Current fellowships


Community Engagement Fellow

8/23/2021 12:57:51 PM City of Sunnyvale
Job Fellowship City of Sunnyvale Monthly Stipend $3000 End of Program Award $1200

Location

** Two positions available**

The City of Sunnyvale is excited to host two Community Engagement Fellows for 2021-22: one position focuses on Sustainability Programs and the other focuses on Watershed Programs. Both positions work within in our Sustainability and Watershed Protection Programs team in the Environmental Services Department. Our team works to educate the community to follow environmental regulations and inspire local action. Our programs focus on community outreach for climate action, decarbonizing buildings and transportation, environmental education, stormwater and wastewater pollution prevention, and water conservation.

We are looking for energetic and creative Fellows to contribute to these programs through community outreach and engagement and effective program design. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals with strong communication and organizational skills who enjoy a collaborative team environment.

The two positions offer similar opportunities to build skills and local government experience, but in different topic areas. Both Fellows would learn how to:
• Coordinate and lead in-person community outreach events (e.g., community meetings, workshops, educational events).
• Use social media to create behavior change for environmental protection.
• Develop outreach materials (e.g., ads, flyers, newsletters) to promote programs.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, including city departments, community members, community groups, schools, students, and other cities and public agencies.
• Collect, track, and report on metrics to measure success of programs or policies.
• Contribute to creating new programs, including developing work plans, building partnerships, and coordinating logistics.
• Conduct literature research on emerging topics for inclusion in reports.

Fellows must:
• Be fingerprinted by the City of Sunnyvale prior to start date.
• Possess a valid driver’s license and personal vehicle for work use. Mileage reimbursement available.
• Plan to be present in-person for work when Sunnyvale returns to regular office work, post COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
• Be able to telework if COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on in-person work are imposed.
• Be willing to work some evenings and weekends hours, approximately 3-5 times per month, to support virtual and in-person community events.
• Test negative for tuberculosis (*Watershed Programs Fellow only.* Needed if in-person classroom program resumes).

Our ideal Fellows would be:
• Creative thinkers and enthusiastic learners.
• Personable and approachable in interacting with community members.
• Savvy with social media. Able to design engaging written and visual content.
• Comfortable doing basic graphic design tasks using programs like Canva.
• Proficient writers, with strong persuasive writing skills for non-technical audiences.
• Competent with Microsoft Office Suite, including basic proficiency with Excel.
• Comfortable with public speaking in front of adult and youth audiences.
• Independent and organized, needing limited guidance to manage their time and tasks.

The topic areas for each of the positions are described below.

Community Engagement Fellow – Sustainability Programs – 12-month term (One Opening)
This Fellowship will primarily focus on community engagement and outreach activities to implement the City’s Climate Action Playbook. This is a year-long (12-month) Fellowship term from September 1, 2021 through August 31, 2022.

Key projects include:
• Coordinating and promoting a lecture series to bring experts on sustainability topics to educate the community (Sustainability Speaker Series).
• Promoting and implementing virtual and/or in-person electric vehicle workshops or ride-and-drive events (Drive Electric Sunnyvale).
• Managing implementation and publicity of an all-electric induction cooktops loaner program (Cool Cooktops Program) in partnership with the Sunnyvale Public Library.
• Program planning and research to develop a grassroots community engagement at the neighborhood-level.
• Researching and developing a new program to engage young adults in climate action.
• Assisting with outreach and community engagement for the development of the update to the Climate Action Playbook Work Plan (called the Game Plan).

Community Engagement Fellow – Watershed Programs Fellow – 10-month term (One Opening)
This Fellowship will primarily focus on community engagement and outreach to reduce pollution in stormwater and wastewater, which can contaminate local creeks and the Bay. The Fellow will also focus on water conservation education as California enters a drought. This is a 10-month Fellowship term from September 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.

Key projects include:
• Teaching the watershed education program for youth (primarily K-5) in elementary school classrooms.
• Conducting a virtual Earth Day event or poster/video or other type of contest to engage youth and adults, including coordinating logistics, publicity, and recognition.
• Enhancing the environmental social media presence (e.g., via videography/photography and/or exploring alternate platforms).
• Implementing water conservation community classes, mercury thermometer exchange events, and other outreach events.
• Leading, coordinating, and conducting trash and litter cleanups along creeks and coastal waterways to limit pollution.
• Developing outreach and publicity materials to enhance community awareness and behavior change, including the Sustainable Sunnyvale bi-monthly e-newsletter.

About Our Team
The Sustainability and Watershed Protection Programs team is a close-knit, collaborative team consisting of three full-time staff and two Climate Corps Program Fellows. Having hosted twelve Fellows over the last seven years, our team has a strong track record of mentoring Fellows and nurturing their career interests. Past Sunnyvale Fellows have successfully landed job opportunities at GreenBiz, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Cities of Sunnyvale and Mountain View, the Environmental Defense Fund, and other similar organizations. Come be a part of our dynamic team!

About Our Organization
The City of Sunnyvale is the fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, with a population of roughly 156,000. The City has a long-standing commitment to progressive environmental policies. The Environmental Services Department is responsible for providing clean drinking water, treating wastewater, protecting water quality, garbage and recycling management, and implementing sustainability initiatives as outlined in its Climate Action Playbook. Sunnyvale has an engaged community that frequently advocates for environmental and social policies and programs. Its perfect size provides an impactful job experience with resources for community involvement.


SEI requires all employees to be Vaccinated against COVID-19.
 
SEI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to reflect the diverse communities we serve, especially those most impacted by climate change and other kinds of environmental, social, and economic injustices. Persons of color, persons with disabilities, older adults, and members of the LGBTQ community are strongly encouraged to apply.