Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure in ED Impact Fellow

Washington D.C. – Full-Time – Remote

Application closes on August 15th, 2022 at 12:00pm ET.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Federation of American Scientists Day (FAS) Day One Talent Hub is seeking a fellow for a 1 year term (with potential opportunity to extend) to join the Office of Communications and Outreach team within the U.S. Department of Education. 

ED has, for over a decade, offered the U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) a recognition award to highlight schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions' innovative environmental sustainability practices. From this award, it created the Green Strides School Sustainability Resource Hub to promote resources, webinars, and ED-GRS honorees' innovative practices. The Environmental Sustainability and Infrastructure Fellow will play a critical role in evaluating, strategizing, and developing work plans and processes as ED advances new efforts in these areas. The Fellow will work with their supervisor to stand up the first office at ED tasked with sustainability, infrastructure, and climate topics.  

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

In this position, you will report to the Special Advisor for Infrastructure and Sustainability, currently in the Office of Communications and Outreach, at the U.S. Department of Education.

In your position, you will be helping the Department to bring healthy, safe, sustainable school facilities and environmental and sustainability learning into the mainstream of ED communications and policy development. You will become part of a growing team of fellows and employees from around the Department and other entities that support ED’s work in this area. 

Specific duties will depend on your individual strengths and interests and developments in the role of the office.  Some potential areas of work may include:

• Researching, developing, implementing, and measuring the impact of communications campaigns and strategy regarding school environmental sustainability and infrastructure through social, print, and web media;
• Coordinating high-profile rollouts and events that include the participation of senior Administration officials;
• Deploying updates and improvements to the Green Strides School Sustainability Resource Hub, and implementing more efficient administration of the ED-GRS annual review and selection of nominees. 
• Assessing and integrating more effective engagement with federal work group and reporting efforts. 
• Brainstorming and implementing improved public, stakeholder, and state government engagement around whole learner, systems thinking pedagogies as they relate to environmental and sustainability learning, such as project, problem, and place-based experiential and active learning employed by green schools.
• Researching, developing, and planning innovative school sustainability policy mechanisms across operations, health, and learning that facilitate early learning, K-12, and postsecondary outcomes, with particular attention to environmental justice.

YOUR BACKGROUND AND ABILITIES

Individuals of all types and from many backgrounds and agencies have excelled as part of the “ED Green Team” at different points over the last decade.  They have each brought unique skills to bear. Some possibly helpful knowledge, skills, and abilities might include:

• Excellent written and oral communication.
• An eye for design.
• Social media aptitude.
• Ability to learn and manage online platforms for newsletter, application intake, and resources sharing.
• Knowledge of environment, sustainability, environmental education, indoor environmental quality, and school infrastructure concepts.
• Familiarity with implementing, monitoring, and evaluating environmental sustainability programs within educational settings.
• An understanding of the unique needs of K-12 and post-secondary institutions when it comes to environmental sustainability and infrastructure.
• Knowledge of the principles of environmental education and education for sustainability.
• Experience with school stakeholders, decisionmakers, and influencers

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT 

We recommend at least an undergraduate degree for this role and welcome a graduate degree. We know that strong writers, great organizational and design skills, as well as social media aptitude come from a variety of degree pathways, including, but in no way limited to, the liberal arts, social sciences, public policy, education, business, communications, environmental sustainability, engineering, architecture, and area studies.

ABOUT IMPACT FELLOWSHIPS

The FAS Impact Fellowship is a selective fellowship program that supports the development and placement of emerging scientific and technical talent within high-impact roles across the federal government. From education to clean energy, immigration, wildfire resilience, national security, and fair housing, Impact Fellows are serving across a variety of federal agencies in roles that augment existing government teams as they confront some of the greatest scientific and social challenges of our time.

How to apply:

HOW TO APPLY

We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. Early submission will ensure your application receives full consideration.