12/30/2023
To Students, Educators, Environmental Organizations, and other entities:
The National Hispanic Environmental Council (NHEC) is holding its 9th California Environmental STEM Institute from January 10-15, 2024 at the Sonesta Select Hotel in Camarillo (60 miles north of Los Angeles) and at various sites in southern CA. NHEC is still accepting applications from undergraduate college STEM students (aged 18โ22), especially from people of color and underrepresented communities.
As with all our Institutes over the last 18 years, NHEC covers all costs -- airfare, meals, housing, science equipment, and more. Funding comes from our sponsors -- the U.S. Forest Service, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. EPA. There is no fee to apply or attend. Students are competitively selected from across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Further โ with the strong support/funding of the U.S. Forest Service, a long-standing sponsor -- there is a new feature to our Institutes. Students selected will receive an educational stipend provided by FS for their work in the program. Thus, upon successful completion of the CA Institute (as determined by NHEC), each student will receive a check from NHEC for $100 per day, for a total of $600. Students will receive their checks from NHEC by mail soon after the Institute.
Although NHEC typically holds its 10-day Institutes (in NM, NY, and CA) in the summer, on occasion we do so at other times. The upcoming Institute is being held during the college winter break so that students can participate without missing classes while taking advantage of the mild temperatures and diverse ecosystems of Southern CA in January. While this will be a shortened Institute (6 days), it will retain all the major elements of our standard program.
NHEC Institutes are an intensive, science-heavy, hands-on, 10-day residential environmental STEM program. Taught by NHEC's skilled Instructors, including those with Ph. D.s, the Institutes feature multiple high-level presentations on environmental/natural resource issues, environmental science principles, and related field methodologies. Every Institute concludes with student teams giving a Final Presentation on each of the Field Study sites. The Institutes are designed to give college students a high-quality science experience, while providing in-depth exposure to federal enviro agencies and their mission, especially of our sponsors. As for our other institutes, in the summer of 2024, NHEC will hold its 19th annual Environmental STEM Institute in NM and its 13th in NY.
The institute's core element is the Environmental Field Studies, where students conduct air, water, and soil testing, plant/vegetation surveys, tree mensuration, and more, with professional-grade science equipment and instrumentation, including, for example, eDNA. Other learning includes site visits/field exploration on public and private lands; learning/conducting experiments at federal research labs; sessions on federal internships/jobs in environmental/natural resource STEM fields; and more. Another core element is the active participation of role models--scientists, researchers, and technical experts, especially those of color -- from Institute sponsors and other partners. Role models attend to interact, share scientific information, and provide mentoring in academic, career, and research pathways, but especially to inspire the studentsโto show that "I made it in this field and so can you."
Regarding eligibility -- students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA; love science and be passionate about the environment; are pursuing a science degree in an environmental, natural resource, or agricultural major; possess science-relevant academic coursework; and possess relevant environmental experience(s), past or present. As this is a federally funded program, the Institute is open to all. Applicants must be US Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents to be selected. Past Institute students are eligible to apply/attend again.
The Institute will be held at various sites in beautiful southern CA, including the Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Clara River Estuary Preserve, and the Los Padres National Forest.
Students will explore diverse ecosystems in national forests, national parks, and other public/private lands; labs and other facilities; and more. NHECโs agency sponsors are actively participating in planning and on-site.
Overall, Institutes are designed to help build the next generation of scientists, researchers, and professionals of color in environmental, natural resource, and agriculture science fields, an area within STEM that still remains severely underrepresented for people of color.
Lastโstudents should note that staff and scientists from our federal sponsors will be at the Institute seeking to meet/recruit/hire students for new federal opportunities in STEM in internships and jobs, science and technology, climate change and environmental justice, and more.
Please see the attached CA Institute Fact Sheet for more information on NHEC, the Institutes, how to apply, and how to contact us. Qualified students should act promptly on this unique opportunity, as slots are going fast.
Finally, we ask that you kindly forward this information to interested students and related colleges, organizations, and more. NHEC thanks you for your help. For more information or questions, call NHEC at 703-683-3956 or our website: www.nheec1.org
