Environmental Leadership Program Application

2017 Fall Term Project, Destination: Deschutes!

Applications due Monday, 5/8/17, 9:00 a.m.

We will have a variety of exciting projects available next year! This application is only for the one-term Fall 2017 project. If you are interested in the Winter-Spring 2018 Environmental Education or Conservation Science in Action projects, you will apply during Fall 2017.

Eligibility

·  The program is open to all undergraduates (from any major) with at least junior standing and a 2.5 GPA. However, priority consideration will be given to ENVS and ESCI majors and ENVS minors.

·  Required prerequisites: you must have previously taken either ENVS 202, BI 213, GEOL 203 or similar introductory science course(s).

·  Preferred background: Knowledge of botany, ecology, forestry, GIS, outdoor leadership, and/or camping. You are not required to have any of this background, and you will learn this content during the field expedition. However, student background may influence acceptance into the program, with the goal of providing a mix of skills within the team.

Deadlines and Directions

·  E-mail your application materials to Peg Boulay (boulay [at] uoregon.edu). As with most professional applications, hand-written applications or hard copies will not be accepted.

·  ELP is competitive, so treat this application as you would a job application: be thorough and proof read.

·  Don’t forget your resume!

Step 1. Contact Information

Name
Student ID
Major
Year (Jr/Sr)
GPA
UO email address
Gmail address
Phone

Step 2. Application Questions

Note: your answers should be concise – ideally 3-4 sentences – yet detailed enough to fully answer the question.

A.  General Questions

1.  Why do you want to be a part of this team? In other words, what are your motivations and expectations, and do you have any specific learning goals?

2.  What knowledge and/or skills would you bring to the team?

3.  Please describe any coursework you have taken that is relevant to this project, making special reference to specific knowledge you’ve gained that will be valuable to the team. Be sure to mention any science courses that fulfill the pre-requisite requirement.

4.  Please describe any volunteer work, internships, research, hobbies, or paid work that you have completed that is relevant to this project.

5.  ELP emphasizes team-based collaboration and communication skills.

A. First, describe your general experience working in team settings. What kind of teams have you worked with (i.e., team size, composition and purpose)? Were your overall experiences positive or negative? Why?

B. Second, describe a specific example of how you worked in a team setting to complete a task or project. What was your role and how did your team work together? (e.g., What processes or relationships worked well? What processes or relationships could have been improved?).

B.  Expedition-related Questions

Due to the distance of the study sites from UO, this team will go on a multi-day camping expedition to collect data. You will hike off-trail across sagebrush landscapes and camp in a group setting. You must be able to participate in the entire data collection trip, Saturday 9/16 – Saturday 9/23. During Fall term, you will analyze your data, conduct library research and prepare a report and other products for your community partners.

6.  Are you a UO certified van driver? ______

7. If not, are you willing to become a certified van driver? (This requires getting a UO driver’s permit and taking an online training. It is fine if you don’t want to drive a van. I would like 4 students to be certified and willing to drive.). ______

8. Have you had first aid training? If so, what level and are you current? ______

9. How much experience have you had with backcountry hiking? Are you in good enough physical condition to hike up to 3 miles per day, off-trail, in variable terrain with light gear?

10. Do you have any health limitations that may affect your ability to participate in the course? Such limitations do not preclude your enrollment, but are important for us to know about.

11. Please initial or check the following:

____ I understand that I will be asked to complete some reading and minor research/writing over the summer to prepare for the field trip.

____ I understand that I will be expected to participate in group camping activities such as cooking and cleaning.

____ I understand that I will be asked to refrain from consuming alcohol or drugs during the camping trip.

Step 3. Writing Sample

The purpose of this section is to evaluate your writing skills specific to this project. Choose any ecological topic or issue (e.g., an animal’s behavior, a process such as flooding, a relationship such as predator-prey, a classification such as a type of soil, a conservation issue such as habitat loss, the ecological basis for habitat restoration, etc.). In ONE paragraph, describe the topic or issue in scientific terms. Your description should be clear, concise, interesting and based on good scientific information.

Step 4. References

Please list two references, with their contact phone and email addresses. Your references should be instructors, employers or other people who can attest to your skills and experience. Do not provide friends or family as references. However, one of your references may be a peer if you have worked with that person through a university club, activity or class.

Reference # 1

Name:

Relationship:

Email:

Phone:

Reference # 2

Name:

Relationship:

Email:

Phone:

Step 5. How did you learn about this opportunity?

¨  Advising meeting with Katie/Peg

¨  Advising meeting with Student Adviser

¨  Email announcement on listserve

¨  ELP presentation in one of my classes. Class ______

¨  ENVS/ELP Website

¨  Flier in Student Advising Center

¨  Have friends who were in ELP previously

¨  Other? Please let us know:______