Policy and Communications Internship

Internship available:   Undergraduate Policy and 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:          $17.95/hour. Undergraduate course credit for the internship is possible.
Semester: Spring 2026
Start date:                      January 2026
Application Deadline: Spring '26 applications will open in September '25

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 Policy and Communications Internship

As our policy and communications intern, you will make significant contributions towards the advancement of critical environmental and energy policies. In supporting this goal, you will expand your knowledge of environmental and energy issues and gain insight into the workings of Congress and the federal legislative process. You will be a key member of the policy and communications teams, assisting us with research and writing projects focused on U.S. federal climate change, energy, and environmental policy issues. EESI’s work centers on clean energy, energy efficiency, adaptation and resilience, environmental and climate justice, sustainable agriculture and forestry, sustainable transportation, and workforce, among other topics.

During the internship, you will have the opportunity to write articles, interview experts, track legislation, and create infographics. You may also have the opportunity to curate our social media accounts, help research white papers, and make videos.

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 incorporate your interest areas into the projects you work on over the semester. As part of the internship experience, we also hold weekly professional development sessions.

How you will be making a positive impact

In collaboration with staff from the policy and communications teams, you will:

Hone your research and writing skills by drafting articles on a broad range of climate, energy, environmental, and federal policy issues for publication. All of your published articles can be accessed through our author pages.
Contribute informative content for EESI's biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions.
Take a deep dive into the federal policy world by attending and tracking Congressional hearings, other legislative activities, and scientific and policy briefings.
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. You will also help us create engaging post-briefing content.
Create and circulate our weekly internal newsletter, Content Crunch.
You may have the opportunity to help showcase climate solutions on EESI's social media accounts, mainly Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X. 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.
And more!

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

Our internship program is designed for students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree as a current or rising junior or senior. Candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree, including those pursuing a master’s degree, will not be considered. Prior internship experience is not required.

Interest in federal climate, environmental, and energy policy, with particular enthusiasm for providing fact-based information in a non-partisan manner. Have foundational knowledge in one or more of the core topics above.
Excellent writing and research skills. Clear and concise writing allows us to provide policymakers with accurate and actionable information to advance climate solutions.
An aspiration to grow and expand your skills and knowledge.
Effective communication skills to share your ideas and thoughts with the team.

For applicants with particular interest in communications work, we’d love to see:

Experience in social media engagement.
Experience with social media scheduling (e.g., Hootsuite), image editing, and graphic layout (e.g., Canva).

Here at EESI, we encourage 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 $17.95/hr. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

What’s Next

To apply for EESI’s Policy and Communications Internship, please submit the following materials. We are interested in your writing voice and style. If AI is used, it should be limited to the early writing stages.

Cover letter (300 words 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 will carefully review your writing sample. 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 for 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.
Optional: include examples of your graphic design work.

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.
You are encouraged to submit an unpublished writing sample, representative of your work in a less-edited process.

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 about their application status.

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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