The PEC Fellowship program is much more than an internship! The seven week program is designed to provide college students and recent graduates with comprehensive exposure to PEC’s work in the Piedmont region and Virginia. The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC). PEC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit conservation organization, community planning resource and regional land trust founded in 1972 to promote and protect the Virginia Piedmont’s rural economy, natural resources, history and beauty.

The Fellowship Program is an experiential educational opportunity for college and graduate students, sharing PEC’s uniquely successful model for land conservation and smart growth planning. The Fellowship Program embodies PEC’s mission to build better communities by introducing future leaders to an important framework for positive community action and environmental protection.

Fellows will experience a hands-on approach to learning about PEC through field-trips, classroom discussions, and individual practicum projects. Wherever possible, classroom lessons are followed with practical applications and field trips. During the 2008 program, morning lectures on land conservation and farmland preservation were followed by field trips to three farms to hear directly from land owners and work side-by-side with farmers.

Schedule
June 11-July 6- Academic Session:
The first four weeks of the program takes the Fellows through an intensive curriculum, combining classroom instruction by PEC staff, guest lectures, assigned readings, and educational field trips throughout the Piedmont. In 2008, Fellows heard from over 60 speakers and visited nearly 30 sites around the region.

July 9-July 27 - Individual Practicum Session:
The final three weeks of the program allow the Fellows to develop and use their new skills in a “real world” setting to complete an individual practicum project. (with assistance from a PEC staff mentor) designed by each Fellow that incorporate their expressed interest in relation to PEC’s mission.

Over the course of the seven weeks, Fellows are exposed to PEC’s broad based strategy which includes lessons and activities in land conservation, agriculture, smart growth, communications, grassroots advocacy, internet technology, GIS mapping, and community outreach. Fellows learn directly from PEC staff members and partners, both in the classroom and field; and complete an individual practicum related to personal interests with a staff mentor.

PEC’s Fellowship Program welcomes applicants from a variety of academic fields. Previous fellowship applicants have represented a variety of courses of study, including environmental science, government, economics, human & environmental relations, historic preservation, anthropology, geography, and more.

You should apply for the PEC Fellowship Program if you:

Want to make a difference in your community.

Are interested in land conservation and land use issues.

Are currently enrolled in college or graduate school or a recent college graduate.

Would like to gain real world experience working with a non-profit organization.