PICS Climate Internship Program expands with record-breaking 25 grants for Summer 2024
This summer, 25 university students used their knowledge and skills to advance climate solutions across British Columbia, through the PICS Climate Internship Program.
The program, backed by a generous $100,000 contribution from Coast Capital Savings, awarded a record-breaking number of grants to host organizations, enabling them to hire university students and recent graduates from the PICS university network.
The program offers $12,000 to $15,000 per internship, allowing organizations to hire students in climate-related fields to contribute to crucial climate action projects. The internships give students the opportunity to apply their skills and gain valuable work experience, while host organizations benefit from added capacity to advance high-priority projects that might not otherwise happen.
Notable highlights from this year’s internships include:
Matthew Edwards, a health sciences undergraduate student from Simon Fraser University, joined the BC Lung Foundation to support its BREATHE Project. Edwards coordinated and executed DIY air cleaner workshops across the province, liaising with community partners, and analyzing data to improve the program’s capacity.
Read more about Edwards’ internship experience and the BREATHE Project.
Juliana Janot, a global resource systems undergraduate student from the University of British Columbia, was awarded an internship with the West Coast Climate Action Network (WE-CAN). Janot interviewed 82 of WE-CAN’s most active member groups to understand their activities, strengths, and needs. She organized the results into a database to facilitate collaboration, capacity-building training sessions, and regional mapping of climate action groups.
Oliver Kerr, an engineering undergraduate student from the University of Victoria, was awarded an internship with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Kerr worked on creating a comprehensive database of active transportation options, like bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, within ministry-controlled transportation corridors. This will help the ministry plan future projects, track data, and develop interactive products for people who bike, walk, and wheel.
Yu-Chieh (Jamie) Tseng, a community and regional planning graduate student from the University of British Columbia, worked with Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST). Tseng assisted with BEST’s Eco-Voyage project, supporting community outreach, workshop design, and project evaluation. Her work provided valuable information about low-carbon transportation options to newcomers in Vancouver.
Marcela Faralhi Daolio, an environmental science graduate student from the University of Victoria, was awarded an internship with the Skidegate Band Council. Faralhi worked on a project addressing changes in Haida Gwaii’s marine ecosystem and seafood species, conducting research, grant writing, supporting local food programs, and planning climate adaptation workshops.
Provided by: Marcela Faralhi Daolio
“It was so great to have Marcela learn about the importance of how climate change impacts our traditional food systems, she gained real hands-on experience with the research and helped with the drought mitigation for our salmon creek T’am Gandlaay. She helped with the salmon enhancement team to deepen pools, install shade covers, and to catch fry and move them.”
— Michelle MacDonald of Skidegate First Nation
“The PICS internship program added valuable capacity to our team, from the moment Taylor, our intern, joined NSEM, it felt as she had always been part of the team. We take internships seriously at NSEM and wanted Taylor to have a positive and enriching experience. As an organization, we took an intern-focused approach, asking her what she was interested in learning and giving her exposure to various aspects of the project based on that.”
— Lily Yumagulova of North Shore Emergency Management
Credit: Sheets/Bill Carmichael — Squamish Ocean Canoe Family
Credit: CBC Radio
“This project has taught me what it takes to run a public health program, from securing funding to partnering with communities, implementing the intervention, and following up. I’ve also learned the logistics of hosting workshops and the importance of project management.”
— Matthew Edwards, PICS intern at the BC Lung Foundation
“I’m eternally grateful for PICS to have funded this internship. This was so life-changing in my career as a climate leader, this internship taught me the value of hands-on learning. I started the job with little to no knowledge about climate policy and the political systems in B.C. (I’m originally from Brazil and was mostly familiar with the climate issues from there), and now I leave the internship being able to have deep discussions about municipal and provincial climate action across the province.”
— Juliana Janot, PICS intern at West Coast Climate Action Network
Provided by: Juliana Janot
Credit: PJ Butler of Living Lakes Canada
“The 2024 internship cohort reflects PICS’ commitment to deepening climate action across B.C., these projects challenge students to address complex climate issues, creating opportunities for them to make meaningful contributions to a more resilient and low-carbon future.”
— Emily MacNair, director of adaptation and community engagement at PICS
The PICS Climate Internship Program plays a unique role in advancing climate action in British Columbia while offering students a chance to gain valuable work experience.
PICS launches its 2025 internship program in early October. Watch PICS’ funding opportunities page for more information.
Christy Ascione is a communications specialist with the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.
