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EDICT Internship Program

A program for companies and organizations committed to building a more diverse, inclusive, and stronger climate sector.

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What it takes

Take the EDICT Pledge

Before signing up to host an EDICT intern, organizations must first commit to setting actionable goals towards creating a climate sector with equity at the center. See the application form for details. 

Partner Deeply

  • Have capacity to thoughtfully onboard and mentor an intern.
  • Provide a clear job description / scope.
  • Support 1-3 paid hours per week of professional development and community building for interns during the interns’ workday.
  • Commit to working with the EDICT team throughout the internship to ensure a meaningful experience for all parties.

Invest in Equity Work

  • Managers are required to attend three training sessions throughout the summer and to be an active participant of the community of practice.
  • Participating companies are expected to fund the position and a program administrative fee. We have financial aid for organizations that need additional support to make this happen — see FAQ below.

Testimonials

Marie Thompson

Principal, Powerhouse Ventures

"Mick was a big value add to our small team. She was able to come up to speed quickly, contribute across a lot of different types of work, and was a lot of fun to work with."

Elango Thevar

CEO, NEER Technologies, Inc

"Joesph really impressed our team from day one. His commitment to attention to detail and willing to go above and beyond to finish certain task is very impressive.”

Dana Shapiro

CEO, Hawaii Ulu Co-op

“Both our interns were awesome and weʻre sad theyʻre leaving! Kaili really went above and beyond by flying to Hawaii Island on short notice to help me with the annual member meeting in Hilo and I could not have gotten through that event without her!”

How you’ll benefit 

From our experience working with interns and climate organizations, we have learned that while organizations value mentoring and empowering new talent, they often lack the resources to create their own in-house internship programs. This is where EDICT comes in.

Participating organizations will be able to focus on engaging in meaningful projects with their interns while receiving additional support and benefits from EDICT, including:

 

  • Leadership workshops to prepare managers to lead a diverse workforce.
  • Ability to compete for talent without having to invest in coaching, curriculum, professional development, and other benefits that larger companies often offer interns.
  • Climate-focused workshops that expose interns to industry knowledge and enhance the skills they bring to your work together.

Key dates

December 13, 2021

December 13, 2021

Applications open for companies interesting in hosting EDICT interns.

January 7, 2022

January 7, 2022

Join us for an info session to learn what it takes to host an EDICT intern

Register Now

January 12, 2022

January 12, 2022

Applications for host companies close

January 21, 2022

January 21, 2022

Employers selected to participate in the program are notified

Jan 24 - Feb 6, 2022

Jan 24 - Feb 6, 2022

Intern applications open Jan. 24 and close Feb. 6

February 6-23, 2022

February 6-23, 2022

Intern application screening and interviews take place

End of March

End of March

Company and intern matching finalizes, and acceptance offers close

Week of June 6

Week of June 6

Orientation & onboarding for interns & employers

June 13 - August 19, 2022

June 13 - August 19, 2022

The EDICT Internship Program takes place (10-weeks total)

FAQs

How will you be selecting employers?

We’re looking for employers who can commit to the following critical success factors:

  • Each intern has a dedicated supervisor throughout the summer
  • A clear job description / scope
  • Demonstrated thoughtfulness around onboarding & inclusion 
  • Our target is no more than 2 interns per employer

Do the internships have to be remote?

EDICT prefers remote internships — our talent is based all over the US! This comes with some flexibility based on where you’re registered to do business, the possibility for full-time role conversion, or your ability to provide living / housing stipends. Depending on the type of work, in-person may also be required (e.g. fieldwork or labwork).

How does the recruiting & intern selection/matching process work?

  • EDICT focuses on creating a diverse pipeline of talent from communities traditionally overlooked in the climate change movement. We ensure a diverse pipeline of students & recent grad candidates. 
  • We complete an initial screening & ranking of students based on their profiles and their interest in roles.
  • We share a shortlist of top candidates with you and your company. You screen & interview candidates according to your own typical interview process. Ultimately, the choice of intern is up to you. 
  • Given the fact that we want to empower companies to select their favorite candidates, it’s possible that you say “no” to all of the candidates. In this case, we’d provide some additional profiles. If those don’t work out for various reasons, you would withdraw your participation from the program. Note that last year we had a combined total of 1200+ applicants and we’re confident that we can find you some fantastic interns!
  • Please note that the company hires the intern — not EDICT. This means the intern will appear under the company’s payroll and may be entitled to additional benefits offered by the host company.

What are the dates of this year’s program?

  • June 13 – August 19, 2022
  • Intern and supervisor orientation will be the prior week, June 6.

Does participation in this program cost anything?

Yes. Organizations are expected to pay for:

A) The intern’s compensation, B) A program fee, and C) an investment of 3 hours of professional development for the student each week, which comes out of their work time.

See our pricing sheet for more details.

What does it mean to be a “climate” organization -- am I eligible?

Our goal is to build the future generation of climate leaders, and we take quite a broad view of what this means. This could include sustainability, international development, poverty reduction, renewable energy, policy, waste management, public health, or education.

I want to participate, but I can’t afford to. Is there financial aid?

  • Yes, there is! When you apply, you can also apply for financial aid. Please note you must be qualified to receive federal funding. 
  • The financial aid will cover the full cost of the program for selected employers. 
  • Here are the application questions for Financial Aid

What are frontline communities?

We define “frontline communities” as those experiencing continued injustice—including people of color, immigrants, people with lower incomes, those in rural areas, and indigenous people— that face a legacy of systemic, largely racialized, inequity that influences their living and working places, the quality of their air and water, and their economic opportunities.

What if I really want to participate, but don’t know exactly what project the intern will work on?

The job description should have enough information for the intern to know what they are getting into. We highly recommend using this sample job description template and at least honing in on the skills needed (e.g. writing, marketing, research, data analysis); the department (e.g. Sales, Engineering), and a general description of the types of projects that the intern can expect.

What are traditionally excluded groups?

Includes Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) community, people who have disabilities, people from low-income backgrounds, people who identify as nonbinary and women continue to be severely underrepresented in our sector. 

Can companies outside the US apply?

Unfortunately, at this time we cannot legally accommodate international placements.

Application Materials needed

  1. Signed EDICT Pledge (included in the application form).
  2. A 3-4 sentence blurb about your company that would be exciting to a college student!
  3. A PDF of your Job Description(s):
    • Each company can apply for up to 2 interns
    • Each internship needs a separate job description 
    • We highly recommend using this sample job description template.

 

Get Started

Frontline communities, primarily low-income and communities of color, are often impacted first and worst by climate change and excluded from career opportunities in its solutions. It's time to break the cycle.

Apply Now