Chesapeake Climate Action Network is hiring two part-time summer interns to assist our organizing team in Virginia.

An organizing internship is a terrific opportunity to develop your skills in outreach, developing leaders, and building grassroots power to fight the climate crisis. Interns will educate the community, mentor and train new activists, and urge faster and more equitable change to address the climate crisis. The ideal candidates are energized by empowering others and are looking to put their creativity to work. We are hiring two paid positions: one in Northern Virginia and one in Hampton Roads. 

About Us 

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is a mission-driven non-profit dedicated to making a better world by addressing the climate crisis and systemic inequities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. For 20 years, we have run winning campaigns that have transformed our region. We have banned fracking in Maryland, passed the strongest clean energy legislation in the American South, created the first in the nation Building Energy Performance Standards in Washington, D.C., and helped pass the national Inflation Reduction Act. Every year, our work brings us closer to the day when our needs are met without fossil fuels poisoning people or the planet in the process.  

We are deepening and expanding our base of grassroots activists throughout Virginia. Our Northern Virginia local chapter–CCAN NoVA New Leaf–is advancing an electrification campaign and a ‘reconnection’ campaign. In Hampton Roads, we are educating and mobilizing our neighbors to fight the Virginia Reliability Project pipeline, which is endangering our environment and communities.

What You Will Do

• Grassroots Organizing Issue Education
  • Speak at public forums or partner events on grassroots organizing, including ways to join CCAN and theories of change.
  • Table at community events to identify and recruit potential supporters and volunteers.

• Content Creation & Written Advocacy Work
  • Write Letters to the Editor regarding climate issues and priority campaigns to raise community awareness and promote action.
  • Contribute to CCAN’s blog and social media platforms to engage and activate our supporter base.

• Grassroots Community-Building
  • Participate in community outreach, including in-person canvassing, phonebanking, texting, and virtual events like online town halls.
  • Gather comments on critical issues or policies from members of impacted communities. 
  • Strengthen grassroots efforts to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized communities that are under threat from fossil fuel expansion and climate change.

Qualifications 

• Commitment to environmental justice and solving the climate crisis.
• Dedication to justice, equity, and inclusion and amplifying the voices of those most impacted by extreme extraction and the effects of climate change, including Indigenous Americans, Black and Latino communities, low and moderate-income communities, rural communities, and struggling farm families.
• Comfortable engaging members of the public and asking people to get involved.
• Creative ideas for events and actions to engage volunteers.
• Proficient in speaking and writing in English. Spanish proficiency is a plus! 

The Details

Interns will work from home and can expect to travel locally for community outreach events at least 2x per week. In Northern Virginia, most events will take place in Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William, and Loudoun. In Hampton Roads, most events will take place in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Chesapeake, Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. 

Mileage or public transportation reimbursement is available for all CCAN-required travel except travel to and from the office (commute). The Northern Virginia intern reports to the Northern Virginia Coordinator. The Hampton Roads intern reports to the Hampton Roads Coordinator.

Compensation is $16.10 per hour for 10 hours per week during the summer over a period of 12 weeks. Exact schedule will be determined based on the intern’s availability.

To Apply

Please complete the Google form application to answer short questions and submit a resume. We will accept applications until the position is filled. Our target start date for this position is June 12, 2023. 

CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.