Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area Fellowship 2024 : Environmental Justice and Water Justice For Frontline Communities in South San Mateo County!

Overview

Our Mission: We exist to uplift Latino families in East Palo Alto and the mid-peninsula through community education, leadership development, and advocacy.

Our Vision: Nuestra Casa envisions a vibrant East Palo Alto community united around shared values, a multicultural community working together to ensure that all its residents are integrated and have access to the American Dream. Our families pave the road for other generations to follow through their participation in civic engagement activities and collaborative community actions.

Who We Are: Nuestra Casa has been serving the needs of the immigrant Latino population of East Palo Alto and surrounding communities since 2002. Our organization rose out of a community assessment conducted by a group of local activists who were concerned about the growing needs of the rising immigrant population. Today, Nuestra Casa is positioned as the premier Latinx serving nonprofit in our community. Over the past five years, our growth has allowed us to expand our services and programming into neighboring communities like Menlo Park (Belle Haven region) and Redwood City. Through our advocacy efforts, we also reach other communities in San Mateo County.

At Nuestra Casa, we welcome our community to a place that feels like home. We stand by their side to help them navigate institutions, build people’s power, and use their voice to shape a new, more equitable community. Our programs transform our leaders into advocates actively engaged in our local economy, school district, and civic life. Together, we will build a community that leaves no one behind.

About the Fellowship

Nuestra Casa is looking for two creative, energetic, and assertive students to fill two different roles with either our Environmental Justice or Water Justice programs. We work on issues that community members have shared direct concerns about and center their voices in the work we do. You would be working on current and emerging issues facing local communities around environmental justice issues during your internship and time with Nuestra Casa.

Environmental Justice:

Our Environmental Justice Department organizes and empowers community residents to take ownership of their advocacy abilities. Our goal is to ensure frontline communities’ inclusion in discussions and policies related to climate change. Nuestra Casa is well known for adapting all of our workshops to local cultural identities, including Pacific Islander, African American, and Latino/x.

Responsibilities and tasks include but are not limited to:

• Work with local community members to support community research on microplastics for a local horizontal levee project,including developing creative and fun interactive educational materials around microplastics. 

• Supporting our Estuary Youth Council in partnership with San Francisco Estuary Partnership, including supporting the development of in-person field trips and educational curriculum.

• Connect with community members and inform them about Environmental Justice:

  • Create educational materials to be used at community outreach events and help in the planning process when applicable.

  • Create social media materials that can benefit the community, including sharing emerging new research in a way that is easy for community members to understand including translation to Spanish if possible. 

  • Research information required for Environmental Justice projects as needed.

• Attend Environmental Justice meetings that focus on community needs and gain experience on how to collaborate with other organizations and community members. 

• Support other small administrative projects at Nuestra Casa if time permits. For example, data entry of program results into Salesforce to help track our reach and impact, and supporting team members with other small tasks as needed.

• Opportunity to research an issue of concern to the community that you find interesting. This could include ongoing work and adding to it. Can practice synthesizing research in a way that is accessible to community members. 

Water Justice:

Responsibilities and tasks include but are not limited to:

• Policy Analysis: Review data related to water affordability in East Palo Alto, analyze the status quo, and develop policy recommendations that address ongoing water affordability concerns.

• Connect with community members and inform them about Water Justice:

  • Create educational materials to be used at community outreach events and help in the planning process when applicable.

  • Support ongoing water quality research efforts.

  • Research information required for Environmental Justice projects as needed.

• Update existing curriculum for Nuestra Casa’s Water community task force:

  • Make edits and evaluate existing curriculum focused on water justice and equity for residents that is factual and easy to understand.

  • Create social media posts that are factual and educational about water justice.

• Attend Water Justice meetings that focus on state and federal policy with the intention of taking notes and informing the Water team of any significant findings.

• Support other small administrative projects at Nuestra Casa if time permits. For example, data entry of program results into Salesforce to help track our reach and impact, and supporting team members with other small tasks as needed.

What the student would gain through this internship:

The student would gain a wide variety of skills, including how to develop a curriculum that is community focused and translates important research into actionable items for a diverse community. The student will learn about local Environmental Justice issues facing frontline communities in San Mateo County, develop policy, and learn about the key stakeholders and agencies that act as decision-makers in the region. They will also have the opportunity to connect with and learn about other organizations working on Environmental Justice issues.

Preferred qualifications: 

• All levels are welcome to apply (undergraduate, Masters or PhD level). 

• Some knowledge of Spanish is preferred, but this internship is open to anyone.

• A background in environmental studies, environmental science, political science or another related field is suggested but not required.

• Strong passion and commitment to social and environmental justice.

• Knowledge of issues of immigrant communities and low income people.

• Ability to engage a diverse community for social justice.

• Strong organizational and communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.

Stipend

Undergraduate Cardinal Quarter Fellows receive a base stipend of $6,500 (+$500 cost of living adjustment for the Bay Area) to support living expenses during the fellowship. Financial aid and supplemental funding may be available to students who qualify (learn more here). 

Students in a 2-year Masters program will receive a stipend of $8,500. Students who have begun their coterm programs (i.e., students who are paying for graduate tuition) will also receive a stipend of $8,500. PhD students who will be on a 50% time (20 hours/week) assistantship during the summer will receive up to $4,000 for a part-time summer fellowship (max 16 hours/week). PhD students who have the flexibility to work full time during the summer (35-40 hours) may receive up to $10,000.