Schneider Summer Fellowships: US Green Building Council (USGBC) - Summer 2025
Through the Schneider Fellows program, Stanford students work at leading U.S. nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the sustainable energy field. Schneider Summer Fellows spend a summer quarter tackling the world’s economic, environmental, social, and technical challenges associated with harnessing energy resources to deliver energy services.
Fellows receive a stipend of $10,000 for a 12-week summer fellowship. In addition, additional funding of up to $1500 is available for fellowship-related travel.
Description of Organization
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a global, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., working to improve environmental sustainability, human health, and resilience in the built environment through its programs and rating systems including LEED. Today, people in over 150 countries and territories live, work, and learn in LEED certified buildings, communities, and cities that protect health, climate, and natural resources, and enhance quality of life.
USGBC has three Schneider Fellowship positions available for summer 2025.
Fellowship 1: Technical Development Fellow
USGBC is currently seeking an Intern to join our Technical Development Team. The Technical Development Team is responsible for executing the ongoing maintenance and evolutionary development of the of the rating systems and technical products managed by USGBC in a manner that hastens market transformation towards a more sustainable future. The body of work associated with this ongoing effort is achieved through collaborative engagement with internal and external subject matter experts, thoughtful research, and dynamic responses to market drivers.
Specific Responsibilities Include
Leveraging excellent communication and project management skills as well as a passion for green building, this role collects, analyzes, synthesizes, and presents data and research related to innovative green building strategies to support technical development. The Intern will have the opportunity to collaborate with esteemed green building professionals on diverse projects with the goal of continuous, sustainable market transformation.
Program support (technical development)
- Research new market sectors and industries to help inform offerings, such as new design methods, best management practices, building performance monitoring strategies, or carbon accounting technology.
- Develop and execute independent research projects to support technical development of various topics addressed in the credit categories, e.g. innovative building design policies and performance metrics, climate impacts on buildings and material supply chains, equitable design, decarbonization, resilience to natural hazards, healthy indoor environments, and more.
- Support rating system development by managing credit category research projects related to the reference guide, education, documentation, pilot credits, etc.
- Serve as support by researching and analyzing performance data.
- Examine the integration of resilience, health and wellness, and social equity.
What you bring:
- Enjoys working with a dynamic team of change-makers in a fast-paced environment.
- Confidence when responding to and prioritizing multiple requests from external experts and senior managers.
- Superior verbal and written communication skills; able to produce brief, clear, and persuasive written communications.
- Familiarity with green building generally or the LEED rating system specifically; LEED Green Associate credential preferred (but not required).
- Commitment to USGBC mission.
- Research, data analysis and visualization, and Microsoft Excel skills.
Relevant College Majors/Degrees:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Architectural Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Interior Design
- Data Science
- Urban Strategy
- Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Fellowship 2: Product Management Fellow
USGBC is currently seeking an Intern to join our Product Management Team. The Product Management Team is responsible for supporting USGBC and GBCI products across their entire lifecycle to advance overall product strategy and direction, including establishing integrated product plans, identifying customer needs, and working with cross-functional teams to develop, launch, and optimize products across the organization.
Specific Responsibilities Include
The internship offers a hands-on opportunity to support the development of USGBC and GBCI focused products at the building and portfolio scale, with a concentration on emissions, energy, water, and waste management. The role involves conducting market and competitive research, assisting in product development, and adapting asset-level tools and guidance into scalable solutions that apply across entire real estate portfolios.
Product Management
- Conduct in-depth market research to identify trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in emissions, energy, water, and waste management for real estate portfolios.
- Conduct competitive analysis to understand the landscape of portfolio scale sustainability solution, including evaluating features, market positioning, strengths, and weaknesses.
- Assist in developing tools, frameworks, and guidance for real estate sustainability products and services.
- Translate existing asset level solutions into scalable tools, templates, and resources applicable to real estate portfolios.
- Participate in cross-functional product meetings, ideation sessions, concept testing, and the development of user personas, journey maps, and more.
What you bring:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to produce brief, clear, and persuasive written communications.
- Adaptability and ability to adjust focus based on evolving priorities.
- Strong research and analytical skills.
- Demonstrates strong interpersonal skills a proactive approach to problem solving.
- Familiarity with green building generally or the LEED rating system specifically; LEED Green Associate credential preferred (but not required).
- Passion for advancing sustainability best practice in the built environment.
- Commitment to USGBC mission.
Relevant College Majors/Degrees:
- Sustainability or environmental science
- Real estate development
- Urban planning
- Business administration
- Marketing and communications
- Environmental management
- Environmental engineering
Fellowship 3: Advocacy & Policy Technical Fellow
USGBC is currently seeking a Technical Intern to join our Advocacy & Policy Team. The Advocacy & Policy Team leads the organization’s work with Federal, state, and local governments respecting policies to support healthy and sustainable built environments, including better buildings. The team engages extensively with government officials, ally organizations, USGBC aligned communities, and volunteers, providing advice on green building policies.
Specific Responsibilities Include
The Summer 2025 Technical Intern will collect, analyze, synthesize, and present data and research related to how the LEED system compares with green codes, such as CalGreen, and with other green building strategies and systems. The Intern will have the opportunity to collaborate with internal and external green building professionals to gain insights and mentoring for these projects.
Program support
- Through review of briefs and policies and guided by Advocacy & Policy team members, develop an understanding of how policies reference green building certifications, including alternative compliance pathways, directed use, and equivalent systems.
- Research and identify any current published comparisons between LEED v4 or v5 and CalGreen and other certifications.
- Research the specific requirements for sustainability practices included in particular green codes, such as California’s CalGreen, and other green building programs as assigned.
- Analyze and compare the specific practices and metrics in such code and/or program to those in LEED v5. Compare predicted outcomes, cost, effort to meet, and other features through analysis and with input from internal and external experts.
- Develop a description and assumptions for what is a 'model building' and show how LEED compares to a building built to code.
- Communicate results in a brief(s) and slide deck. Present findings.
What you bring:
- Able to conduct independent technical research
- Ability to understand and analyze building codes and rating systems
- Familiarity with green building generally or the LEED rating system specifically; LEED Green Associate credential preferred (but not required).
- Enjoys working with a dynamic team of change-makers in a fast-paced environment.
- Confidence when responding to requests from senior managers.
- Superior verbal and written communication skills; able to produce brief, clear, and persuasive written communications.
- Commitment to USGBC mission.
- Research, data analysis and visualization, and Microsoft Excel skills.
Relevant College Majors/Degrees:
- Engineering – Mechanical, Architectural, Civil, Environmental
- Environmental Studies and Sustainability
- Engineering/industrial management
- Atmosphere/Energy
- Energy Science and Engineering
- Environmental Systems Engineering
- Urban Studies
- Sustainability
- Sustainable Architecture and Engineering
Eligibility:
For complete eligibility requirements, please review our program policies in its entirety.
Applicants must be:
- enrolled at Stanford for the winter and spring quarters of this academic year (2024-25); and
- be in good academic standing and not on suspension
Undergraduates and graduate students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Priority will be given to students who have completed fewer than two previous Cardinal Quarter opportunities.
Requirements:
Selected Fellows are expected to begin service by June 23, 2025 for a summer fellowship. All fellows are required to work with their community partners full-time (35-40 hours) for twelve consecutive weeks at their placements. Other commitments include the following:
Quarter before fellowship
- Complete an online program orientation.
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service workshop or worksheet.
- Attend Schneider Fellows cohort session(s)
- Identify and meet with an on-campus mentor at least once.
- Design a personal learning plan and share the learning plan with site supervisor and on-campus mentor.
- Complete all required pre-orientation forms.
During fellowship
- Submit a brief preliminary report.
- Submit a final report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with fellowship donor(s) as requested by fellowships program staff.
Quarter after fellowship
- Meet with on-campus mentor at least once.
- Participate in outreach activities to share the experience and help publicize the program.
Selection Process:
For those who seek assistance, advising is available at the Haas Center to help students develop their applications.
This fellowship is intended for individuals whose application, references, and interview demonstrate
- an integration of the fellowship experience with applicant’s academic, personal and/or career goals
- prior demonstrated interest or involvement in the subject area, including related coursework
- a compelling match between applicant’s skills and interests and an organization’s work and needs
- strong potential for the fellowship experience to deepen a candidate’s understanding of an identified community issue or challenge
Complete applications are screened, finalists interviewed, and fellows selected by our partner organizations with the intention to award fellowships within six weeks of the application deadline. Applicants should respond promptly (within 48 hours) via email to a fellowship offer, or the offer will be rescinded. Once an applicant accepts a fellowship offer, the student should promptly notify all other Stanford and non-Stanford programs to which they have applied that they have accepted another offer and to withdraw their candidacy.
