Outdoors for All Intern

Job Title: Outdoors for All Intern
Department: Program Department
Location: Washington, DC preferred
Reports to: Outdoors for All Director
Duration: 15 hours/week for 6 months

Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of interdependence. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel injustice, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our future. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it. Sierra Club has close to 800 staff across the country and a network of 64 local chapters that are led and fueled by thousands of volunteers. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with three labor unions representing more than half of our employees.

Scope: Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All campaign seeks to advance a just, equitable and inclusive movement that ensures access to the outdoors for all people. The campaign advances opportunities for communities to experience the outdoors and advocate for outdoor access and equity through a variety of national and field initiatives. Programs and initiatives include Military Outdoors, One Million Kids Outdoors, Nearby Nature and Parks for People. The Outdoors for All Intern will support the campaign’s story-telling efforts. The intern may have opportunities to attend and help document events and activities to help uplift the impact of the campaign.

1. Assist with Story Collection and Organizing. Outreach to outdoor leaders and participants to gather stories about the impact of Sierra Club Outdoors for All initiatives and help develop into content for digital platforms, i.e. blog posts, social media. Potential to participate in on the ground events (i.e. rallies or outings) and capture stories directly.

2. Assist with Social Media Content Development. Utilizing Canva and Sierra Club’s brand guidelines, develop social media content, including images, carousels and short-form video to post on campaign and coalition channels.

3. Assist in developing the Campaign’s weekly network newsletter. Contribute to and help edit organization-wide contributions to the newsletter into a simple google doc template and help collect stories as assigned to flesh out the newsletter.  

4. Help with research and document preparation. Research on policy measures and topics related to the campaign. Using Sierra Club’s brand guidance and research, develop briefing materials, presentation slides, documents, one-pagers to support the campaign’s advocacy, fundraising, and effectiveness, as assigned.

5. Support special projects and miscellaneous duties as assigned.

• Written Communication skills. Excellent writing skills. Experience writing content for and/or developing memos, one-pagers, fact-sheets, social media content, slide decks, and other written materials.

• Creative and social media content skills. Experience developing images and graphics for social media for a variety of platforms including Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, and LinkedIn. Using Sierra Club graphic templates in Canva to develop assigned assets. Strong visual eye.

• Interpersonal skills. Experience or willingness to talk to a wide variety of people to support the development of stories. Ability to inspire others to share stories and trust you to steward those stories with care. 

• Work ethics and dependability. Ability to set and honor deadlines, follow through on commitments, and be responsive to a variety of communications styles. 

  • Committed to evolution.You are committed to continuously deepening and evolving your own understanding of systems of oppression through study, openness, and humility. And you easily recognize your own relationship to privilege and power, examining and shifting your behaviors as appropriate.

  • Uplifting and additive. You see mistakes as opportunities for growth; problems as catalysts for solutions, and inspire others along the journey. You carry a constructive approach, can-do attitude, a sense of humor, and authentic kindness wherever you go.

• Experience or interest in policy advocacy

• Experience or Interest in conservation, outdoor access, and recreation topics

• Experience or interest in working with veterans, youth, volunteers, and communities across a wide-range of lived experiences and identities

To Apply
The Sierra Club provides equal employment and advancement opportunities to all staff members. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, lived experience and skills. The Sierra Club does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, ancestry, age, size, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, familial status, veteran status, disability, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, prior conviction, arrest history, traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The Sierra Club values applicants who are people that identify as Black, Indigenous, and other minoritized groups; women; queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, and gender fluid people.

Explore, enjoy and protect the planet.