Applications Open Now For A Cool Summer Job In Conservation
NEWS – The Delaware River Watershed Fellowship is a 12-week, paid summer job opportunity designed to introduce young people from local communities to careers in conservation. Fellows are employed at one of 23 Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River environmental education centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware that share a mission to collectively increase and enhance constituent access to and stewardship of the Delaware River watershed.
There is a growing recognition of the lack of diversity, equity and inclusion in the environmental conservation field, and the Fellows program, now in its fifth year, aims to cultivate young environmentalists to be agents of change, to bring their knowledge and interest in habitat conservation to their communities, encouraging the enjoyment, use, and care of the natural areas in the watershed.
Robin Irizarry, Watershed Fellowship Coordinator, encourages participation by all youth with an interest in nature. “Our aim is to open up career pathways into the environmental field for young people from within the very communities our AWE Environmental Centers serve.”
AWE builds on that momentum by intentionally engaging diverse communities, especially those that have historically been left out of conversations about protecting our shared environment, in addition to promoting equitable access to its Centers and fostering socially responsible practices that will result in a healthier natural environment.
“No environmental experience is required, just a love of the great outdoors and interest in working with local communities,” adds Irizarry.
Valuable experience and training will help prepare Fellows for a summer helping people connect with nature and informing their local communities about issues affecting the Delaware River, the source of drinking water for 13 million people living in the region. Find Fellowship opportunities here.
- Fellows are paid $15/hr, 35-40 hours a week over the summer. (June 7 through August 27)
- Intensive training with supervising mentors as well as peers and Fellowship alumni
- Fellows will gain professional experience helping to plan and lead programs and activities connecting with community members.
- Fellows will focus their efforts on a selected Capstone Project and present their work at the end-of-program Summit (August 20).
A PSA follows AWE youth Fellows investigating the area’s river trails and creeks. Eve Quiñones a 2020 Fellow working with the Center for Aquatic Sciences, helped to create a video series about Camden’s public parks. She narrates the video PSA about her experiences: “Last summer, I learned about the region’s ecosystems, and how to protect the water sources we all depend on.”
About the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River
The Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River (AWE) aims to raise awareness and appreciation of the 13,500-square mile system which provides clean drinking water for 13 million people. AWE is comprised of 23 environmental education centers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware that share a mission to collectively increase and enhance constituent access to and stewardship of the Delaware River watershed. Through aligned communications, joint programming and shared best practices, AWE works toward inspiring diverse communities and people empowered to sustain a healthy Delaware River watershed. Generous funding is provided by the William Penn Foundation. Visit watershedalliance.org for information about AWE centers and programming.
About The Delaware River Watershed Fellowship
Launched in 2017, the Delaware River Watershed Fellowship is a collaborative effort of the 23 AWE environmental centers and has become one of the flagship programs of the Alliance. Through the support of the William Penn Foundation, this program aims to increase engagement and action toward the protection and restoration of the Delaware River Watershed, while increasing collaboration and capacity of AWE’s centers and expanding career opportunities for a diverse cohort of young adults from across the watershed. Over the past 4 seasons nearly 100 individuals have been hired to participate in this 12-week, paid summer program. Fellows receive basic watershed education training and gain hands-on experience in the field, serving as environmental educators and ambassadors with their host Center. See https://www.watershedalliance.org/delrivfellows/ for more information.
