2026 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
Job Title: Climate and Working Lands Intern
Department/Team: Climate and Working Lands Team at the California Department of Food and Agriculture
Location: Sacramento, California (hybrid preferred)
Duration: 40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Virginia Jameson, Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands
Areas of Interest: Agriculture, climate change, community engagement, nature based solutions, markets
About the California Department of Food and Agriculture:
The mission of the California Department of Food and Agriculture is to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local and global agricultural trade, through efficient management, innovation and sound science, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.
Our vision is that we be recognized as the most highly respected agricultural agency in the world by leading and excelling in the programs and services delivered to meet the needs for the growing local and global food and agricultural system.
CDFA is a cabinet-level agency/department led by Secretary Karen Ross and headquartered in Sacramento. Interns would work with CDFA executive leadership to tackle emergent issues affecting agriculture, such as climate change, racial equity, sustainable pest management, food security, market development, and more. Activities would include longer-term projects as well as short-term research assignments. Interns will gain skills and knowledge around public processes such as budgeting, program design, stakeholder engagement, policymaking, and communications.
About the Climate and Working Lands Team:
Deputy Secretary Jameson works closely with Dr. Nina Bingham, CDFA’s Climate Scientist, as well as a broader network of 30+ scientific staff within CDFA’s Office of Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability, and other parts of the department.
Position Description/Scope of Work:
The incumbent would work with executive-level staff to advance first-of-a-kind programs and policy initiatives, participate in interdisciplinary, cross-cutting state initiatives, and obtain experience working at the intersection of science, policy, and management.
List of Potential Projects:
One of the long-term projects in 2026 will be assisting with the development and coordination of a task force focused on improving measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification of climate smart agriculture projects. This work will help advance the investment in climate smart agriculture needed to build resilience on farms, uplift the good climate work California’s farmers are already doing, and help the state meet its climate goals. Additional projects include writing bill analyses, issuing memos, creating talking points, conducting data analysis on CDFA’s programs, public meeting set-up and management, social media creation, and more. This work takes place in an office environment, with in-person and virtual engagement with CDFA staff and other interested parties.
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Interest and ability to work on a team
- Experience or interest in learning more about interest-based stakeholder processes
- Strong written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills
- Skilled in project organization - able to manage multiple projects with tight deadlines
- Ability to think critically and develop innovative ideas
- Ability to understand and translate science for diverse audiences
- Ability to work effectively in a team and independently
Logistics:
- EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
- Start and end dates are flexible (start date no later than July 6, 2026).
- CDFA will provide a laptop computer and email address as well as a desk for the intern to use during their time with us.
Previous Fellows:
2024 and 2025 Fellows have assisted with the Climate Resilience Strategy for California Agriculture. Fellows coordinated, synthesized, and implemented input from state agencies and researched and developed portions of the strategy content. Fellows have also assisted with technical assistance and small farm projects with CDFA’s Technical Assistance Coordinator and CDFA’s Farm Equity Advisor.
- 2025 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Sofia Vera Verduzco
- 2024 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Hailey Demars
Eligibility
Stanford undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Learn more about our previous EPIC cohorts! Students must be enrolled for winter and spring quarters of this year and be in good academic standing to be eligible for a fellowship. Students may not be serving a suspension and may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA).
Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Co-terms are eligible; Graduating seniors cannot apply for the February deadline, and are ineligible for additional financial aid beyond the base stipend. Graduating seniors may apply if there is a Round 2 deadline in the spring quarter. All students, including co-term students, must be in the undergraduate billing group in spring quarter (this is important!). Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to submitting their application. Please refer to the Haas Center for Public Service's website for additional Cardinal Quarter Undergraduate Fellowship Program Policies and Requirements.
Note: students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the summer, and are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, coursework, or volunteer opportunity. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing and transportation during the fellowship.
Requirements
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Spring Quarter:
- Commit to working full-time (35-40 hours week) for 10 consecutive weeks
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Complete an online program orientation through the Haas Center for Public Service
- This will include designing a personal learning plan that you will share with your site supervisor and academic mentor
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service in-person workshop or worksheet
- If you are working internationally, complete the International Academy Canvas course, and participate in pre-departure orientation with Stanford Global Risk
- Meet with your assigned Stanford academic mentor at least once prior to the start of the fellowship (more check-ins during and after your experience are encouraged)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in spring quarter, as your schedule allows
- Complete and submit all required forms and paperwork
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Summer Quarter:
- Engage in your full-time fellowship (starting no later than July 6, 2026; exact start date to be determined with your site supervisor)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in the summer, as your schedule allows
- Submit a mid-summer evaluation
- Submit a final project report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with donor(s) as requested by program staff
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Fall Quarter:
- Debrief with your academic mentor at least once
- Attend a de-briefing meeting for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program
*Failure to complete any of the requirements may result in the student's stipend being rescinded in part or in full.
Fundamental Standard
Violations of Undergraduate Fellowships program policies are violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Undergraduate Fellowships Program, the Haas Center for Public Service, and Stanford University will have low/no priority for future Haas Center funding opportunities and programs. The Haas Center reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
More information about this fellowship opportunity is available through Cardinal Quarter. This program is one of more than 500 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford students pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. Check out Stanford University's Cardinal Service site.
