Policy Internship
Policy Intern- One Opening
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
Next available position: Fall 2022. Application closing date is June 20, 2022. Apply here!
Internships require a commitment of between 26-30 hours per week during a 14-16 week semester (Spring and Fall) or a 10-12 week semester (Summer). A recommended course load for a 30-hour internship is 3-6 credit hours.
COVID-19 Pandemic Update: For the Fall '22 semester, we will consider candidates who are planning for their internship to be remote or in-person in Washington, DC. As we get closer to the start of the Fall semester, we will reach out to incoming (in-person) interns to determine whether any potential initial modifications (going fully remote or limited in-person) may be necessary due to the pandemic. During the semester, further adjustments may be necessary. All interns must be available during the core EESI work hours of 10 AM – 4 PM Eastern time. EESI is based in Washington, D.C.
EESI’s interns contribute substantively to the advancement of critical environmental and energy policies while gaining insight into the workings of Congress and the federal legislative process, knowledge of significant environmental and energy issues, and an understanding of how a not-for-profit organization works. EESI's relationships with other organizations and across sectors provides opportunities for interns to witness how environmental and energy issues develop within the public policy arena. EESI internships offer invaluable career benefits and opportunities and may also be used for undergraduate credit. Our interns benefit from weekly professional development meetings with EESI staff and outside guests.
As the Policy Intern, you will be a key member of the EESI Policy Team. You will assist EESI Staff with research and writing projects focusing on U.S. federal climate change, energy, and environmental policy issues including, but not limited to: clean energy, energy efficiency, adaptation and resilience, environmental and climate justice, sustainable agriculture and forestry, sustainable transportation, high-performance green buildings, and workforce.
We offer a friendly, informal, and inclusive work environment dedicated to helping interns succeed in the internship and as you launch careers in the field.
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 on a bipartisan basis by members of Congress to help educate and inform policymakers, their staff, stakeholders, and the American public about the benefits of a low-emissions economy that prioritizes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and new clean energy technologies. In 1988, EESI declared that addressing climate change is a moral imperative, and that has since guided our work. Our mission is to advance science-based solutions for climate change, energy, and environmental challenges in order to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. For more information, please visit eesi.org.
EESI is committed to building a community of staff, board members, advisors, donors, interns, fellows and volunteers, and partners who hold diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values. This commitment strengthens the organization, improves our overall effectiveness, and helps ensure the policies we advance and programs we implement promote an equitable transition to a decarbonized, clean energy economy.
Intern Responsibilities
In collaboration with and under the guidance of the policy team, the intern will:
- Research and write web articles on a broad range of climate, energy, environment, and U.S. policy issues.
- Contribute to EESI's biweekly newsletter, Climate Change Solutions.
- Attend and track the latest Congressional hearings, other legislative activities, and scientific and policy briefings. Share observations with staff verbally and in writing.
- Assist staff in research for fact sheets giving you the opportunity to take a deep dive into new climate, energy, and environment topics.
- Play an integral part in the successful execution of our informative and acclaimed Congressional briefings, which are looked to as a key source of information. You will also help us create engaging post-briefing content such as interviewing panelists and capturing briefing highlights.
- Other responsibilities as required, based on the intern's interests and the organization’s needs.
Intern Qualifications
Our internship program is designed for students who are currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree as a current or rising junior or senior.
- Interest in U.S. federal climate, environment, and energy policy, with particular enthusiasm for providing fact-based information in a non-partisan manner.
- Strong writing and research skills; clear and concise writing is required for newsletters, Congressional briefing write-ups, and fact sheets.
- Detail-oriented, self-starter, flexible, and able to manage multiple tasks
- Open to feedback, with strong desire to develop professional skills
- Effective interpersonal communication skills
- Ability to work in a team and independently
- Ability to represent EESI professionally
Internships require a commitment of between 26-30 hours per week during a 14-16 week semester (Spring and Fall) or a 10-12 week semester (Summer). A recommended course load for a 30-hour internship is 3-6 credit hours.
Compensation
Interns are compensated at the rate of $16.10/hr. You must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Internship Application Requirements
Please note you will need the following to apply:
Cover letter: Your cover letter should be one page in length.
- At EESI, the first thing we review is the cover letter. It is important to submit a well-written cover letter specific to your interest in interning with EESI.
- The cover letter is your opportunity to highlight relevant interests and experiences along with what you hope to learn and what you can contribute as an EESI intern.
- Getting to know EESI and our work (perusing our website, checking out some of our resources, etc.) can inform how you craft your cover letter.
Resume
- This is your opportunity to show us the experiences you have had so far that prepare you for an EESI internship. Your resume can include unpaid or paid work, academic achievements, or extracurricular activities as experience.
Writing sample: Your writing sample should be one page in length.
- This is a writing-intensive internship, and we review each writing sample carefully. We are seeking interns with an engaging, reader-friendly writing style. See our website and newsletter archives for examples of articles published by EESI.
- Your writing sample can be about any topic—just show us that you like to write!
- Possible writing samples could include a memo, fact sheet, backgrounder, formal blog, article, or a one-page excerpt from a longer piece.
- Please avoid submitting an academic research paper. If you have not yet had the opportunity to write a non-academic paper, you could consider adapting an academic paper you have already written for a general audience like EESI’s.
- Your writing sample should be written by JUST you! Please do not submit a co-authored writing sample. And please do not submit a published writing sample. We want to see your writing shining through—as opposed to a piece that has been heavily edited by another person.
- At the top of the document, please provide some 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.
Looking for additional tips on submitting a competitive internship application? Check out this document compiled by our staff.
Applications are open until June 20, 2022, for the Fall ’22 semester. Our internship program is highly competitive and the summer semester is the most popular. We review each application and will keep you updated during each review stage.
Prior internship experience is not required.
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 profile (cover letter, resume, and writing sample) is reviewed by a member of our staff. During this stage of the review process, it is not possible to attach any correspondence to your anonymized profile. Full profiles, unredacted, are viewable by EESI staff at the interview stage.
We are committed to updating candidates on the status of their applications. Please wait to receive updates.
If you are interested in learning more about EESI, the best times to reach out to our staff for informational interviews are January, February, May, August, and December—months that are outside our intern hiring periods.