Porter Interns Make a Difference!

Twelve of our graduate students took part in the Porter Internship Program during the 2013-2014 academic year.

21 September 2014

Twelve of our graduate students took part in the Porter Internship Program during the 2013-2014 academic year. Students were assigned to internships in 10 different environmental NGOs, as well as the Environmental Authority of the Tel Aviv Municipality. This empowering hands-on experience was supplemented by special classes on strategies and methods for enhancing environmental activism.

 

Porter interns talk about their internship experiences:

Eliav Shtull-Trauring, an M.A. research student, interned at the international network Friends of the Earth Middle East, where he continues to conduct his thesis project on water footprint assessment.  “Agriculture in Israel is very advanced,” says Eliav, “but mostly focused on increasing productivity. Monitoring the effects of agriculture on the environment is less of a priority. At 'Friends of the Earth', with their guidance, I began to develop a tool for measuring the impact of water from different agricultural crops on the watershed." Once fully developed, this novel tool will be very useful to 'Friends of the Earth' in accomplishing one of their primary goals: the rehabilitation of the Jordan River.  Eliav and his supervisors hope that it will also be adopted by farmers and policy-makers.

 

Avigdor Sharon, a computer science expert who chose M.A. studies at Porter School over a promising hi-tech career, utilized his professional knowhow to build a resource center at the Israel Green Building Council. "People can use the resource center to learn about green building, city planning, and the emission of greenhouse gasses," says Avigdor. "I believe the information made accessible in this way will facilitate new collaborations between different sectors that do not ordinarily work together, for the benefit of the urban environment." In the future he hopes to engage in practical environmental research, bridging gaps between various fields.  

 

Nurit Meiron, an architect by profession and an M.A. research student at Porter School, chose to intern at Forum 15 – the Israeli Forum of Self-Government Cities, where she coordinated green building activities and advised municipal authorities with regard to green building standards. "It was a great experience," says Nurit. "I was able to gain a lot of experience and to see how things work in practice, while lending my professional knowledge and expertise to the organization."  Working with Forum 15 she understood the potential of her own abilities, and now intends to carry on, hopefully through a permanent position in government.

 

All 12 Porter Interns did important work at their assigned NGOs, and derived both pleasure and benefits from this unique program. But perhaps Eliav sums it up best of all: "The part I liked best about my internship was seeing all the amazing work people do. I got to know the wonderful world of environmental NGOs in Israel. I discovered organizations with a vision and great drive, and so many remarkable projects. It gives you hope!"

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