Context: Collaborates with Chapter staff, community organizers, Beyond Coal campaign staff, and Clean Energy For All Coordinator in Texas to promote democratic values, conduct community outreach to understand the local root causes of low civic engagement, and build a network a democracy champions that will build power to make substantive change to our energy future.
Scope: This internship will focus on foundational research into low civic engagement in the San Antonio area (and possibly other areas) which will help inform a much broader democracy program in Texas. It will also support development of a pilot Democracy Champion training program.
- Conducts research into the root causes of low civic engagement, including voting and participation in public utility decision making.
- Conducts community outreach, in coordination with Chapter Organizer, to learn about barriers to civic engagement, and collect stories that illustrate the connection between lack of access to decision-makers and energy decisions that are detrimental to communities.
- Follows the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing and ensures that volunteers assume meaningful roles in the program/campaign. Seeks opportunities to advance the Sierra Club’s diversity, equity and justice initiatives through new partnerships and engagement strategies where appropriate.
- Works with CEFA Coordinator and Political & Communications Director to develop a pilot Democracy Champions program that empowers community leaders to spread awareness of the connection between low civic engagement/ barriers to accessing decision-makers and detrimental energy choices like coal and fracked gas.
- Works in support of volunteer activists to ensure they develop and maintain relationships with policymakers responsible for clean energy and clean transportation development in Texas.
- Writes blogs, press statements, training materials, factsheets, and other materials in support of our Texas Democracy program.
- Assists in the creation of creative assets that support growing a public narrative around energy democracy and growing grassroots power.
- Handles miscellaneous projects and duties as assigned.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Demonstrated public speaking and media presentation ability.
- Demonstrated ability and effectiveness working with volunteers.
- Valid driver’s license, satisfactory driving record, and proof of auto insurance required.
- Experience in these aspects of advocacy campaigns is a plus:
- planning and managing a state or regional level policy advocacy campaign;
- community organizing;
- media relations and strategic communications;
- working with senior level political and business leaders;
- working with citizens and volunteers to engage them in policy advocacy;
- Training volunteers on Jemez principles and equity values
- experience working with clean energy businesses, organized labor and disadvantaged communities
Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Sierra Club does not sponsor H1B visas.