credit earned) 
  • Can be paid or unpaid 
  • Requires students to write an in-depth senior internship capstone proposal and a final write- up documenting and evaluating internship experience

Is directly overseen by a Field Site Supervisor who is asked to provide written comments and an evaluation or grade (grade sheet is provided by student). More information on field supervisor requirements here.

For more information visit the College of Arts and Sciences ENVS Internship Capstone Webpage or contact Internship Capstone Coordinator Vic Izzo. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Overview
Body

Community partners may also be interested in recruiting volunteers for one-time events or ongoing support through the Rubenstein School. Our capacity for organization volunteer opportunities is limited, though we can spread the word through our student listserv and building bulletin boards. 

There also may be opportunities to coordinate with Rubenstein School student clubs, such as the Student Advisory Board (RSENRsab@uvm.edu) or directly through faculty aligned with projects. Community partners interested in recruiting volunteers can also reach a broader student base by contacting UVM Student Life Civic Engagement. 

Past and Current Partners

Community Partners
Body

Contact us

Sarah Mell headshot

Sarah Mell

Experiential & Community-Based Learning Coordinator

sarah.mell@uvm.edu (802) 656-5853