Paid student roles: civic tech, web development, and community organizing projects
PSYCFWD
Dear UCSC Graduate and Undergraduate Students,
The Right Livelihood Center at UC Santa Cruz is recruiting graduate and undergraduate students for several paid fellowships and positions this spring and early summer.
These roles support projects focused on democracy, civic technology, and localization, including participatory listening projects, global student engagement, and a statewide mapping of localization initiatives.
Some positions involve web development and civic tech, while others focus on community outreach and organizing. Students may work on one project or contribute across multiple projects, depending on skills and interests.
Timeline: March – June 2026
Time commitment: ~10–20 hours per week (flexible)
Job #10837925
This role will support the What Could UCSC Be? and What Could Santa Cruz Be? listening initiatives. These projects use participatory technology to gather ideas and perspectives from students, faculty, staff, and community members about the future of our university and region.
You can see examples of this work at What Could BG Be?, the Computational Democracy Project, and the work of Right Livelihood Laureate Audrey Tang. Your work will contribute to the early-stage development of a new UC ProSocial Tech Lab exploring civic tech, AI, and deliberative democracy. A key component of the project is Pol.is, an open-source platform used around the world to facilitate large-scale democratic conversations.
Primary responsibilities
• Build and manage a WordPress website for the project
• Integrate and manage Pol.is conversations
• Help design a public interface for the listening process
• Support data visualization and presentation of results
Ideal background
Students in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, or related fields are especially encouraged to apply. Experience with WordPress, APIs, civic tech platforms, or web development is highly helpful.
Who is this position for?
Two undergraduate students in the spring quarter of 2026. These two fellowships are sponsored by the Institute for Social Transformation's Building Belonging Program, and each student will receive a $1500 fellowship.
Job #10838004
This role focuses on strengthening the digital presence of the Right Livelihood Center, which serves as the Global Secretariat for the Right Livelihood College network. During this project, you will engage with members of the Right Livelihood International Student and Alumni Network, Right Livelihood Foundation (Sweden), and the local Right Livelihood Center at UCSC.
The primary task will be to redesign and improve the website for the global Right Livelihood College, currently at rlc-blog.org.
Primary responsibilities
• Build and redesign the WordPress site for rlc-blog.org
• Improve site structure and usability
• Support content publishing and visual presentation
• Help integrate conference and project materials
Who is this position for?
A graduate or undergraduate student with WordPress, web design, or digital publishing experience are encouraged to apply. This job is approximately 10 hours per week at $16.90 per hour.
Job #10838103
This role focuses on building student engagement across campus. The organizer will help connect students to the projects described above and build momentum for events and initiatives throughout the spring. You will work closely with members of the Right Livelihood Student Club at UCSC.
Primary responsibilities
• Conduct in-person outreach across campus
• Talk with students about Right Livelihood projects
• Help recruit participation in the listening initiatives
• Build a contact list of interested students
• Support event promotion and organizing
Who is this position for?
Undergraduate students interested in community organizing, public engagement, or student leadership are especially encouraged to apply. This role is ideal for students with backgrounds in fields such as:
• Politics
• Sociology
• Environmental Studies
• Community Studies
• Education
• Global studies
This job is approximately 10 hours per week at $16.90 per hour.
Job # 10838207
In collaboration with Local Futures, this project will create a California Map of Local Initiatives, highlighting organizations and community projects working on localization. Localization focuses on strengthening local economies, food systems, culture, and community resilience, while reducing dependence on long global supply chains. The project will launch a statewide call for submissions, inviting people across California to share examples of localization projects.
The selected initiatives will be featured in:
a public website
- a visual report
a presentation on World Localization Day (June 21, 2026)
This project is being conducted in collaboration with partners in Vietnam and Nepal, who are developing similar localization maps. The project is inspired by the Brazilian Map of Local Initiatives, which documented nearly 100 community-led projects focused on agroecology, food sovereignty, traditional knowledge, and local economic regeneration
Student roles may include:
Research and project mapping
- Web design and database development
- Graphic design and visual storytelling
- Outreach to organizations across California
Editing and preparing the final report
Goal: A statewide map and report highlighting California localization initiatives.
Who is this position for?
All graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. This job is approximately 10 hours per week at $16.90 per hour.
Apply on Handshake
(he/him/his)
Right Livelihood Center Coordinator, Institute for Social Transformation | rightlivelihood.ucsc.edu | transform.ucsc.edu
Ph.D. student in Environmental Studies | Biography
University of California, Santa Cruz
