Randal Fellowship Program

The Randal Fellowship is an eight-week hybrid program designed for undergraduate and graduate students interested in careers in environmental stewardship, land conservation, historic preservation, community planning, agriculture, and related fields.

Program Format:

• Duration: 8 weeks (June-July)
• Structure: Hybrid program
  • 3 weeks in-person in the Piedmont
  • 5 weeks online learning
• Location: Primary location in Warrenton, VA (PEC's main office)

Geographic Scope: PEC's nine-county operating region in Virginia's Piedmont

Focus Areas:

• Environmental stewardship
• Land conservation
• Historic preservation
• Community planning
• Agriculture
• Related environmental fields

Eligibility:

• Academic status: Undergraduate juniors and seniors from any institution, graduate students, or recent college graduates
• Major: Any major welcome
• Academic interests: Designed for those interested in related fields including environmental science, environmental policy, government, economics, human & environmental relations, history, religion, anthropology, sociology, geography, urban planning, international studies, American studies, and many more
• Citizenship: U.S. citizens or those on a path to citizenship
• Age: 18 years or older
• Requirements: Must be able to participate in all aspects of the program without other professional or personal commitments
• Transportation: Requires access to personal vehicle or arrangement for ride-sharing/carpooling (limited/no public transportation in the region); option to rent a car

Program Highlights:

• Hands-on experience in environmental conservation and stewardship
• Exposure to various career paths in environmental fields
• Networking with conservation professionals and peers
• Practical skills development

Required Materials:

1. Contact and Academic Information: Personal contact details and academic background
2. Resume and Cover Letter:
   • Combined in a single Microsoft Word or PDF document
   • Upload to application form
3. Short Essay (150 words or less):
   • Prompt: "Imagine yourself 10 years from today: What kind of job do you have? Where do you live and what groups and activities are you involved with? What experiences have you had?"
   • Type/paste directly into form
4. Long Essay (500 words):
   • Choose ONE of the provided quotes and write a reflection addressing the quote
   • Connect to PEC's work and your own lived experience
   • Address: What are your thoughts about the connections between ideas in the quote and PEC's work?
   • Select a recent PEC blog post and connect it to the quote's ideas
   • Include personal experiences and insights as basis for the essay

Quote Options (choose one):

Quote 1 - Charles Marohn:
"We have misdiagnosed the problem. Our problem was not, and is not, a lack of economic growth. Our core problem is 70 years of unproductive growth, a pattern of building and assembling America that has buried our local communities in financial liabilities. We are now forced to grow faster and faster lest it all fall apart"

Quote 2 - Alvin W. Graylon:
"Technology alone cannot save us. We need a new philosophy, one that takes an era of abundance seriously. One that aligns our systems with the true potential of exponential technologies for global benefit, while centering on the dignity, cohesion, and shared well-being of all peoples at its core."

Quote 3 - William Whyte:
"The less of our landscape there is to save, the better our chances of saving it. It is a shame we have to lose so much land to learn the lesson, but desecration does seem a prerequisite for action. People have to be outraged. Some of the most significant legislation can be traced to a small local outrage."

Quote 4 - Ashley Dawson:
"We need to stop thinking of energy as a commodity and instead conceive of it as part of the global commons, a vital element in the great stock of air, water, plants and collectively created cultural forms like music and language that have traditionally been regarded as the inheritance of humanity as a whole."

Application Tips:

• Write essays in advance and cut/paste into form
• Review all program information at pecva.org/fellowship before applying
• Contact [email protected] with questions

Application Deadline and Timeline:

• 2026 application period: CLOSED (as of February 13, 2026)
• 2027 program details: Check back in November 2026

Contact for Questions

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: pecva.org/fellowship