High school geography internship and research fellowship
This high school geography internship lets students in Grades 9 to 12 study how their own area is changing, with a mentor who reviews their maps and method. You compare satellite images, walk and map your neighbourhood with a parent, talk to residents and write up what you find as a research report.
For school students who enjoy IB Geography, ESS or geography in IGCSE, CBSE or ICSE and like maps, places and field work. Online, with field work near home and a parent or guardian present at every self-guided activity. The fellowship is paid because every student receives time and attention from senior researchers and leaders.
Why geography matters for sustainability
Geography explains where things happen and why they happen there. A street floods in the monsoon because of where it sits, how the land slopes and what has been built around it. Rivers carry water and waste from one part of a city to another. Human geographers ask how cities grow and which families live in the places most at risk. Maps help a city see these links and plan for them.
Earth5R works in 150+ Indian cities. Its teams have cleaned the Mithi River in Mumbai, the Mula Mutha in Pune, the Yamuna in Delhi and Powai Lake in Mumbai. Field records on the Earth5R app are photographed and geo-tagged, so waste points, cleanups and tree plantations can be placed on a map. As a fellow you combine records like these with satellite images and your own walks, with a mentor guiding your method.
This work links to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communities and Goal 13, Climate action.
Available projects in this high school geography internship
Each project fits around school work and takes place near home. Your mentor shapes the final project with you.
How your neighbourhood has changed
Compare public satellite images of your area from different years, map how open ground, green cover and buildings have changed, and check what you find on a walk with a parent.
A river seen from public viewpoints
From public bridges and promenades, photograph and geotag drains, dumping points and changes to the bank along a stretch of river or creek, and draw a sketch map.
Mapping waste hotspots
Walk the footpaths of your neighbourhood with a parent, geotag places where waste gathers and test whether these hotspots sit near markets, bus stops or open drains.
Monsoon flooding and urban growth
Ask family and neighbours which nearby streets flood in the monsoon, map them and compare your map with old maps or satellite images that show where building has spread.
What you do in the field
- Compare satellite images of your area from different years
- Walk your study area and take geo-tagged photos
- Draw and label sketch maps in the field
- Interview family and neighbours about how the area has changed
- Build simple maps in a GIS tool such as QGIS
- Present your maps in a research conversation and answer questions
Skills you build
On a high school geography internship, you collect your own data near home with a parent or guardian, using the Earth5R app and data forms. Earth5R checks the data on its platform before it goes into your project report.
How a high school geography internship fits your school programme
For IB, IGCSE, CBSE and ICSE students. Your school decides what counts towards its own requirements.
IB CAS
Mapping waste hotspots and sharing the map with your residents’ association can form a CAS project with a service element. Your CAS coordinator decides whether it qualifies.
Extended Essay and IA
IB Geography’s internal assessment is a fieldwork report, and an Extended Essay needs primary data. Your field maps and interviews can support either, and your supervisor decides.
MYP, IGCSE and CBSE projects
A local land use or flooding study can fit the MYP Personal Project and the fieldwork and project tasks in IGCSE, CBSE and ICSE geography, if your school approves it.
University applications
A verified record of maps and field work from your own area gives you something specific to discuss in a personal statement or an interview.
How the high school geography internship works
Every student moves through four phases. Your mentor checks each phase before you move on, and sessions pause during board exams.
Observe and Map
Go into the field near home, with a parent or guardian, and collect primary data for your project in Geography.
Frame and Design
Find the root cause in your data and frame a problem worth solving, with your mentor.
Model
Build a working model, analysis or design for your solution, and test it.
Build and Deploy
Put your solution to work, measure the result and publish a verified record on earth5r.org.
Along the way you take part in research conversations with professors at MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, LSE and other universities, and ask your own questions. See how FIELDWORK works.
Where this can take you
University courses this leads to
- BA or BSc in Geography
- BSc in Environmental Geography
- BSc in Earth Sciences or Geology
- BSc in Geography with GIS
- BA in Urban Studies or Planning
Careers in this field
- Geographer or GIS analyst
- Urban planner
- Flood and disaster risk analyst
- Hydrologist
- Environmental consultant
Universities to aim for in Geography
Geography admissions tutors look for students who can link what they see in the field to maps and data and explain the causes behind a pattern. A high school geography internship with FIELDWORK gives you maps you made, field records you collected and a profile that admissions teams can check. Students use a high school geography internship to build a record of real work for applications to universities like these.
UK · School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE)
Oxford’s School of Geography and the Environment teaches a three-year BA in Geography that bridges the natural and social sciences. First-year students go on a physical geography field trip, and later options include climate change impacts and adaptation. Research centres include the Environmental Change Institute.
UK · Department of Geography
Cambridge’s three-year Geography BA covers physical and human geography, and students don’t have to pick one at the start. Field classes run in the second year. Third-year options include Natural Hazards in the 21st Century and Earth Observation and the Climate System.
University College London (UCL)
UK · UCL Geography
UCL Geography offers a Geography BA and BSc, along with degrees that combine geography with economics or social data science. BSc students study climate change, ecosystems and hazards through field trips and lab training. Research clusters include Environmental change and biodiversity, and Climates: past, present and future.
UK · Department of Geography
Durham’s Department of Geography offers a BA and a BSc in Geography, with field trips from the first year. Its research clusters include Catchments and Rivers, which monitors and models hillslope and river environments, and Sea Level, Ice and Climate.
Switzerland · Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (D-EAPS)
ETH’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences teaches a Bachelor in Earth and Climate Sciences. Students learn the main ideas and methods of the Earth sciences on a base of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, with observation in the field and laboratory. Bachelor’s teaching at ETH is mainly in German.
University of British Columbia (UBC)
Canada · Department of Geography
UBC Geography splits its undergraduate teaching into three fields, with degrees such as the BA Environment & Sustainability, the BA Human Geography and the BSc Geographical Sciences. Students can add a Certificate in Climate Studies and Action or a minor in GIS & Geographical Computation.
USA · Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Stanford’s Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences offers a Bachelor of Science. Undergraduates study the history and processes of Earth and other planets and build skills for environmental and planetary challenges. The department’s research informs natural hazards and sustainable resource use.
University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley)
USA · Department of Geography
Berkeley Geography runs an undergraduate major and minor that take on problems such as the climate emergency and the degradation of ecosystems. Its research areas include Earth System Science, Critical Environments and Geospatial Representation, with topics from cities to physical systems.
Canada · Department of Geography & Planning, Faculty of Arts & Science
Toronto’s Department of Geography & Planning offers undergraduate programmes in Environmental Geography, Human Geography and Geographic Data Science, along with Urban Studies. Environmental Geography looks at how society relates to nature and trains students in GIS and remote sensing.
National University of Singapore (NUS)
Singapore · Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
NUS Geography offers major, minor and honours programmes for undergraduates. Its research clusters include Tropical Environmental Change and Geographic Information Systems. Teaching themes include climate change, with its impacts and adaptation, and sustainable development.
This list is for guidance. These universities offer undergraduate study in Geography. Earth5R has no admissions arrangement with them, and admission decisions rest with each university. Students get help researching universities, scholarships and applications, depending on the programme.
What your fellowship fee pays for
An internship fellowship at Earth5R is time and attention from senior researchers and leaders. Each part below takes staff time and resources that we set aside for every fellow.
Live mentoring with experts
One-to-one mentoring in most fellowships, with regular check-ins on your project.
Dialogues with global researchers
Academics from international universities and renowned scientists, who answer your questions and discuss your work.
Support in the field
Guidance while you collect data and work on your project in the field.
References for your next step
References when you apply for jobs, higher studies and research programmes.
Your work, hosted for life
Your work and data stay on Earth5R’s website and servers for life, where universities and employers can check them.
Time from senior people
Each fellow receives time and attention from senior researchers and leaders, set aside for them.
Fee details available on request.
Choose your fellowship
The Multi-Year Fellowship can run from Grade 9 to Grade 12, with more scope each year.
The fee pays for live mentoring, dialogues with global researchers, support in the field, references and lifelong hosting of your work. Fee details available on request.
High school geography internship: common questions
Is this high school geography internship about physical or human geography?
Both. You can study rivers, flooding and land use, or how your city grows and how residents feel about the changes. Many projects mix the two. Your mentor helps you pick a project that fits your interests and the course you’re thinking about.
Will my child have to go near rivers or busy roads?
No. Observations are made from public footpaths, parks, bridges and promenades, with a parent or guardian present at every self-guided activity. Students never enter water or walk on riverbanks, and much of the mapping is done at a desk with satellite images.
Do I need GIS software to start?
No. You can start with paper maps, public satellite images and your own geo-tagged photos. When you’re ready, your mentor shows you the basics of an open-source GIS tool such as QGIS, which many geography degrees use.
Is the high school geography internship paid?
Yes. FIELDWORK is a paid, mentored programme. The fee pays for live mentoring, dialogues with global researchers, support in the field, references and lifelong hosting of your work. Fee details are available on request.
Can my child do this high school geography internship online?
Yes. Mentoring sessions run online, and field work takes place near where you live.
Is a parent or guardian present during field work?
Yes. A parent or guardian is present at every self-guided field activity. Online sessions are for students.
Does FIELDWORK pause during board exams?
Yes. Sessions pause during board exams, so the fellowship fits around school work.
What do students get at the end?
A certificate, a letter of recommendation, a project report and a verified profile on earth5r.org, where universities can check the work.
Related subjects for school students
Already at university? See the Geography and Earth Sciences internship fellowship for university students.
Apply for a FIELDWORK fellowship in Geography
This high school geography internship is for students in Grades 9 to 12. Work on a live Earth5R project with a mentor, take part in research conversations with global researchers, and build a verified record of your work. Fee details available on request.
