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EDICT Internship for Employers

EDICT Employers

EDICT employers are committed to building a more diverse, inclusive and stronger climate sector. If you are interested in hosting an EDICT intern, join our mailing list.

What it takes

Take the EDICT Pledge

Before signing up to host an EDICT intern, organizations must first commit to setting actionable goals toward creating a climate sector with equity at the center.

Partner Deeply

  • Have capacity to thoughtfully onboard and mentor an intern.
  • Provide a clear job description/scope.
  • Support 2 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 an orientation session before hosting the intern(s) as well as a few training sessions throughout the summer. We encourage every employer partner to be an active participant in 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

Intern manager,

Community Power

“EDICT staff are so supportive of both the intern and the host site, which is a game changer. EDICT is helping employers create a supportive work culture, which will have ripple effects beyond this internship.”

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Intern manager,

Launch Alaska

“The trainings have been so helpful for me. I've worked with interns over the years, so I felt prepared going in, but the trainings helped me organize the whole internship in a way that focuses on tasks and also the big picture. I especially liked how you suggest breaking down the internship week by week with tasks and deliverables. It's helped us stay on task and, I hope, created a more memorable experience for our intern.”

NEER Logo

Intern manager,

NEER Technologies, Inc

“Our intern really impressed our team from day one. His attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond to finish certain tasks is very impressive.”

Hawaii Ulu Cooperative Logo

Intern manager,

Hawaii Ulu Co-op

“Both of our interns were awesome and we’re sad they’re 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

February 1 - 20, 2023

February 1 - 20, 2023

Intern application window

February 21 - March 17, 2023

February 21 - March 17, 2023

Intern screening and employer matching

March 20 - April 7, 2023

March 20 - April 7, 2023

Interviews & offers

Week of June 5, 2023

Week of June 5, 2023

Orientation & onboarding for interns & employers

June 12 - August 18, 2023

June 12 - August 18, 2023

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

Fall 2023

Fall 2023

Applications open for companies interested in hosting EDICT interns for 2024

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 is open to remote, hybrid, or in person internships.

Note: Our talent is based all over the US so hosting remote opportunities may provide you with more candidate options.

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 undergraduate, graduate, and recently graduated students.
  • 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 the 2023 program?

June 12 – August 18, 2023

Intern and supervisor orientation will be the week of June 5h (prior to the start of the internship).

 

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 2 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! Financial Aid will be awarded prioritizing high-need organizations that have an active SAM registration number and are able to accept federal funds. Limited non-federal financial aid available as well.

What are frontline communities?

We define “frontline communities” as those striving to become more resilient to the near-term and immediate climate threats they face but who have been systematically underinvested in. These communities face unjust exposure to the impacts of climate change due to a legacy of systemic, largely racialized, inequity that influences their living and working places, the quality of air and water, and their economic opportunities. Frontline communities often include people of color, immigrants, people with lower incomes and those in rural areas, and indigenous people.

 

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.
  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.

 

Stay Connected!

Sign up to receive EDICT internship updates, notifications about applications, and information on other ways to get involved in building a more equitable climate workforce.