Do you want to save the planet? Do you feel we have a moral responsibility to protect people and planet? Help Virginia Interfaith Power & Light (VAIPL) care for the earth through an internship.
Internship Responsibilities:
In this internship, you will work directly with faith communities, experienced advocates, volunteers and organizers to develop and implement campaigns to protect Virginia’s environment. During this internship, we will train you on the basic skills of organizing, educate you about environmental issues, and host numerous events in and around Richmond as part of our campaigns to address climate change, care for Creation and advocate for renewable energy. Your responsibilities may include: building and coordinating volunteer teams, assisting with phone banks, outreach to faith and community organizations and community leaders, event planning, social media and performing data entry and office work as needed.
Sample Job Duties:
o Assists with volunteer team development
o Creates faith-specific toolkits detailing how faith communities can take action on climate
o Works with volunteers
o Plans and assists with events
o Conducts outreach at festivals and other events
o Engages new volunteers
o Assists with social media
o Miscellaneous (data entry, office assistance, collecting petitions, etc.)
Internship Logistics:
Internship positions are available each year. Internships are located in Richmond with remote internships available for special projects. Internships can be arranged for at minimum 5 hours and maximum of 15 per week with flexible scheduling as needed each semester.
We are an inclusive multicultural organization that celebrates the rich dimensions of diversity such as race, religion, socio-economic status, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical abilities, and political beliefs.
Internship Project Descriptions:
Administrative Support: We always need support updating our database, writing memos, running errands, scheduling meetings and events, assisting the Executive Director with her responsibilities. If you want to learn what an ED of a non-profit organization actually does and help them accomplish their work successfully this is the position for you.
Reaching Out to Peers: Join us to reach out to other college students and young adults about environmental and climate justice, civic engagement and other actions with peers. This is for you if you like making new contacts, motivating people, planning events, and making phone calls.
Communications and Social Media Campaign: Are you interested in using Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to save the planet and advocate for climate justice? This is for you if you like writing, creating graphics, and posting on social media platforms or are interested in branding and advertising. Do you have good skills writing LTEs and OpEds? Do you enjoy writing, creating graphics, and following social media.
Community Mapping and Research on the Intersection of Faith and the Environment: One of the really important aspects of our work with communities is understanding the who, what, and how of a specific community. Who are the important players (stakeholders), what are their climate and environmental concerns, how do they want to engage and take action about those concerns. This project is for you if you like collecting information, keeping track of information, working with databases, using spreadsheets, sending emails, creating toolkits and resources, and making follow-up calls.
Special Project(s) Maybe you are not sure what interests you most. We can negotiate a special project designed together with VAIPL staff to help you learn a new skill, address an academic goal or challenge, and contribute a significant project to VAIPL. Let’s talk about what you envision for your internship experience.