Community Engagement Intern

Job Description

RETI Center is a nonprofit based in Brooklyn with a mission to educate, train, and work with local youth, experts, professionals, and community members to transform our coastal city from one that is driven by fossil fuels to one balancing equity, ecology, and economy. We believe experiential learning and innovative ideas empower all of society to adapt and thrive together.

The position of Community Engagement Intern will support the Community Solar program and report to the Community Engagement Lead. In the next year, RETI will construct over 3 MW of community-owned, community-based solar on rooftops across the five boroughs and beyond to facilitate a just transition to the clean energy economy. For us, this means increasing energy access for low-to-middle-income households, expanding carbon-free energy development, and creating and supporting quality jobs in the green-blue collar pipeline for under-resourced communities.

This role presents the unique opportunity for an entry-level candidate with interest in the solar industry to work with a small team to support a growing program inside RETI, while also gaining community engagement skills. You will gain exposure to various aspects of the community engagement process, including community listening, outreach planning, research, interviewing, scheduling, organizing, sales, presenting, canvassing and developing & deploying marketing materials.

The Intern will be responsible for representing the interests of RETI Center, our program partners, and our target populations, especially members of historically excluded populations, lower income groups, and others who experience the disproportionate impact from health, economic and climate disasters.

Are you ready to perform meaningful work in the clean energy sector? This is your chance. In this internship you will have the opportunity to get in on the ground level of developing what community engagement looks like when it comes to solar energy. You will play a key role in building the foundation of RETI Center's community engagement for our solar projects that will last for decades.

If you love to organize, research, sell, and speak with community members, this is the position for you!

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this position, a candidate must be a new hire - not a previous or furloughed employee, contractor, or intern of RETI Center. Additionally, candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• New York State residents who are members of a Disadvantaged Community and/or Priority Population.
• Individuals who are currently attending or have attended a degree program at a college or university located in New York State within the last 12 months as of the date of the intern application.
• New York State residents attending or who have attended a degree program at a college or university outside of New York State within the last 12 months as of the date of the intern application. New York State residency, with proof of residency such as rental agreement or utility bills, must have been established prior to the start of the internship. Interns moving to the state for an internship do not qualify.

"Priority populations" include:

• Veterans; Individuals with disabilities;
• Low-income individuals, whose household's total income is below or at 60% of the State Median Income, or whose household has been determined eligible for or is receiving assistance through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or other human service benefit programs;
• Incumbent or unemployed fossil fuel workers;
• Previously incarcerated individuals;
• 16- to 24-year-olds who are enrolled in or have completed a comprehensive work preparedness training program such as those offered by Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES), technical high schools, Conservation Corps, YouthBuild, and AmeriCorps. The training program must include a combination of rigorous clean energy education with hands-on technical training. Eligibility of work preparedness programs under this category will be considered on a case-by-case basis.;
• Homeless individuals;
• Single parents.

"Disadvantaged Communities" New York's Climate Act recognizes that climate change doesn't affect all communities equally. The Climate Act charged the Climate Justice Working Group (CJWG) with the development of criteria to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and otherwise underserved communities benefit from the state's historic transition to cleaner, greener sources of energy, reduced pollution and cleaner air, and economic opportunities. After releasing draft disadvantaged communities criteria and hosting a 120-day public comment period for New Yorkers to provide feedback on the draft, the CJWG voted to approve and adopt the final disadvantaged communities criteria on March 27, 2023. An interactive map and associated resources are available online: https://climate.ny.gov/Resources/Disadvantaged-Communities-Criteria.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

This position is intended to expose the Intern to all aspects of the Community Engagement planning and implementation process. The primary duties and responsibilities of the Community Engagement intern will be to work with the Community Engagement Lead and program partners to develop a foundation for outreach around upcoming community solar assets to maximize local benefit. In this role you will learn more about the solar industry, community solar and how New York neighborhoods will benefit from a just & equitable energy transition.

Candidates are encouraged to share in their cover letter which of the following items are most exciting to them:

• Engage in community-based energy planning to identify and support local community priorities
• Lead or assist in RETI-sponsored and external events to engage subscribers and partners
• Develop, edit & present presentations, slide decks and marketing materials for the community, groups and other stakeholders
• Brainstorm, organize and schedule community interviews and engagements
• Online and on-the-street community neighborhood research
• Community member and organization contact management
• Organize documents and community engagement documentation
• Document and track key departmental measures
• Canvass neighborhoods with Community Engagement Lead to develop and test protocol, finalize scripts & outreach plan to engage potential building owners, subscribers, and partners.

Qualifications and Skill Development

We are seeking an early career professional who is interested in pursuing a future in the solar industry. Qualifications of interest are listed below and may be demonstrated through educational and lived experience as well as any relevant professional experience.

• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
• Effective team member and collaborator
• Strong problem-solving skills and can work through issues autonomously but knows when to seek support from teammates
• Detail-oriented and self-motivated achiever with ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines
• Enthusiasm and passion for the renewable energy industry, sustainability, environmental justice, climate adaptation and resilience, and social justice