The PEC Randal Fellowship Program is an immersive experience that promises personalized experiences and practical knowledge and skills for transitioning into various career fields, such as:

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.

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).