An Internship Fair success story

by Lauren Lesser

I’m happy to promote the Bethesda Green Fields of Green Internship Fair — after all, it’s how I got connected with my current job at 4GreenPs, which I love!  If you’re on the fence about whether to come to the internship fair, here’s what my experience was like.

The best part of the Fields of Green Internship Fair for me was the opportunity to make connections with different businesses in person.  As a job seeker, the difference between interacting with a company’s website and talking to an employee (or even the owner of a company) is enormous.  It was invaluable to get to know the faces behind the organizations I had researched online, and get answers to my questions face to face.  I was also impressed by the turnout — last year the attendees ranged from high school seniors to post-grads from master’s degree programs.

With so many organizations and friendly people gathered in one place, I was able to get a much better sense of the interconnected network of organizations around me.  As Woody Allen is credited with saying, “80% of life is showing up,” and just being in the room with such a great network was a smart move for helping me learn about the range of programs and opportunities available here in my backyard.

I submitted several of my resume copies and made some great new contacts, but I ultimately interviewed with my future (now current) boss later that day, as the event was ending.  A few weeks later, I was on board for a short project; now I’m approaching my first year as an employee of 4GreenPs.  I’ve gained experience in marketing and the private sector, promoted sustainability and social causes, and met some great people in the process!

I couldn’t have done it without Bethesda Green and the Fields of Green Internship Fair.  I hope that you’ll take advantage of the amazing work this group does, especially in promoting green jobs — like mine!

Lauren Lesser is a Marketing Associate at 4GreenPs, a strategic marketing firm dedicated to promoting sustainable products, services, causes, and corporate social responsibility.  Say ‘hi’ to her on Twitter @LaurenLesser, or at the next Bethesda Green Happy Hour!

 

Bethesda Green 2013 program preview

Plans are under way for an exciting calendar of Bethesda Green programs and events for 2013. Here’s a sneak peak of what lies ahead:

Finance Workshop Series & Venture Forum
Bethesda Green has launched a series of workshops and a venture forum to help grow the green business economy in the region.  The  next workshop on the schedule, Thursday, Jan. 31: What Investors Are Looking for and How To Pitch.

Fields of Green Internship Fair
We will host our 4th annual Fields of Green Internship Fair on Saturday, Feb. 9. This is a great opportunity for young people to line-up internships with companies and non-profits offering job experience in the green business sector.

“Changing the Way We Eat”
Saturday, Feb. 16, we will once again host a TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” official viewing party — a day-long series of live-webcast presentations broadcast from New York.  A special feature of the event includes a presentation by Cheryl Kollin about Farm to Freezer by Full Plate Ventures and Bethesda Cares, a program Bethesda Green helped launch in 2012.

Solar & Green Home Expo
Saturday, May 11, be on the lookout for our 4th annual show connecting residents with vendors in the green service sector.

Reel Water Film Festival
A new addition of the Bethesda Green portfolio, the 2013 film festival will be presented in the heart of downtown Bethesda early summer.

Farm Tours
Later in the summer, around July and August, Bethesda Green will focus on local and sustainable food in the Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve.

Bethesda Green Gala
As we round the corner into autumn 2013, we will celebrate our 5th anniversary with the annual Bethesda Green Gala in early October.

We hope to see all of our Bethesda Green friends at one or many of our upcoming events.

For more information about Bethesda Green plans for 2013, please contact Program Manager Sharon D’Emidio, sharon@bethesdagreen.org.

 

SAVE the DATE — Internship Fair, Saturday, Feb. 9

Fields of Green Internship Fair

Saturday, Feb. 9, 2013
10 am – 2 pm
4825 Cordell Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814

Second Floor above the Capital One Bank

Are you a college or grad school student looking for an internship or job in the environmental sector?  Have you recently graduated and need to get your foot in the door to kick start you environmental career?

If so, Bethesda Green’s 4th annual Fields of Green Internship Fair is for you!

This event is easily accessed via metro train (Bethesda Station), bus, bicycle or driving.  This year we will host over 25 environmental employers from the DC metro area.  Come to the fair prepared to impress as employers will be interviewing promising candidates on-the-spot.

Here is a sneak peak of some of the employers who attended the Fields of Green Internship Fair from 2012.  Please check our website in early January for updates on the 2013 employers.

• The Nature Conservancy
• Student Conservation Association
• Rock Creek Conservancy
• Habitat for Humanity
• Savenia Labs
• And many, many more!

We hope to see you on February 9th!  If you have any questions, please contact Sharon D’Emidio at Sharon@bethesdagreen.org.

 

Green job opportunities keep rolling in

Even though it’s been a month since the Bethesda Fields of Green Internship Fair, the green job opportunities keep rolling in. Check out this exciting opportunity for women interested in the green building trades.

A free, 6-week pre-apprenticeship training program in the green building trades, funded through the Department of Labor and administered by the Community Services Agency of the ALF-CIO, is starting in May 2012. An information session about the Building Futures class is scheduled tomorrow, Tuesday, March 27. Interested parties should immediately contact Jennifer Gajdosik, jgajdosik@wowonline.org or call (202)464-1596 ext. 109.

Back on February 25, Bethesda Green hosted its third annual Fields of Green Internship Fair, attracting 24 green employers and more than 120 intern prospects. The employers represented both national and international environmental organizations like The Student Conservation Association, The Nature Conservancy and Habitat for Humanity.  Several smaller local companies and non-profits including Rock Creek Conservancy,  Savenia Labs, Anacostia Watershed Society, DC Greenworks, Calleva Outdoor Camp and  Common Cents Solar participated as well.  Over one hundred paid and unpaid environmental internships were available through the employers participating in the event.

The overall feedback from students and employers was that the Fields of Green Internship Fair filled a great need for local area green jobs.  For many of the students who attended this will be their first step in the professional job arena.  And, for our employers who were hoping to attract top talent to their business, they weren’t disappointed.  Bethesda Green strives to create a sustainable community and support green jobs in our local economy.  There is no question that the annual Fields of Green Internship is doing just that!

For more information about employers that participated and internship descriptions, check out the Bethesda Green website.

 

Bethesda Green Internship Fair

(This article was posted at Montgomery County Sustainability News  or MoCo-Sustain.com, and is re-posted here by permission.)

by Dan Rudt

February is a good time for students to check in with potential employers for possible summer and fall internships. Bethesda Green will help area college students do just that when it hosts one of its signature events on Saturday, the 25th of this month. The Third Annual Fields of Green Internship Fair will give environmentally conscious college students the opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives from two dozen or more local companies and non-profits that have at least two things in common. They all, in their own way, strive to make our natural environment healthier and more sustainable, and from 10am to 2pm on the 25th, they will all be under the same roof.

The internship fair, of course, benefits employers as well. If past experience repeats itself, the fair may draw 100 or more smart, local college students looking for a future in environmental sustainability. That kind of talent pool offers great potential for green businesses and non-profits seeking interns who may one day become valuable employees.

Bethesda Green Executive Director Dave Feldman told Montgomery County Sustainability News that the internship fair was founded to fill a need on the part of students and employers alike. “When we launched our first Fields of Green Internship Fair in 2010,” Feldman explained, “the idea was prompted by both ends of the employment spectrum, those looking for internship opportunities and those looking for interns.  We’re excited to once again provide college-age young people an opportunity to meet representatives from a number of companies and non-profits offering job experience in the green business sector.”

Some of the employers internship seekers can expect to see at the Bethesda Green event include 4GreenPs, a strategic marketing firm for sustainable brands; Arganica, a “farm club” that delivers local farm food to homes from Hampton Roads to Philadelphia; Just Peachy Organics, makers of organic teas, skin care and household products; international conservation non-profit, The Nature Conservancy; Rock Creek Conservancy, a non-profit that protects and restores Rock Creek and surrounding lands; Savenia Labs, an independent testing laboratory that provides lab tested energy and environmental impact ratings on popular appliances such as coffee makers, toaster ovens, and microwaves; the Student Conservation Association, who protect and restore green spaces in all 50 states, and other companies and non-profits. The internships provide experience in various areas of green business and non-profit operations and may be paid or unpaid positions.

Sharon D’Emidio, Bethesda Green Program Manager, suggests internship seekers dress as they would for a job interview, and show up with resumes in hand. As for references, D’Emidio thinks they are a good idea. “I think it is always impressive when someone is totally prepared for the job.” She suggests internship seekers review the positions posted on the Internship Fair website and expect the interviews to last ten to fifteen minutes each.

John Jabara, the founder of Savenia Labs, told MoCo-Sustain.com the Fields of Green Internship Fair provided positive outcomes for his company in 2011. “Last year,” Jabara told us, “we were looking for interns with science and engineering backgrounds and were impressed with the number and quality of the candidates.  We ended up hiring one for the summer as a paid internship and this worked out very well.  We plan to attend again this year and expect it to be a great event.”

The Bethesda Green, Fields of Green Internship Fair is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2012, from 10 am to 2 pm. Bethesda Green is located at 4825 Cordell Avenue, at the corner of Woodmont and Cordell, on the Second Floor above the Capital One Bank.

 

Seeking green internship opportunities

Greetings Fellow Environmental Organizations,

Is your organization looking for some stellar interns this summer? Or, perhaps your organization has a need for interns year round?  If so, we have an excellent opportunity in which to participate.

On February 25, Bethesda Green will be hosting its third annual Fields of Green Internship Fair.  Right now we are in the process of inviting employers looking for highly qualified candidates to sign up to be a part of our fair.  Not only will you meet the candidates for the internships face-to-face, but your internship posting will be widely shared among our diverse network as well as posted on our Fields of Green webpage leading up to the event.

In year’s past we have matched many amazing candidates with wonderful green job sector opportunities.

Help us develop the next generation of green leaders and promote local job creation by participating in the Fields of Green Internship Fair!  We accept both paid and unpaid positions at the fair.

Interested in Sponsoring the Fields of Green Internship Fair?  Get details HERE.

Have a job or internship to offer? Download and fill out the Job Description Form HERE.

For more information, please contact Sharon D’Emidio at sharon@bethesdagreen.org.

 

Green News & Events, January 23, 2012

by Dan Rudt                                                                                                                       

Strong LEED Numbers for DC, Virginia and Maryland

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) on January 19 released data on the 10 states (plus the District of Columbia) with the largest square footage per capita of commercial and institutional building space to earn LEED certification in 2011. DC was included on the list because it outranked all the leading states, and did so by a healthy margin. The District came in with 31.5 square feet of LEED certified building space per person. In contrast, the top 10 states all ranged between 2.74 and 1.81 square feet per person.

The local area was well represented on the list. In addition to the District’s leading performance, Virginia ranked third among the states and Maryland fifth. The other top five states were Colorado and Illinois, first and second, and Washington State, placing fourth. “This is a great accomplishment for the D.C. metropolitan region and a testament to the drive, commitment and leadership of all those who live, work and play in our community,” said Mike Babcock, board chair of the National Capital Region Chapter of USGBC. “We also realize there is still more to do and hope to effectively guide the effort by engaging, educating and encouraging the dialogue around the value of sustainability.”

In terms of the total square footage of commercial and institutional building space earning LEED certification in 2011, as opposed to the per capita figures, DC came in with more than 18.5 million, Virginia with 19.4 million and Maryland just under 12 million square feet.

Starting a Small Farm in Maryland

For anyone interested in starting a small scale farm or for farmers interested in improving their skills, this is for you. 

University of Maryland Extension, Baltimore County has partnered with Future Harvest – Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, and the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council to offer a workshop series to learn about starting and operating a successful, intensive small farm. Workshops start January 31 and are held at University of Maryland Extension in Cockeysville.

The focus of this series is on small-scale, fruit and vegetable production using conventional, sustainable and organic methods. The program is open to all and is taught by farmers and knowledgeable university faculty. Participants will learn marketing, production and business skills necessary to become successful market farmers. The $40 fee covers the entire workshop series. Please register by January 25. More information in this online PDF.

Swedes Planning Intercity Bikeway

The Swedish Traffic Authority, A. K. Streeter reports in Treehugger, has studied, and now proposes, a four-lane bikeway from Malmo to Lund, two cities about 20 miles apart. Like a limited access highway, the bikeway will have exits, but no roads will intersect it.

Bicyclists will have a dual layer of protection from wind consisting of bushes and a solid fence. The bikeway also will include “periodic bicycle service stations.” The intercity route, which will connect the two cities’ downtown areas, is expected to cost $7.1 million.

Streeter reports that in Lund, 60% of the population uses bicycles or public transportation to get around. In Malmo, “cycling has increased 30% each year for the last four years.” That last fact would indicate that someone in Malmo, either local government or a very active civic group, has rallied a great many people to switch from cars to bicycles in a short period of time. Surely it can happen here.

Upcoming Green Events   

BG 101, Wednesday, Jan 25, 4:00 – 5:30 pm, at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. We’re on the second floor above the Capital One Bank branch on the corner of Woodmont and Cordell. Join us for an orientation about Bethesda Green, our history, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.

WSSC Talks About Our Drinking Water, Jan 31, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm, Gaithersburg City Hall, 31 S. Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Sponsored by Muddy Branch Alliance, co-sponsored by GO GREEN. The speaker is Joe Johnson, WSSC Chief Superintendent for Potomac Water Treatment Plant. Joe is an excellent speaker and is always a delight to learn from. Montgomery County and Prince George’s counties have a sanitary sewer system as opposed to Washington DC’s combined sewer system.  In other words, WSSC is not responsible for stormwater because stormwater does not enter WSSC’s sanitary sewer system. But the Potomac Water Treatment Plant does have an intake in the Potomac River-below Muddy Branch.  So we are drinking what comes off our lawns. Please RSVP using the form link at the bottom of this page: http://www.muddybranch.org/event/january-meeting-wssc-talks-about-our-drinking-water

Bethesda Green First Thursday Happy Hour: Warm up for Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb 2, 5 – 8 pm, The Wine Bar, Doubletree Hotel lobby. Join Bethesda Green for casual conversation and social networking. Win a romantic dinner for two at The OZ restaurant. 

■ Hear about Bethesda Green’s community outreach plans

■ Briefing about new website, mygreenmontgomery.org

■ Enjoy light appetizers

■ Happy-hour-priced beer, wine and specialty drinks

■ Raffle for gift card — dinner for two at The OZ, the Doubletree’s signature restaurant

RSVP through Meetup

Documentary film: “Bag It: Is your life too plastic?”  Saturday, Feb 4, 7:30 pm- 9:30 p.m.  Washington Ethical Society (library), 7750 16th Street, NW, Washington DC 20012 (0.7 miles from Silver Spring Metro Station; S4 Metrobus). “Bag it: Is your life too plastic?” is an eye-opening and funny documentary film that navigates the plastic world.  Are plastic bags neccessary? What are plastic bags made from? What happens to plastic bags after they are discarded? The 65-minute award-winning documentary film will give answers to this questions.  65 min. movie followed by 30 min. discussion.  Snacks provided; $5 donation requested.  RSVPs helpful but drop-ins welcome. Sponsored by the WES Earth Ethics Committee. Email for movie information and RSVP: EarthEthics2@verizon.net or call Sue Jacobson, 301-309-6731.

Bethesda Green Education, Outreach and Marketing (EOM) Group Meeting, Wednesday, Feb 8, 4:00-5:30 pm at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. We’re on the second floor above the Capital One Bank branch on the corner of Woodmont and Cordell. A team of volunteers, EOM supports all of Bethesda Green’s communication efforts. From recycling to energy efficiency, sustainability to green building/design, EOM expresses the organization’s various areas of expertise in a clear and concise manner via various media.  New members are welcome to join. 

Specifically, EOM:

■ Designs and schedules educational programs

■ Collects and shares best practices

■ Engages in general marketing for Bethesda Green

■  Manages all aspects of the website

■ Creates content for the newsletter

■ Uses online tools for outreach purposes

For more information, contact Bethesda Green Communications Director Dave Heffernan, dvheffernan@bethesdagreen.org. 

Green Matters: Urban Farming Pioneers, Friday, Feb 24, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm, Brookside Gardens. This year’s Green Matters will kindle your inner urban farmer and entice you to think about food production in wholly different ways. We’ll highlight innovative approaches to feeding the world’s population. For complete information about speakers and sessions, visit this page.

Bethesda Green’s Third Annual Fields of Green Internship Fair, Saturday, Feb 25, 10 am – 2 pm. 4825 Cordell Avenue, Second Floor above the Capital One Bank. The Internship Fair provides college-age young people an opportunity to meet representatives from a number of companies and non-profits offering job experience in the green business sector. More than 20 companies will be in attendance. Learn about academic and government programs, as well as a variety of internships, including those with our own Green Business Incubator companies. Check out more details and internship opportunities here.

Dan Rudt is the editor of Montgomery County Sustainability News, or MoCo-Sustain.com, a daily news Website serving the local area with environmental sustainability news, information and events.

 

Fields of Green Internship Fair May 7

In response to the great need for job creation, Bethesda Green is planning its second annual “Fields of Green” Internship Fair, Saturday, May 7, 10 am – 2 pm, at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, Suite 200, located on the second floor above the Capital One Bank branch at the corner of Woodmont and Cordell Avenues.

The goal of this event is to connect interested and talented young adults, ages 18-24, with local vocational and educational opportunities in our evolving green industry.

More detail, including a listing of regularly updated opportunities can be found here.

We expect to attract hundreds of students from local universities and colleges to visit over two-dozen tables showcasing local business, government, non-profits and academic institutions.

Register to Attend

 

Summer of Success

by Rachel Jaffe

In March 2010, Bethesda Green hosted its inaugural “Fields of Green” Internship Fair to promote green jobs throughout the region.  Among the 35 organizations recruiting interns at the event was the Maryland Energy and Sustainability Co-op (MESC), led by its “Energetic Director” Mike Kennedy, one of the companies in the Bethesda Green Business Incubator.

At the event, Kennedy found four of the five interns working with him this summer.  These interns stand as a reminder of how one successful program can in turn promote other successes.  All of the interns are working for him, not because of the excellent pay (in the form of gumballs and pizza), but the opportunity to simultaneously help themselves gain experience in the workforce and add their voices to the growing movement of awareness about humanity’s impact on the environment.

Miranda Hitchcock, Nick Booth, Claire Lafave, Mike Kennedy, and Julia Chartove (L-R) from the Maryland Energy and Sustainability Co-op

The interns are helping grow MESC, to create a “template for getting green goods and services from pre-qualified businesses into the hands of consumers” as Kennedy puts it.  Yet, though the interns are crafting the bridge between the technology and the people, the vision and the implementation, a relaxed feeling pervades the office.  Julia Chartove, a student at Swarthmore University, loves her ability to “set your own direction,” which she has used to expand her ability to design websites off of a platform.  Claire Lafave, loves the cooperative spirit in the organization and the chance it gave her to extend her skills as an English major at Williams into writing advertisements and grants. Nick Booth, a junior at Wisconsin, marvels at how in a few months “other people’s passion” for environmental stewardship morphed into a cause that he too cared about.

MESC stands as a shining example of the success both of Kennedy’s ability to balance the freedom to explore one’s individual interests and getting down to business, as well as Bethesda Green’s desire to constantly be bringing more people into the environmental community.  To help us continue our success past the summer months, come to one of our First Thursday Happy Hours or the upcoming October 7 Gala.

Rachel Jaffe is a Bethesda Green intern and a student at Stony Brook University.

 

Internship Fair connects young people to green jobs

Bethesda Green volunteers Ann Dorough, Karyn Miele and Rosalie Grazzini (L-R) at the March 27 Internship Fair. Photo by Ralph Smith.

Among efforts to stimulate the local economy, the inaugural Bethesda Green Fields of Green Internship Fair March 27 proved to be an exciting step in the right direction.  With more than 200 young people registered to participate and over two dozen businesses, nonprofits and academic institutions exhibiting, the day-long event hosted at the BCC Regional Services Center successfully connected scores of young people into entry-level internship positions offering experience toward landing green jobs.

Bethesda Green Volunteer Coordinator Rosalie Grazzini led the effort to organize the fair. “We were prompted by both ends of the employment spectrum, those looking for internship opportunities and those looking for interns,” said Grazzini, “The goal is to create green jobs through raising awareness and inspiring young adults and students to pursue careers in Fields of Green.”

In addition to meeting company representatives and applying for internships, attendees heard from a panel of experts — Sunshine Brosi, Frostburg State University; Amy Lindsey, Environmental Planner with Montgomery County; Anca Novacovici, Eco-Coach; Randi Steiner, Montgomery College; and Esi Waters, GreenShape — on hot new careers in Fields of Green and what qualifications are needed in the job market.

Representing Workforce Development & Continuing Education, Steve Greenfield helped promote the event to Montgomery College students.  “What a well-organized and high-spirited Fields of Green event,” wrote Greenfield in feedback.  “We really enjoyed participating and look forward to the next one.  Congratulations to Bethesda Green.  I know how much hard work went into this effort.  We feel privileged to be a participant in our community’s effort toward environmental responsibility and stewardship.”

Internship opportunities will continue to be listed online.   And Bethesda Green will track the experience of a select number of interns over the summer.  Stay tuned for a number of exciting plans for the future and the second annual Fields of Green Internship Fair next year.

The Fields of Green Internship Fair was sponsored by the Reznick Group and Perfect Settings.