Internship & Senior Project Opportunities

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For UEPP Students
Please check back frequently for updates & new opportunities!

 

There are several opportunities with cities and counties for internships or senior projects.


Some have an immediate start date; others are more flexible and/or ongoing.

 

  • Please send cover letters and resumes to listed contacts (please copy Dr. Laninga on all correspondence, laningt@wwu.edu)
  • For openings that don’t list direct contact information, or for more information on any of the positions, please contact Dr. Tammi Laninga.

 

UEPP students are required to earn 5 credits of Experiential credits. Students can earn them by doing an internship, completing a senior project or thesis, or through study abroad. All 5 credits can be earned in one quarter or be spread out across several quarters. They can also be a combination of internship, senior project, etc. Earning 1 credit is equivalent to 30 hours of time commitment; 5 credits equal 150 hours.

In some instances, there is more information available about the internship. Please see individual projects for applicable links.

Employers

Are you looking for an intern or do you have a project that you'd like a class to assist with?

Western Washington University’s Urban & Environmental Planning & Policy (UEPP) Department wants to hear from local governments and Tribal Nations about your planning project needs. We can provide support through dedicated course projects or individual student internships and senior projects. We may be able to sponsor the cost of the project or intern, if funding is an issue for you. Please complete this short, online form Project/Intern Sponsorship Application and let us know how we can support your planning needs this year.

Current Opportunities

Habitat for Humanity, Whatcom County - Ongoing Projects for Students

Survey of Habitat Affiliates of comparable size to Habitat Whatcom

In Washington State: 
What type of homes are they building? 
Single family, duplex, townhouses? Multifamily? 
Are they building multiple homes at the same time? Neighborhood developments? 
Do they have standard designs for the homes they build? What do those designs look like? 
What do their sustainable design standards and techniques look like? 
Do they have a construction manual? What does their volunteer training curriculum look like?

Looking Nationally: Where are regional habitat affiliates working with standardized design elements that allow large-scale bulk pricing? For example, a regional group of Habitat affiliates in New England are working with standardized window sizes that allow bulk purchasing discounts

Habitat Whatcom's Construction Manual (an ongoing project): A construction manual is a standardized framework for how we as a company approach each stage of a residential building project. It also includes volunteer training curriculum for specific onsite construction tasks.

Habitat Whatcom's "Habitat Passive" building style Info Brochure: Our goal is maximizing the most effective/lowest cost energy efficiency design elements, to achieve cost effective energy efficiency for our home buyers.

Grant Database: Compile and organize a list of local and state funded grant opportunities for organizational development and capacity building. Anything that would fund any kind of development for internal operating structures, professional development training for staff, consultants specializing in program development, etc. This could also include attending the monthly Community Development Advisory Board meetings at the City of Bellingham with me to learn more about local opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications/Prerequisites: Junior or Senior in UEPP; interest in affordable housing and community-based organizations.

Project Contacts:
Virginia MacDonald, Construction Project Manager, virginia.macdonald@hfhwhatcom.org  
Dr. Tammi Laninga, laningt@wwu.edu for earning credits

Ongoing Opportunities

  • UEPP Diversity and Student Outreach Committee (quarterly opportunity) (in-person)

  • La Villa de Las Americas (Birchwood Cultural District) (could be team) (in-person)

  • WWU Office of Student Life/Basic Needs – Creative Housing Solutions for College Students (could be a team) (remote & in-person)

Diversity and Student Outreach Community (Senior Project)

The Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy (UEPP) Department is committed to supporting and enhancing accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) in the department. DSOC undertakes activities and actions that retain and recruit a diverse community. Students may earn 1-2 senior project credits or independent study credits as a student member of the committee each quarter. 

Preferred Qualifications/Prerequisites: Junior/Senior in UEPP; commitment to ADEI; willingness to bring ideas and be engaged with activities and events that support current students and recruit new students to the department.

For more information, check out the draft UEPP Diversity Plan

Project contact: Tammi Laninga laningt@wwu.edu

La Villa de Las Americas (Birchwood Cultural District) Senior Project – could be a team project

Bellingham is home to a large and vibrant Latine community that is underrepresented in both policies and the built environment. Melida Baca-Lopez, a community activist with a vision of change, has proposed the idea of a cultural district. Her concept incorporates Spanish Colonial architecture, spaces for Latine business owners, and community spaces and events celebrating Bellingham’s Latin American presence. Since 2023, UEPP students and Dr. Laninga have worked with Melida to conduct research and identify community support and partners to help carry the idea forward. 

Students would continue to support Melida to help with development of a non-profit, connect with partners, and help draft a proposal to share with the Birchwood Neighborhood Association, the Mayor’s Neighborhood Council, and city staff.

Preferred Qualifications/Prerequisites: Junior/Senior in UEPP; Spanish-speaking; completed UEPP 475. Interest in community organizing.

For more information, check out this report.

Project Contact: Tammi Laninga, laningt@wwu.edu

Housing for College Students (Independent study or Senior project)

During the October 2024 Whatcom Housing Week, representatives from WWU, Whatcom Community College (WCC) and Bellingham Technical College (BTC) hosted a panel to explore “Creatively Housing College Students in Whatcom County.” The outcome from the session is a list of brainstormed ideas looking for more research. This project would research ideas from the session.

Preferred Qualifications/Prerequisites: pre-major, Junior, or Senior in UEPP; interest in affordable housing; interest in collaborating with students/staff from WWU, WCC and BTC.

Link to Brainstormed Ideas: Creatively Housing College Students in Whatcom County

Project Contacts: