Organizing & Policy Intern, Pesticide Action Network – California
Organization: Pesticide Action Network
Position Title: Organizing & Policy Intern
Location: Sacramento, California
Dates and compensation: We are looking for a commitment of 10-20 hours / week for at least 6 months.
Application Deadline: Rolling
Description: Pesticide Action Network (PAN) North America works to replace the use of hazardous pesticides with ecologically sound and socially just alternatives, by building public will for state, national and global policy change. Our interns are a crucial part of our team and help in all aspects of our public will campaigning framework:
● Research to understand the dynamics of a problem and possible solutions
● Building community / institutional awareness and support (powerbuilding)
● Garnering media coverage with strategic frames and key messages
● Getting the issue on the public agenda in a way that is viable for policy action
● Building policymaker support for ecologically sound and socially just solutions.
Industrial agricultural interests wield a tremendous amount of power in Sacramento, from the
halls of the Capitol building to the state agencies meant to regulate them. PAN seeks a highly motivated intern to continue to strengthen our network to challenge the use of the most
hazardous pesticides while advancing socially just and environmentally sound farming practices. In particular, the intern will work on emerging campaigns to protect children’s health
from highly hazardous pesticides used near schools.
The Sacramento-based Organizing & Policy intern will report to the Organizing Director, Paul Towers, and work closely with other staff at PAN to support a variety of campaigns with research, writing, and organizing skills (see Specific Responsibilities below). PAN internships are an important PAN program in which we intentionally invest time, energy, and resources because we see this as an opportunity to build a pipeline of leaders for our movement(s) that is rooted in communities of color and most affected communities. We expect interns to invest similarly: to commit to challenging themselves and to using this as an opportunity to develop their own leadership skills. We work to ensure that each internship is crafted to meet the intern’s, as well as PAN’s, goals. To help with this, the intern is expected to clearly articulate their own goals for the internship and to include these in their cover letter.
Responsibilities:
With the support of their supervisor, the intern will:
● participate and support activities in the state legislature and with state agencies, including hearings and briefings.
● support development of materials and fact sheets related to food, farming and health issues.
● conduct research to support policy development, including academic reviews and interviews with communities affected by pesticide use.
● support policymaker education days in Sacramento, supporting logistics and participating in activities with farmers, farmworkers and residents of frontline communities.
How to Apply: To apply, please submit the following:
Cover Letter including:
Why you want to work with PAN and what experience and/or skills you hope to gain
Your background, experience, and skills
Anticipated start/end dates
Number of hours you are available per week
A brief list of project topics or areas that interest you
Current resume
Brief writing sample (maximum 10 pages)
Two references (name, contact information, relationship)
Please direct all communications to: Coordinator, Intern Leadership Development Program at [email protected]
