Environment America Fellowship

From Maria Schweitzer, Recruitment Director for Environment America

Make a difference in the fight for our environment

We all care deeply about our environment. But we also know that, as a country, we need to take stronger action to protect it — especially with powerful interests standing in the way. Environment America speaks out and takes action at the local, state, and national levels to improve the quality of our environment and our lives.

Through our fellowship program, recent college graduates work alongside seasoned advocates to fight global warming, clean up our air and water and protect our open spaces.

Environment America's efforts to pass renewable energy standards in states across the country and at the federal level have already resulted in decreasing global warming pollution – the equivalent of taking 1.5 million cars off the road. We have preserved our natural heritage by securing permanent protection for 58.5 million acres of pristine wilderness areas in 39 states. We won protection for countless waterways across the country, and helped pass 7 major ocean protection bills in California.

Fellowship Program: 2008 – 2010 Job Description

Environment America Fellows will get a chance to work with some of the top environmental advocates and organizers in the country, and will have an immediate impact on critical environmental issues. The Fellowship Program gives recent college graduates the training and experience to assume leadership roles in the environmental movement for the long term.

The Fellowship Program positions include, but are not limited to:

Issue Associate:

As an issue associate, you’ll master your issue area and build the kind of powerful support it takes to make your voice heard and change public policy. Responsibilities include: researching and writing reports, developing and coordinating campaigns, preparing legislative testimony, building statewide and national coalitions, organizing media events, raising funds, and meeting with elected officials.

Field Associate:

As a field associate, you’ll build and demonstrate support for proposals at the state or federal level to ensure that decision-makers hear from and pay attention to the public. You must quickly master the basics of a variety of issues, and then reach out to individuals, media outlets and organizations to build visibility and gain their support.

Issue associates and field associates may work on any of the following issues: global warming, energy policy, clean air and water, preserving our open spaces, and more. Each associate takes on the critical role of building the organization by canvassing at various times during the year and running a citizen outreach office during the summer.

Qualifications

We are looking for recent college graduates who care about our environment and are driven to preserve it for the future. We look for strong leadership skills, academic excellence, problem solving ability, and top-notch written and verbal skills. We value experience with campus and activist groups.

Training and Experience

A key part of the Environment America mission is to train leaders who are capable of organizing and winning results for our environment. Immediately following an intensive training, fellows are trusted with significant responsibilities in their jobs. The training lasts 10 days, is fully paid, and starts in mid-August in Boston. Four additional trainings take place during the rest of the year. Training topics include skills and political strategy, and topics are covered in a mix of lectures, classroom briefings and discussions, role-plays, and in-the-field training. Throughout the year, you gain valuable skills and experience in both making your voice heard on the issues and in building an organization through grant-writing, canvassing, recruiting and managing staff, and directing campaigns.

Salary & Benefits

As a recent graduate, you will earn $23,750 in your first year and $24,250 in your second year. Salary for experienced candidates is commensurate with relevant professional experience and/or advanced degrees. You will be eligible to opt in to our group health plan, and will accrue two weeks paid vacation over the course of your first year, three weeks in your second year and will be eligible to apply for college loan assistance. In your second year, you will also be eligible to participate in our 401(k) plan. Salary and benefits vary in California and New York.

Placement

Fellowship candidates are hired nationwide and placed in Environment America offices across the country. If you are interested only in particular locations, you will be asked to identify those locations during the interview process. If you are offered a fellowship position, you are guaranteed placement in one of your desired locations. In most cases, final placement, including location and position, occurs during the August training in Boston.

Locations

Environment America is currently hiring for positions in: Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Denver, CO; Hartford, CT; Washington, DC; Tallahassee, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Portland, ME; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Ann Arbor, MI; Concord, NH; Trenton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Raleigh, NC; Columbus, OH; Portland, OR; Harrisburg, PA; Philadelphia, PA; Providence, RI; Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; Madison, WI