This summer, Oscar Cleaveland had the opportunity to complete a 12-week remote internship with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as a state and local government market development intern.

During his internship, Oscar worked on two main projects focused on how local governments can use USGBC programs to advance sustainability. One project explored how LEED for Cities can serve as a gateway to broader engagement with USGBC while providing insight into the value of certification for local governments. The other examined how local governments are using LEED for Operations & Maintenance (O+M) to manage and improve the performance of existing buildings.

As a remote intern working with a team spread around the world, Oscar spent his days researching, analyzing data and collaborating with colleagues through Microsoft Teams and email. He also had the opportunity to learn new tools, including Salesforce and Power BI, which became some of the highlights of his experience.

“The experience has reinforced my desire to do work advancing the sustainability of cities and local governments,” Oscar said. “I find the whole field of sustainability within the built environment to be incredibly interesting, and seeing the data about how much of an impact cities and buildings have on the environment makes me understand how needed sustainability is in this area of our everyday lives."

One experience that stood out was the opportunity to meet with the sustainability manager for his home county. After connecting through his work with LEED for Cities, he had the opportunity to learn more about her career, the role of a local government sustainability manager, and potential paths he could pursue based on his interests. She also offered to connect him with sustainability professionals across the state and country.

Oscar is grateful for the experiences, connections, and knowledge he gained throughout his internship and looks forward to applying what he learned as he continues exploring a career in sustainability. 🌱