FAO Schwarz Climate Education Fellow

Mass Audubon; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Mass Audubon invites applications for a two-year Climate Change Education Fellowship based in Boston. The Fellow will advance climate education goals, mentor youth leaders, and design two education-focused projects to mobilize climate action within the organization and communities.

Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges and universities and be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the two-year Fellowship.

Qualifications

• Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities at the time of application.

Responsibilities

• Advance climate education goals in Boston-area schools and with Mass Audubon's School Programs education team.
• Mentor youth leaders in the Statewide Youth Climate Leadership Program (YCLP) and help plan events and retreats.
• Lead two education-focused projects to mobilize climate action and expand access to youth leadership.
• Develop a statewide climate education survey and train mentors to collect responses and share findings.

Job description

Mass Audubon's mission is to protect the nature of Massachusetts for people and wildlife. With the help of our 160,000 members and supporters, we protect wildlife, conserve and restore resilient land, advocate for impactful environmental policies, offer nationally recognized education programs for adults and children, and provide endless opportunities to experience the outdoors at our wildlife sanctuaries.

About the Fellowship Position

Overview

The Fellow will advance the climate change education goals of Mass Audubon for their direct service work, and design and lead two education-focused projects that support the organizational Action Agenda Goal to mobilize and advocate action on climate change for their strategic project work.

Direct Service

The Fellow will help young people learn about climate change, explore nature, and take action, working with Mass Audubon's school programs education team to advance climate education in Boston-area schools. Assignments focus on providing mentorship and support to Mass Audubon’s Statewide Youth Climate Leadership Program (YCLP) and hands-on education in the Boston area. The Fellow will:

• Support youth climate leaders. Co-lead monthly YCLP meetings, mentor teens as they choose a policy focus and organize events, and help plan the statewide retreat and participation in Advocacy Day. The Fellow will attend events across Massachusetts and use year-end feedback to improve the program. In year two, they’ll speak at a YCLP event and develop a plan for an alumni network.
• Teach in Boston-area communities. Working alongside an experienced educator, the Fellow will learn to lead nature and climate lessons at sanctuaries, schools, community spaces, and summer camps. In year two, they’ll take the lead on selected programs.

Strategic Project

The Fellow's strategic project work will revolve around mobilizing and advocating action on climate change. The Fellow will lead two projects that help Mass Audubon expand climate education and bring more young people into climate action. The Fellow will:

• Find out what young people are learning. Design a statewide climate education survey with guidance from Mass Audubon’s evaluation director. Train staff mentors and Youth Climate Leaders to collect responses, then share what they learn through publications, presentations, webinars, and staff discussions.
• Open more doors to youth leadership. Build relationships with partners in environmental justice communities and create an outreach plan for each region to broaden access to the Youth Climate Leadership Program. The Fellow will also develop training and support for youth leaders, staff mentors, and partners. In year two, they’ll assess the outreach effort and recommend what comes next.

“This intensive and transformative two-year Fellowship will provide an early career professional with the opportunity to serve as a co-coordinator of Mass Audubon’s Youth Climate Leadership Program and help us mentor the next generation of climate leaders.”

“When we teach young people about climate change, we give them something incredibly important: time. Time to challenge what people have accepted as 'feasible,' time to imagine new and creative solutions, and time to think and act institutionally.”

Former Climate Education Fellow

"We are excited to gain a role-model for our Youth Climate Leaders, a monumentally impactful role as participants determine their career paths, how they support their communities, and how they harness their voices to build the future they envision."

Climate Change Education Program Manager

Applicants must be college seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities at the time of application and be eligible to work in the United States for the duration of the two-year Fellowship. You may apply for more than one Fellowship. The deadline to apply is February 1, 2027, at 9:00 pm ET. Host organizations will select applicants for interviews and make their decisions by the end of April 2027. Fellowships begin in the summer of 2027 and last two years.

Learn more about Mass Audubon by visiting the website: massaudubon.org

PHOTOS:All photos courtesy of Mass Audubon and Gretchen Ertl.