Climate & Communities Intern

About the Role: 
 

The Climate & Communities Fellow is responsible for working with the King County and Collaborative project team, a community consultant, and a community Advisory Committee to create and facilitate a community-centered climate learning series and to support with integration of community priorities into other Collaborative programming. This internship provides a unique opportunity to work with climate adaptation practitioners and community leaders across the Puget Sound region on building local and regional capacity for climate preparedness, and to grow the Collaborative’s role as a leading resource for climate preparedness learning and practice that is responsive to community needs. The role also provides opportunities for career development beyond the internship through skill-building training and networking. This position seeks to be full-time during summer months and part-time during school months with flexibility for the Fellow’s class schedule. It is currently funded through December 2027. The position will report to Collaborative staff within the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Director’s Office. 

What You Will Be Doing: 

• Create and manage a CCLS Advisory Group (15%): Support the creation and management of a CCLS Advisory Group, to consist of five to eight representatives from community-based organizations and/or frontline communities.  
• Design and deliver the CCLS (65%): Work with the CCLS Advisory Group, Collaborative Steering Committee and staff, a community consultant, and other partners to co-develop the content, format, and schedule of the CCLS. Anticipated content includes information on local climate change impacts, an overview of climate justice, climate storytelling basics, and best practices for frontline community engagement.  Secure participation from community members, presenters, and subject matter experts. Conduct outreach to recruit attendees for CCLS sessions using methods such as email, social media, and newsletters. Facilitate CCLS webinars, meetings, and trainings in collaboration with other partners. Ensure CCLS webinars are accessible and add value for participants through supporting materials. Summarize notes and key messages from CCLS sessions to share post-meeting. Elicit feedback from presenters and participants during and after CCLS sessions and summarize findings to support evaluation and improvement of the series. Compile, and when necessary create, guidance documents, training materials, and resources related to the CCLS for inclusion in resource libraries on the Collaborative website.
• Support integration of climate equity and community priorities across grant activities (10%): Support integration of climate equity and community engagement principles in Collaborative webinars, regional convenings, and workshops. Help identify opportunities to highlight climate and community equity principles in webinars, technical guidance, and case studies.
• Support grant reporting and communications (10%): Track activities, participation metrics, and outcomes of the CCLS. Contribute to reports and presentations on program progress. Collaborate with Collaborative staff to share updates and support continued program development. Participate in Collaborative grant staff team meetings, convenings, and other activities (mix of virtual or in-person).  

Qualifications You Bring: 

• Currently enrolled graduate student in environmental studies, environmental justice, public policy, or related fields
• Strong relationship-building skills with an ability to work across cultural and organizational or programmatic contexts.
• Strong writing skills and ability to communicate clearly with teams and partners from various backgrounds.
• Experience with organizing and supporting discussions in virtual meetings and other collaborative mediums. Includes proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite. 
• Demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines, managing multi-step tasks, and working collaboratively within a team.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Experience with facilitating workshops, trainings, or public presentations.
• Familiarity with climate change, community resilience, and environmental justice.
• Experience with conducting community engagement or drafting public-facing educational materials in multiple mediums (such as newsletters, flyers, and social media).