The Bronx River Alliance seeks a Science Research Mentor for the Environmental Education and Leadership for Students (EELS) Program!

The Bronx River Alliance seeks a Science Research Mentor for the Environmental Education and Leadership for Students (EELS) Program!

The Bronx River Alliance is proud to launch the 2025-2026 Academic Year Session of the EELS (Environmental Education and Leadership for Students) Internship! The mission of the EELS internship is to introduce students from environmental justice communities to careers in the environmental field. The group of up to 20 students from New York City public high schools spent the summer engaging in introductory hands-on field work with Bronx River Alliance staff. During the academic year, the EELS Interns will work in small groups with mentors who are performing research centered around the Bronx River, or who would like to support student ideas for research topics. EELS Interns will support the mentor with field work and data collection, and the mentor will provide the interns with access to peer-reviewed articles and professional, specialized field experiences. We are recruiting local research scientists who are currently planning on completing research in and around the Bronx River, who need the majority of their field work completed in Spring 2026.

We are seeking 3-4 mentors who specialize in Ecology, Urban Ecology, Environmental Science, Public Health, Geography, Marine Biology, or a related field and are able to guide and support a group of up to 5 high school students.

Time Period: November 2025 – June 2026

Mentors must be:

• Currently junior or senior in an accredited college, enrolled in an accredited graduate or doctoral program, or working in the fields of Ecology, Urban Ecology, Environmental Science, Public Health, Geography, Marine Biology, or a related field. Experts and professionals within the fields mentioned above are also accepted.
• Planning to work, or currently working on a research project in which the Bronx River is an essential focus. This includes but is not limited to research taking place in the Bronx River itself, the Bronx River Forest, the Bronx River Watershed, the Bronx River Greenway, or the Bronx River Foodway in Concrete Plant Park. Citywide studies are appropriate, provided the Bronx River is included in the study.
• Capable of guiding a team of up to 5 high school students in research, field methods, and data collection.
• Willing to share resources such as peer-reviewed articles for background research.
• Assist in creating a final research poster to be completed in June 2026.
• Available to commit to Saturday morning (9:30AM – 2:30PM) schedule from November 23, 2024 – June 7, 2025
  • Final poster presentation on June 7.
    Mentors are expected to meet in-person on meeting days. The Fall semester, November – December, will include the students meeting and choosing their mentors, then engaging in background reading and discussion. Field research and data analysis will begin around March 2026.
    For more detailed information about the schedule, please view Appendix A. Note that this calendar is subject to change.
• Committed to keeping in touch with interns via e-mail during scheduled Winter and Spring breaks.

The time commitment is approximately 20 hours in the Fall semester and 65 hours total for the Spring semester. Bronx River Alliance staff will handle administrative tasks and intern management. The mentor is required to provide scientific resources and field work guidance/oversight.

A total honorarium of $2000 will be given to mentors.

To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter to education@bronxriver.org by Monday, October 6, 2025. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis. In your application, please indicate the research topic you plan to cover.

Appendix A