2026 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): San Francisco Environment Department (SFE) - Toxics Reduction & Healthy Communities Program
Job Title: Toxics Reduction & Healthy Communities Intern
Department/Team: Toxics Reduction & Healthy Communities Team at the San Francisco Environment Department
Location: Hybrid (4 days per week in office) in San Francisco, California
Duration: 40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Chris Lester (Special Waste Coordinator)
Areas of Interest: Toxics and chemical reduction, community outreach, policy and legislation, and potential cross collaboration with other program areas including Zero Waste, Energy, Environmental Justice, and Climate.
About the San Francisco Environment Department:
The San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) advances climate protection and enhances quality of life for all San Franciscans. SF Environment is a department within the City and County of San Francisco, a local government committed to innovation, leadership and collaboration in creating environmental change. SF Environment is recognized worldwide for its environmental policies and programs, which center on achieving zero waste, reducing toxic chemical hazards, advancing environmental justice, promoting sustainable transportation modes, expanding clean energy infrastructure, greening our built environment, and protecting our urban forest. We’re a passionate, mission-driven team that values credibility, collaboration, impact, innovation and equity.
About the Toxics Reduction & Healthy Communities Program:
The Toxics Reduction & Healthy Communities Program leads a variety of programs, policies and projects, ranging from reducing the use of harmful chemicals in residential, commercial and City government settings. Projects and programs we undertake at the local level often become models for scaling elsewhere! Current initiatives include:
- eliminating the use of fluorochemicals in numerous consumer and industrial uses
- tackling antibiotic resistance
- supporting small businesses to adopt sustainable practices
- addressing microfiber pollution
- creating end-of-life solutions for emerging hazardous waste items
Position Description/Scope of Work:
The intern would work with SFE staff to advance programs and policy initiatives, engage with the community, and obtain experience working at the intersection of a variety of environmental issues.
List of Potential Projects:
- Help implement the San Francisco Healthy Nail Salon Program
- Conduct outreach to residents about proper disposal of toxics products
- Researching products and identifying safer alternatives to toxic products
- Assist with implementing a pilot collection program for household hazardous waste
- Research vape products and identify collaborative opportunities with San Francisco Unified School Districts and smoke shops to serve as collection sites
- Conducting outreach and technical assistance to commercial businesses and residents
- Assisting in creating policies and programs that drive the use of safer products in SF
- Drafting policy and outreach documents
- Conducting surveys and analyzing results
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
- Data heads, you are welcome here! We would love to leverage your ability to prepare reports, spreadsheets, data and documentation for reporting information to the public.
- Enjoy writing? We have many needs for public-facing materials including factsheets, web pages, presentations, etc.
- Do you have phone super powers? Research by our department often involves making phone calls to a wide range of businesses, residents and other stakeholders. Those who are persistent enough to navigate a phone tree and find the right person, and then have an engaging phone voice are gold.
- Are you confident, self-motivated and a well-organized individual?
- Can you analyze and synthesize information from various sources?
- Second language commonly spoken in San Francisco, especially Vietnamese, Spanish and/or Chinese.
If any or all of the above sounds like you, then join us and be a part of making the world a better place, starting in San Francisco!
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).
2025 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Alina Zhang
2024 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Fiona Mooney
2022 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Lizzie Avila
2021 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Jocelyn Thai
2020 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Alain Perez
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.
