Job Announcement: Election Student Fellows

We are building a team of passionate, energetic, and outgoing college and high school students to use their skills to engage college voters to re-elect Governor Tony Evers, Attorney General Josh Kaul, and conservation champions to the state legislature who will fight for climate justice, clean water, and to restore our broken democracy. We are hiring 15 part-time, paid positions that will work closely in teams of three with full-time organizers at their respective campuses. Fellows will organize students on UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Green Bay, and UW-Madison campuses, as well as surrounding legislative districts, from September through November 2022.

To view a PDF of this job description, click here.

Wisconsin Conservation Voters engages voters to protect Wisconsin’s environment. To achieve that, Wisconsin Conservation Voters advocates for sound environmental laws and policies, holds elected officials accountable for their votes and actions, and elects pro-conservation candidates who will champion our priority issues. Learn more about us at conservationvoters.org.

You will work closely with our team of regional organizers to build effective programs, develop relationships with college voters, and increase voter turnout for conservation champions both on campus and in key legislative districts. Your work will build towards a successful Election Day on November 8, 2022. Specifics of the job include:

• Increasing our youth and student volunteer base, building infrastructure to support those volunteers, and mobilizing volunteers to win elections.
• Mentoring, training, and building skills and dedication of volunteers, while developing your own leadership and community organizing skills.
• Recruiting and maintaining teams of volunteers to run relational voter programs to engage a wider network of young voters.
• Leading door-to-door canvasses, phone and text banks, and other innovative in-person and virtual tactics to engage youth and student voters on conservation issues.
• Creating a community of student and youth volunteers and activists in a physical and digital space.
• Building a more powerful, cohesive, and active organization that is racially, politically, age, and socio-economically diverse.
• Recording and tracking data and reporting progress.
• Develop meaningful relationships to lay a foundation for long-term, transformational student organizing on campuses for climate justice beyond the November election.

To succeed in this job, you:

• Are a connector and a people person. You are genuinely interested in fostering relationships and understanding people's interests and stories.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills. You are able to work well in a team and manage projects that require input from multiple staff and across departments.
• Are comfortable working with people of all political ideologies, racial identities, ages, and socio-economic differences.
• Share our commitment to centering the voices and experiences of those most impacted by climate change and environmental injustice.
• Are creative and ambitious, always seeking out new ways to expand the organization’s base of support and engage community members in its programs.
• You value learning, are curious, and like to seek out new ideas and opportunities for personal growth and improvement.
• Flexible and adaptive, and can be an effective fellow in an uncertain election season and adapt to the changes that COVID-19 may still bring.
• You are excited to engage your peers and student voters to protect Wisconsin’s water, air, land, and democracy.
  

Skills: Demonstrated commitment to environmental, racial justice, and democracy issues; ability to work well in a dynamic environment; ability to handle multiple projects at a time; understanding of, or ability to learn quickly about, environmental issues and politics and their potential to engage the public; passion for Wisconsin Conservation Voters’ mission and work.

Technical skills: Comfortable with databases, Microsoft Office, and voter contact apps; and social media experience preferred.

Conditions: The positions will be located on UW-La Crosse, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Green Bay, and UW-Madison. These positions will require regular travel to surrounding legislative districts to canvass doors. Evening and weekend work is required. The position is part time and temporary through November 18, 2022.

Compensation and Details: $17/hour; phone stipend and mileage reimbursement for work travel provided. Approximately 10-15 hours per week through November 18, 2022, with the possibility of additional hours. Flexible schedule.

Reports to: Regional Organizers

Our commitment to racial justice and equity: We recognize that historic and current systems and decisions – including within the conservation community – have created injustice. Through our work we confront these injustices and fight for an equitable balance of power. We hold ourselves accountable to being inclusive and equitable in our own actions and within our organization. Read more about our commitment in our Guiding Principles here.

Email your resume, cover letter, and three references to fellowship@conservationvoters.org, with “Election Student Fellow” in the subject line. Please indicate in your cover letter which campus or high school community you are a part of. Applicants will be hired on a rolling basis until positions are filled. These positions have a flexible start date in early September 2022.