Position: PennEnvironment Climate Defender
Location: Philadelphia, PA
From droughts and wildfires in the west, to heat waves and Superstorms like Sandy in the east. Extreme weather fueled by global warming is happening now and it’s hitting us at home. Last year, 2016, was the hottest year on record. Nearly 9 out of 10 Pennsylvanians live in areas that were listed as federal disaster zones due to extreme weather in recent years. We have the tools to shift away from our aging and dirty energy system that is driving climate change to one that gets pollution-free energy from the sun, wind, tides, and heat of the earth. And we have the technology to dramatically reduce our energy use through conservation and energy efficiency.
We need to sweep past big energy interests who are blocking progress and let our leaders know that we need them to lead or get out of the way as we turn Pennsylvania into a 21st century clean energy superpower.
Pennsylvania is at the center of this fight. We’ll need Senator Casey to stand with us to stop these attacks. And, we’ll need a bipartisan coalition at the state level to lead the charge for solar and wind power. PennEnvironment is expanding our efforts to mobilize and engage tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians for climate action and build the movement to tackle climate change.
The stakes could not be higher, the opportunity has never been more clear, and victory will signal a historic step forward in the fight against climate change.
- Volunteer Development and Management: Work with our network of volunteers in key communities to help build support for clean energy and defend core climate policies like the Paris Agreement. This will be a major part of the position for the first four months as we build coordinators in the community who can take on even more responsibility.
- Grassroots Mobilization: Educate, engage and mobilize citizens to take action on climate change and other critical environmental issues.
- Coalition Building: Growing and managing our partnerships with organizations and key players, cultivating relationships with diverse and powerful allies, and expanding the constituencies supporting our efforts.
- Media and Visibility: Getting the word out far and wide, in the media and through other channels. By elevating the issue in the public debate, we can better educate and motivate citizens while holding decision-makers accountable. Increasing visibility means greater exposure of our organization through public forums, speaking engagements, and in the media.
- Fundraising: Money makes the world go round. Raising money from foundations, donors and working with our digital teams to help with efforts to raise money online.
- Recruitment: Help recruit new staff, interns and volunteers to increase our impact and build more sway.
- Run citizen outreach campaigns: During your summer as a Climate Defender you’ll help direct one of our citizen outreach offices, where you’ll hire and manage a staff of 20 canvassers, raise money, build our membership and help win one of our key campaigns.
- Management: Coordinate staff working on the campaign including organizers, advocates and citizen outreach team. Recruit to add new staff over the course of the first year.
Our Climate Defender Organizers will have the opportunity to apply for other career positions with PennEnvironment and Environment America—the federation of state groups of which we’re a part—at the end of the campaign.