I am going into my fourth year as an Economics major and Environment minor and am passionate about the intersection between our economies and sustainability. I am planning to pursue a career in public policy. I wanted to intern with Climate Reality Project Canada for more experience in the nonprofit sector and because they do important work across Canada by supporting grassroots environmental change. The organization focuses on catalyzing a global solution to the climate crisis by empowering citizens to create change and to develop tools and programs tailored to the Canadian context to propel Canada towards carbon neutrality. In particular, the Youth Engagement Intern position allowed me to fully develop my passion for student activism and sustainability in post-secondary educational institutions. It also strengthened my communication skills, writing skills, understanding of how nonprofits function, and taught me how to create change from the bottom up.
During my internship, I was working on the National Climate League Campus Edition, a program that collects data on around one hundred qualitative and quantitative sustainability metrics for various post-secondary schools across Canada. This data, once collected, was used to create graphics and a report on our findings. The NCLC acts as a tool for students to seek greater transparency from their school administrations, hold their schools accountable for meaningful progress, and to lobby them for sustainable policies and practices. My role was to conduct research on the universities and contact their offices of sustainability when applicable to find the remaining data needed. I then helped formulate and write the report that explained the indicators, why they mattered, and how the different schools compared to one another. I also helped conduct a data party in which student volunteers came together over zoom to collect data together. Highlights of the internship included participating in group meetings, getting to know my coworkers on the rooftop terrace of the office, and collaborating with other passionate and interesting people. The hybrid set up of the internship was ideal since it was convenient to work from home on some days, but I was also always able to go into the office for meetings and to gain experience working in person.
Challenges of the internship included learning how to manage my time since I was also working another job. It was helpful to set a schedule at the beginning of each week and set clear goals for myself for what was a priority to get done. Since I enjoyed my work and found it engaging, setting time aside to complete my tasks became easier as the internship went on and I became more engrossed in my project. Another challenge was that there was a lot of turnovers in the organization which meant that many employees were leaving or joining the team while I was there, including my direct supervisor. This was sometimes difficult since as I got to know people and their role in the team new people replaced them. I made sure to form connections with those I knew were staying and when my supervisor left, was able to find new people to ask questions to and to work with. Overcoming this challenge taught me independence and helped me gain initiative.
Thank you to Carol and Lloyd Darlington. Without the funding I received through the Carol and Lloyd Darlington Arts Internship Award, I would not have worked with Climate Reality Project and further developed my passion for sustainability and nonprofit work. This job helped me narrow down what I want my career to look like post-university and taught me important skills to allow me to flourish in the job market once I graduate. I am so grateful to have received this funding and to have gained the experience I had this summer.
