Our 2025 application period is now open! Learn more and apply by Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025.
Each summer, twelve students spend eight weeks with The Piedmont Environmental Council to gain a firsthand look into how we achieve environmental and social change in our communities.
Are you an undergraduate or recent graduate interested in learning more about a career in environmental conservation? If so, you should consider applying! Twelve students will be selected for this unique opportunity to spend the summer living and learning with other current and future activists and decision-makers in the environmental movement.
The PEC Randal Fellowship Program is named after the late Judy Randal, who supported the development of the program. A renowned journalist, Judy was a strong believer in education, conservation and civic engagement. This program offers an immersive experience designed to provide practical knowledge and skills for transitioning into various career fields, such as:
- Public policy and law
- Land conservation
- Grassroots advocacy
- Land use/regional planning
- Habitat management and restoration
- Renewable energy
- Sustainable agriculture
- Historic preservation
- Environmental fieldwork
- Nonprofit leadership, development and communications
- Geographic information systems (GIS) mapping
- and more!
Spend the summer with us!
The hybrid eight-week program gives participants a practical and comprehensive understanding of the role of nonprofit and local engagement in addressing complex and interdisciplinary environmental issues faced by communities today.
Five weeks of the program will be online through Google Meet/Zoom, featuring Socratic seminar-style classroom discussions, guest lectures, and assignments to practice knowledge and skill application. Three weeks will be devoted to an in-person stay in Northern Virginia, with off-site excursions to conservation properties owned by PEC and key sites in our nine-county area and the City of Charlottesville. Fellows will be engaged in hands-on activities, fieldwork, educational tours, and recreation — from hikes at state and national parks to a float down the Rappahannock River. Along the way, fellows will explore how individual and collective action can shape the short and long-term futures of communities, the climate, and the environment as a whole.
The program culminates in a collaborative real–world practicum, during which fellows will choose a research focus of interest based on a particular aspect of PEC’s work in the Virginia Piedmont.
In 2025, the program will run from June 2 to July 25. Eligibility and Application →
Research Practicum
Stipend and accommodations
PEC covers all program-related expenses and provides each fellow with a stipend of $325 per week (all eight weeks) to cover living expenses. For the three weeks in-person, which will take place June 16-July 4, PEC will provide dual occupancy lodging/hotel accommodations and offer a travel reimbursement, subject to prior approval, to cover the cost of getting to and from the Virginia Piedmont (i.e. airfare, gas mileage).
We encourage you to apply to the PEC Fellowship Program if you:
- want to broaden your environmental knowledge and gain new perspectives;
- are interested in a local, interdisciplinary, and multi-sector approach to environmental work;
- want to explore how policy, conservation science, and advocacy intersect on the ground, in the real world;
- hold space for nuance and complexity in problem-solving;
- value smart growth, land conservation and access to nature;
- have an interest in the nonprofit or government sector;
- are passionate about a diverse and holistic environmental field;
- are committed to supporting and advocating for equity and justice; and
- want to strengthen your leadership, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Alumni Testimonials
Read more coverage of the fellowship program →
Judy Randal (1929-2023)
The Randal Fellowship is named after the late Judy Randal, who supported the development of the PEC Fellowship program to provide direct conservation experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. She was a strong believer in education and the importance of sharing the success of PEC in conservation, environmental policy, and civic engagement.
Judy was a long-time supporter of PEC and a trail-blazer for women in journalism. A renowned journalist, Judy received numerous national awards for her science and health writing and served as president of the National Association of Science Writers. Judy was also actively involved in the Loudoun community. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of PEC, Judy served on the Boards of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia, the Loudoun Health Commission and the Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging. She was an avid supporter of environmental groups locally and globally.