MEET OUR FELLOWS AND INTERNS
Meet Arjun! He is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I’m from Brookfield, Wisconsin on a gap year before starting college and have spent the past few months as a regional field director for the Bernie Sanders campaign in NH, IL and WI. As I moved from state to state, it became very clear how important local elected officials were to voters. Their endorsements often made a huge difference in how people cast their ballots, and the issues they brought up were often the ones that people cared the most about. After finding out about EOPA I couldn’t help but apply! The intersection between local elected officials and climate justice was too good to pass up, I’m really excited to see all the good work we can do over the next few months!
Meet Sanya! She is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I’m from Basking Ridge, New Jersey and I’m a rising senior at Wesleyan University where I’m majoring in environmental studies and government. As someone that is most interested and passionate about climate justice and recognizing and working to erase environmental racism, I was super drawn to EOPA. I’m very excited to work with an organization that focuses on creating and supporting environmental legislation that benefits those who need it most, not just the wealthiest groups that are often most protected from climate related disasters.
Meet Sarah! She is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I’m from Long Island and I just graduated from Lafayette College with a double major in environmental studies and anthropology & sociology. Growing up on Long Island I was faced with the realities of flooding, sea level rise, and worsening storms due to climate change from a young age. As I got older I learned more about the realities of climate change and the dangers it creates. I’m very excited to work with an organization fighting to improve the world we’re living in and combat the dangers of climate change.
Meet Korina! She is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I grew up in a low-income Latinx neighborhood in Pomona, California. I now attend UC Davis, where I am a rising 4th year Political Science Major and I have dedicated most of my college career to helping underserved communities like mine. I became interested in EOPA because it is an organization dedicated to help secure climate and environmental justice for everybody. My biggest goal is to be able to help people and give those communities affected by climate change a voice and with EOPA I can make that happen.
Meet Brianna! She is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I’m from Wilmington, North Carolina currently studying Government and Environmental Studies at Bowdoin College in Maine. The climate crisis is personal for me. I’ve grown up watching my home and community face the devastation of worsening storms each hurricane season. That’s why I’m thrilled to be working as a fellow with EOPA, using my passion for writing, research skills, and policy background to empower our leaders to take bold action!
Meet Diego! He is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I am a recent graduate of Bowdoin College with a major in Environmental Studies and Government, inspired by and seeking out positive adaptations to the climate crisis through the lens of multimedia storytelling. Working with EOPA is the next wonderful application of policy and environmentalism in my attempt to move the world towards a more sustainable and environmentally-progressive future. I am excited to build a bipartisan campaign to protect this country’s wild and natural spaces that I have come to love and call home, working with an enthusiastic cohort of students across the nation. I hope to utilize my experience and communications training with EOPA to one day report on environmental battles in the American West, inspiring the next generation of leaders to act in a positive direction on behalf of our environment.
Meet Elise! She is an EOPA National Campaign Fellow.
I have always loved nature, and as I learned and grew as a person this predisposition led to an intense passion for environmental justice. I was looking for an opportunity to fight for what I believe is right, to help in some way to protect our world and people specifically from the ever worsening impact of climate change. As soon as I found the listing for EOPA their mission in addition to the three core values they espouse stood out to me and resonated with me. These values are: Stewardship, Responsibility to act, and Collective Leadership. We live in a trying time, but in addition to being an immense challenge, climate change presents us with an opportunity to work together like never before and to fundamentally restructure our society undressing underlying pathologies that have long been left unaddressed. It stood out to me as well that EOPA specifically mentions the disproportionate impacts of climate change and fossil fuel extraction on already oppressed or marginalized groups. This showed me they have the courage to not back away from the uncomfortable and trying realities of this crisis. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with EOPA and to tackle issues that I am passionate about with an amazing, motivated, and talented team.
Meet Dominique! She is an EOPA National Campaign Intern.
I’m a Floridian about to begin my final year at Cornell University. I am majoring in Environment and Sustainability and minoring in Inequality Studies. This summer I am happy to be a part of the EOPA team researching Florida elected officials and helping out on other teams! EOPA was the perfect place for me because it combined her interest in environmental activism and government relations.
Meet Maegan! She is an EOPA National Campaign Intern.
I’m a senior at Cornell University studying environmental science with a concentration in policy. I am extremely passionate about social and environmental sustainability, and my goal in life is to create lasting positive change in the world. I joined EOPA to help them make a difference, and am extremely excited to work with them!
Meet Ben! He is an EOPA National Campaign Intern.
I am from Long Island, New York, and I currently attend Cornell University as a Policy Analysis and Management major. I joined Elected Officials to Protect America because I have a passion for helping people through public service and policy change. The environment is one of the most urgent policy problems currently facing the planet, and so it was only natural to join Elected Officials to Protect America as a National Campaign Intern. I hope that I will be able to make a difference as a part of Elected Officials to Protect America, and that the skills I learn will assist me on my career path.
Meet Stephanie! She is an EOPA National Campaign Intern.
I am a rising senior at Cornell University pursuing a double major in Environmental & Sustainability Sciences and Agricultural Science with a minor in Business. I’m interested in understanding and evaluating the economics behind sustainable development, and hopes to one day work for the government in enacting policy reforms. I’m enthusiastic about learning from the EOPA team this summer, particularly about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into passing environmental legislation. I am also thrilled to engage with like-minded interns who share in her passion for sustainability and climate policy.
Meet Olivia! She is an EOPA National Campaign Intern.
My name is Olivia. I am a senior at UC San Diego, where I study environmental policy. I am absolutely thrilled to work with Elected Officials to Protect America this summer, and am eager to learn how to make the world a better place through advocacy. In the past, I’ve been involved in marine biology research on shrimps, and in my free time I love to sing with my a cappella group, where I served as Chair of Public Relations and (most recently) Treasury!
We're now accepting applications for part- or full-time Fellows.
Extraordinary times require extraordinary action. With the accelerating climate crisis and President Trump’s assault on environmental regulations and decision to abandon the Paris climate accord, we are expanding our work to empower public officials everywhere to leverage our collective power to protect our communities. We empower elected officials across the United States to raise the bar for climate leadership and boldly transitioning away from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Led by a team of local and state officials across the country, we are building a bipartisan rapid-response network of state and local elected officials for climate change and environmental justice. Building on national partnerships that organized 350+ state senators, mayors, and elected officials from 46 states in 3 weeks to call for 100% clean energy at the Paris climate talks (www.protectingamerica.net), we are modeled on the wildly successful initiative Elected Officials to Protect New York, which organized more than 1,000 elected officials to ban fracking and advance clean energy and fossil fuel divestment in New York State (www.nyelectedofficials.org), which has garnered more than 200 media hits.
Expanding from coast to coast, in 2018 we launched Elected Officials to Protect California, with more than 250+ officials from 41 counties calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and former Governor Jerry Brown to phase out fossil fuel production statewide (www.caelectedofficials.org), which was covered in 80 media stories. At the Katowice U.N. climate talks in December, we launched a national letter from 350 state representatives, mayors, and elected officials for 40 states calling for a national Climate Emergency Plan, Green New Deal, and end to fossil fuels, which was covered in CNN, Huffington Post exclusive, and national radio.
Our work has been covered in news outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, CNN, ABC News, and BBC News.
Our video production company, Code Blue, has exposed Saudi Arabia buying up American water, which was later covered in The Guardian, documented veterans in public office from all 50 states successfully helping defend the Land & Water Conservation Fund, and profiled the Last Chance Alliance coalition of hundreds of organizations calling to phase out oil and gas drilling in California.
OUR VALUES
Stewardship. We believe it is the responsibility of our elected officials, who take a constitutional oath of office to protect the general welfare, to represent and act to secure the common, long-term interests of all who they represent, including marginalized peoples, children, future generations, and all life.
Responsibility to act. When a problem threatens the public welfare, it is the responsibility of our elected officials to step up and lead a solution to that problem. The consequences of failing to address the ecological emergency are so severe that it threatens our survival as a nation.
Collective leadership. When a problem crosses jurisdictional boundaries, our elected officials must come together to provide collective leadership to solve the problem. Our elected officials must provide the collective leadership necessary to protect our people and communities and restore our environment and democracy.
ABOUT YOU
We are seeking highly motivated, dedicated, and passionate changemakers to assist with a variety of projects in the startup phase, including research, outreach, strategy, partnerships, fundraising, and communications. If you want to contribute to a high-leverage start-up campaign and make a national difference, this fellowship is for you.
Qualifications
• Passion and experience in environment, energy, civic engagement, and/or public policy issues;
• Solid problem solving skills;
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills;
• Ability to work remotely, efficiently, and reliably meet deadlines; arrange your schedule and hours;
• Zest, grit, hope, love, social intelligence, gratitude, and a sense of humor;
• Proficiency with Google Docs and Sheets;
• Experience in organizing, campaigns, or policy is an asset.
BENEFITS
“It got me out of my comfort zone and I learned a lot – everything from winning grants, policy brief writing, and contacting elected officials. Good for the soul. The work we’re doing really makes an impact. It was exciting to see the TV segment on our press conference!”
- Chris M., 2018-2019 Senior National Campaign Fellow
“We are building something really big here, and it’s amazing to be right in the middle of it all – from talking to elected officials, to making websites, to planning a nationwide outreach campaign – you can literally see the organization taking steps to firmly set itself as a key player in the national environmental policy landscape.”
- Bert L., 2019 National Campaign Fellow
“I joined this team because of the unique and incredible work that EOPA conducts on a daily basis. You really get to understand and build a new organization collaboratively. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a difference in our environment and collective public health.”
- Jesse W., 2019 National Campaign Fellow
“EOPA is truly a special organization. We empower leaders, whether elected officials or fellows, even as we massively scale our impact. The collaborative team and mission are inspiring. Everyone has a voice and is supported on their unique path and as a team. I’d highly recommend working for EOPA to anyone interested in environmental policy as well as growing to become a better leader, professional, and activist.
- Kylie B., 2019 Senior National Campaign Fellow
“Working for EOPA is a great way to work on all kinds of different projects and fields. The staff really encourages you to work on what you are interested in and take the lead on it. If you want to be a part of an organization that is trying to change things for the best, EOPA is the place to be.”
- Capucine M., 2019 National Campaign Fellow
DETAILS
- Immediate start for Summer 2020, accepting applications for Fall 2020
- Flexible hours: 20 to 40 hours per week, fellowship term 4-6+ months
- Work is completely online/remote
- $500-$750 stipend for fellowship period available for top applicants, commensurate with experience. (In order to accommodate the most fellows from underserved communities and with economic needs as possible, institutional funding will be used before EOPA funding for any selected fellows with institutional funding support.)
Benefits
- Contribute to a strategic, high-leverage campaign with a direct national policy impact
- Work with influential state and local elected leaders
- Exclusive personalized training series from experienced lawmakers & campaign professionals
- Gain valuable organizing and campaign experience
- Opportunities to advance in leadership
- We are a fun team, learn from each other, and have a great team work etiquette
How To Apply
Apply online here: https://forms.gle/tjpmWTxFW33AsLqg6
Please note: a Google account is required to fill out the application form.
If the form is not accessible or for troubleshooting questions, please email: talent [at] protectingamerica.net