2025 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): California Air Resources Board, Office of Community Air Protection (CARB-OCAP)

Job Title: California Air Resources Board Intern
Department/Team: Office of Community Air Protection at the California Air Resources Board
Location: The position will be hybrid. CARB has offices in Riverside and Sacramento, CA.
Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Malinda Dumisani (State Strategy Manager & Community Air Grants Program Manager, OCAP), Eloy Florez (Air Pollution Specialist, OCAP), and Trish Johnson (Air Pollution Specialist, OCAP)
Areas of Interest: Environmental justice, sustainable development, community engagement, climate policy, air quality

About the California Air Resources Board:

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is an entity under the California Environmental Protection Agency. Established in 1967, CARB's mission is to reduce air pollution and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources. CARB develops and enforces regulations to achieve and maintain healthy air quality, reduce exposure to toxic air contaminants, and promote innovative approaches to comply with air pollution rules.

About the Office of Community Air Protection:

In 2017, the Legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 617, which helped propel CARB to establish the "first-of-its-kind" Office of Community Air Protection Program (OCAP), whose focus is to reduce exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution through monitoring plans and emission reductions programs at the community level. Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Stats. 2017, Ch. 136) requires the Board to "adopt a statewide strategy to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants in communities affected by a high cumulative exposure burden." [Health and Safety Code § 44391.2(b)].

OCAP works closely with communities, air districts, and other stakeholders to develop and implement strategies for measuring air pollution and reducing its health impacts. This includes community air monitoring, emissions reduction programs, and deploying cleaner technologies in affected areas.

Position Description/Scope of Work:

Interns in CARB's OCAP will work on various projects that focus on working with environmental justice communities and California Tribes throughout the state to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria air pollutants. Interns will have a hands-on opportunity to learn about state government processes, policy development and implementation, and community and air district partnerships in a fast-paced environment. The interns will gain skills in policy research and writing, analyzing community program benefits and impacts, conducting community engagement and outreach, fostering local government partnerships, interagency coordination, and providing information regarding program grants and incentives.

This role provides valuable opportunities for helping with data analysis, community outreach, and policy implementation within California's most impacted communities. The intern will gain exposure to the agency's operations and contribute to critical environmental initiatives.

List of Potential Projects:

The intern will be able to work alongside staff, addressing community concerns by listening to community concerns, analyzing data, developing outreach materials, and meeting and working with other divisions, agencies, and community organizations. Students will also create a capstone project to be presented to the division at the end of their term.

Example Intern Projects:

• Community Air Protection (AB 617) Program: An intern may support impacted community engagement and outreach throughout the state to implement a newly adopted statewide strategy to reduce exposure in communities most impacted by air pollution.
• An Intern may also assist in evaluating Blueprint 2.0 implementation and the implementation of the Consultation Group.
• Support incentive tools like the Community Air Grants to focus support to California communities and California Native American Tribes to reduce air pollution in the places most overburdened by high air pollution. 
• Racial Equity and EJ: Intern may work on various projects to advance racial equity and environmental justice in CARB's community engagement and cross-agency efforts.
• Community-Focused Tools: The Intern may develop and enhance web presence around Blueprint 2.0 to make Program tools, information, and data easy to access, user-friendly, and in plain language.
• Interagency Coordination: The Intern may work with other CARB Divisions and sister state agencies to effect Program goals, objectives, and deliverables for Blueprint 2.0 implementation.

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

Ideal candidates are self-driven and independently motivated; can balance multiple projects at once and meet numerous deadlines; are highly professional and responsible; have strong verbal and written communication as well as analytical and organizational skills; and demonstrate a strong interest in one or more of the subject matters that CARB and OCAP cover. Please see the CARB website for more information on the areas of work.

Desirable Qualifications: Understanding of environmental justice and California's Assembly Bill 617. Experience with MS Office suite, MS, Forms, Adobe, graphic design/web design/multimedia skills and communications/outreach skills. Bilingual is a plus.

Logistics: 

• EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate. 
• Preferred start date is in mid-June 2025 (exact date to be agreed upon by you and the supervisor).
   

2024 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Sara Hernandez
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