Communications Internship

Internship available:       Communications Intern
Location: Fully in-person at EESI's office in Washington, D.C.
Terms:    26-30 hours per week. A recommended course load for a 30-hour internship is 3-6 credit hours.
Compensation:   $17.50/hour. Undergraduate course credit for the internship is possible.
Semester: Fall 2024
Start date: August or September 2024
Application Deadline:     Currently Closed (Fall '24 Applications will open in Summer '24)

About EESI
Founded by a bipartisan group of members of Congress, the nonprofit Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) has been working since 1984 to advance science-based solutions for climate change, energy, and environmental challenges in order to achieve our vision of a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world.

EESI is committed to building a community of staff, board members, advisors, donors, interns, fellows and volunteers, and partners that holds diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values.

About the Communications Internship

As our communications intern, you will make significant contributions towards the advancement of critical environmental and energy policies. During the internship, you will have the opportunity to curate our social media accounts, write articles, interview experts, create infographics, help research white papers, and make videos—all while learning about energy and environmental policy.

You will join a committed and friendly team dedicated to helping you succeed both in the internship and beyond as you launch a career in the environmental and energy field. We will work with you to develop semester projects that take your interests into account. As part of the internship experience, we hold weekly professional development sessions with EESI staff and guests from various sectors. Guest speakers have included representatives from government agencies, graduate programs, and international organizations.

How you will be making a positive impact

In collaboration with communications team staff, you will:

Help showcase climate solutions on EESI's social media accounts, mainly Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Apply your creative and analytical skills as you produce content, time its posting, design graphics, make videos, engage with other users, and collect and analyze metrics.
Write articles on a broad range of energy, environmental, and policy issues for EESI.org and our biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions. Hone your policy knowledge and reporting skills in close coordination with our policy team. Your published articles will be searchable on our authors page.
Play an integral part in the successful execution of our informative and acclaimed Congressional briefings, which are a key source of information for members of Congress and their staff.
Take a deep dive into the federal policy world by attending and tracking Congressional hearings, other legislative activities, and scientific and policy briefings.
Create and circulate our weekly internal newsletter, Content Crunch.
Collaborate with other EESI teams. You will likely work on fundraising campaigns with the development team, and develop graphics and conduct research with the policy team.
And more!

How your talents and interests are best aligned for success in the internship

Our internship program is designed for students who are currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree as a current or rising junior or senior. Prior internship experience is not required.

Passion for climate action and sustainability.
Interest in environmental and energy issues.
Excellent writing and research skills. Clear and concise writing allows us to provide policymakers with accurate and actionable information to advance climate solutions.
Experience in social media engagement.
An aspiration to grow and expand your skills and knowledge.
Effective communication skills to share your ideas and thoughts with the team.
Academic or internship experience in journalism, public relations, or similar communication roles, preferred. EESI also offers policy-focused internships.
Experience with Google Docs, social media scheduling (e.g., Hootsuite), image editing, graphic layout (e.g., Canva), and video editing a plus.

Here at EESI, we’d love you to apply, even if you don’t tick all the boxes above. We’d like to understand what it would take for you to succeed in this position.

Compensation
Interns are compensated at the rate of $17.50/hr. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

What’s Next

To apply for EESI’s Communications Internship, please submit the following materials:

Short statement about your interest in the internship (300-word maximum, or about 2 paragraphs). Please use these prompts as a guide:
- Could you tell us about your career goals and how this internship would help you achieve them? What do you hope to gain from this internship?
- What drives your interest in climate policy?
- How would you apply your experience/skills to EESI’s internship?
Resume
- Highlight the experiences you have had so far that prepare you for an EESI internship. Your resume can include unpaid and paid work, academic achievements, and extracurricular activities.
One writing sample in a journalistic style (1-2 pages).
- Since this is a writing-intensive internship, we emphasize evaluating this part of your application. Your writing sample can be about any topic—just show us that you like to write! You may consider submitting a memo, fact sheet, backgrounder, formal blog, article, or a one-page excerpt from a longer piece. Strong writing samples are clear, concise, and well-researched. Select a writing sample in which you are the sole author.
  
  At the top of the document, please provide a brief background about the origin of the writing sample. For example, was it written as an assignment for a particular course? If so, which course? If an excerpt, please include the title page.

Tips for Submitting a Competitive Writing Sample

Submit a writing sample other than an academic research paper. If you have not yet had the opportunity to write a non-academic research paper, you could consider adapting an academic paper you have already written for a general audience.
Submit an unpublished writing sample which helps us evaluate your writing in a less-edited process.
Optional: include examples of your graphic design work.

Consider checking out some tips on submitting a competitive internship application compiled by EESI staff.

About our application and review process
In an effort to ensure that our internship selection process is fair, we redact all personal information before reviewing applications, including the name of your college or university. Each candidate’s anonymized application (cover letter, resume, and writing sample) is reviewed by a member of our staff. Full profiles, unredacted, are viewable by EESI staff at the interview stage. We are committed to updating candidates on the status of their applications.

EESI is committed to creating a diverse workforce. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. EESI works to advance equitable climate solutions.

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