|
|
SSI Host - Summer Student Internship Host Information
Examples of Previous Host Site Applications
Please use these host site applications as a template for creating your application.
Please tailor your application to your organization’s needs.
The EEOP staff (Mansel Nelson or Graylynn Hudson) would be happy to discuss your possible internship projects and help you
write a competitive proposal. Please review the criteria that will be used to evaluate the proposals. Criteria:
 http://www4.nau.edu/eeop/internships/ssi_host.asp.
Proposal #1
BACKGROUND
Many of our Tribal communities have exceedances of the PM10 NAAQS several times a year during the spring and summer due to
road dust. The State, EPA and the Tribes are working cooperatively on education and outreach, sampling and dust mitigation
strategies. The State Legislature has made funding available for the development and testing of practical "village"
based palliative sprayers, which can also be used for applying water only. The sprayers can be placed on a regular pick-up
truck or on a trailer to be pulled by an All-terrain-Vehicle. The goal of the project is to document a comparison of pre and
post application PM10 levels to give the Tribe a tool for determining the most appropriate dust mitigation.
OBJECTIVES
The main goals are to learn about PM10 road dust issues and mitigation strategies. This includes the health aspect of PM10
pollution, sampling methodologies and protocols, data analysis and reporting, issues surrounding the various dust suppressants
from toxicity to application requirements, preferential soil types and potential non chemical mitigation strategies.
SPECIFIC TASKS
- Learn about PM10 health issues
- Learn about PM10 levels
- Develop site specific outreach
- Learn PM10 sampling technique to be able to train operators
- Travel to communities to set-up equipment and train site operators
- Calibrate equipment
- Provide technical assistant to site operators
- Travel to conduct monthly flow check, troubleshooting and repair
- Analyze data and write report
- Research available dust palliative and write short analysis
- Research non chemical mitigation alternatives
- Present data to tribe
Proposal #2
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The tribal green building codes project entails outreach and education on green building codes and conducting a regional
inventory of building codes adopted by federally recognized tribes in Arizona, California and Nevada. The purpose for the
outreach and education of green building codes stems from the opportunity that building codes provide to improve building
practices. For example, when green building codes are used they facilitate the reduction in the environmental and human
health impacts of the built environment, such as excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and poor indoor air quality.
OBJECTIVES
Objectives to be achieved by the intern are:
- Develop a general understanding of:
- Federal and tribal housing policies;
- Common building practices and their impacts on human health and the environment with a special emphasis
on indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Green building practices, and how they reduce the impacts on human health and the environment with a special
emphasis on indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Create a spreadsheet for collecting data on the types of building codes that tribes have most recently adopted.
- Contact between tribes to get information about the types of building codes they have adopted, and also to determine
whether the tribes are interested in pursuing the adoption of newer, greener building codes.
- Consolidate the data collected from tribes regarding their building codes, then work with U.S. EPA staff to analyze
the data and generate reports and charts.
SPECIFIC TASKS
Throughout the 10-week internship the intern will conduct independent research to develop a general understanding of:
- Federal and tribal housing policies;
- Building practices and their impacts on human health and the environment with a special emphasis on indoor air quality
and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Green building practices, and how they reduce impacts on human health and the environment with a special emphasis
on indoor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions;
- Building codes.
The intern and EPA staff will develop an appropriate list of questions to ask Tribal Housing Authority
(THA) staff about the housing aspirations of their community in regards to healthy homes, i.e., green building practices,
healthy indoor air quality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing energy and water consumption, and building codes.
As an U.S. EPA intern, the student will correspond with tribal representatives on a weekly basis to learn which building
codes the tribe has adopted, and whether the tribe is pursuing, or interested in pursuing building codes and, or practices
that reduce environmental impacts and improve healthy living conditions.
SPECIAL SKILLS
Highly organized, strong research skills, and ability to initiate a conversation with strangers over the telephone.
Proposal #3
OBJECTIVES
- Produce presentations and outreach materials for youth
- Produce presentations and outreach materials for adults
- Learn about FARR smoke management and burn permitting
- Gain experience related to operating an ambient air monitoring network
SPECIFIC TASKS
Outreach and Education to Youth
- Develop and present air quality lesson plans and hands-on activities for summer school programs: three programs
for elementary students, two programs for middle school students and one program for high school students.
- Develop and present air quality presentations and hands-on activities for two summer camps.
- Develop and present an air quality presentation and hands-on activity for the local Boys and Girls Club.
Outreach and Education to Adults
- Design a display board about an air quality topic and participate in two, community events. Interactive displays
about energy efficiency and home weatherization will be available to the intern.
- Host a "brown bag lunch" discussion. Present an air quality topic to tribal employees and the public.
Develop a survey and distribute handouts to accompany the presentation.
- Write and submit one article about an air quality topic to the Tribal newspaper.
- Assist staff in planning and preparation for meetings, outreach events, and classes. Classes include non-toxic
cleaning, home food preservation (canning and drying), composting, and recycling.
Other Possibilities (as time permits and the interest of the student)
- Attend FARR smoke management and meteorological trainings and meetings.
- Assist staff with PM2.5 samplers and meteorological network, and the wet deposition mercury monitor.
- Attend environmental education trainings such as Project Learning Tree.
Contacts:
|
