After 11 years of providing students summer internships with energy-related companies and national labs, the Cal Energy Corps will merge with the Climate and Energy track of the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program beginning December 2022. While continuing to provide real-world experience to undergraduate students in the design, development and delivery of sustainable energy and climate solutions, the program will be expanded to allow undergraduates from all majors at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Merced and UC Santa Cruz to apply for placements in one of five areas of emerging IT innovation important to the state of California: aviation, climate and energy, digital health, robotics and semiconductors.
Students will:
- Earn $25 per hour for eight weeks, 30 hours per week
- Participate in concurrent weekly workshops to gain technical, communication and leadership skills
- Network with peers and industry professionals through in-person meet-ups, a closing symposium and dedicated co-working spaces on each UC campus
The Cal Energy Corps program was launched in 2011 with the philosophy that energy and climate issues are part of a larger global crisis, and that international exchanges and partnerships are necessary to better understand the problems and collaborate on cutting-edge solutions. The program provided culturally immersive experiences that exposed students to political and scientific contexts beyond their education, and was especially innovative in that it invested in undergraduate researchers.
As the program grew and financial circumstances changed, it shifted toward offering primarily local and domestic placements. However, the spirit of the program remained the same, committed to providing valuable opportunities for top undergraduate talent to engage with cutting-edge innovations in clean energy, sustainability and climate research and policy. The program has been proud to partner with organizations near and far that are pioneering a sustainable future and connecting them with the next generation of passionate young researchers and innovators.
Over the last 11 years, the Cal Energy Corps has placed more than 200 qualified and motivated students in challenging and rewarding internships, changing their lives and contributing to groundbreaking research in energy and climate technology and policy. Many students have gone on to careers in clean energy or climate research, and cite the Cal Energy Corps as a formative experience.
“We are delighted to build on the strong history of the Cal Energy Corps and include their partners and affiliates in the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program,” said CITRIS Executive Director Dr. Camille Crittenden. “Students will benefit from continued access to leaders in climate and energy research, an area that will become increasingly urgent as we face the consequences of climate change in California and abroad.”
Under the CITRIS Workforce Innovation Program, CITRIS and CIEE will be able to provide a larger pool of students with real-world research experience. The combined programs will support the next generation of climate and energy leaders from the University of California.
