Part One: Classroom Training
The Green Corps program starts with an intensive three-week classroom training in early August. You hear not only from our own staff and alumni, but also from such environmental organizers and leaders as Bill McKibben of 350.org and Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska, a leader in the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline.
Through instruction and practice, our staff and trainers present overviews on the biggest issues facing our environment and case studies on defining campaigns. You’ll also learn and practice a variety of valuable skills, both in the classroom and in a campaign, with immediate personal feedback from our trainers. You’ll learn volunteer recruitment, campaign planning, public speaking, fundraising and much more.
Part Two: Field Training on Real Campaigns
Green Corps organizers receive the bulk of their training through hands-on experience working on behalf of organizations such as The Wilderness Society and Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. Organizers will use the skills they learn in their classroom training to work on some of the most pressing issues of the day. Their responsibilities will include recruiting, training and supervising volunteers, planning and running visibility events, securing media coverage, and building strong coalitions.
Over the course of the year, Green Corps organizers lead three to five different campaigns in communities across the country. By working with several different campaign partners, organizers experience a diversity of issues, tactics and organizations. Green Corps organizers travel to different cities for campaigns, allowing them to work in different communities and constituencies.
For example, last year a team of four organizers worked on behalf of The Wilderness Society in Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia to defend bedrock conservation laws from being repealed. These organizers recruited more than 550 individuals to events for the campaign and developed more than 40 committed volunteers to continue the work going forward. Another Green Corps team worked with Bold Alliance (an offshoot of Bold Nebraska) to oppose the Dakota Access Pipeline. The team mobilized hundreds of people to march in a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, near the path of the pipeline.
Part Three: Launch Your Career
After completing our yearlong training program, Green Corps connects graduates to groups looking to hire full-time staff. Our alumni now work with organizations such as Environment America, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Corporate Accountability International, Rainforest Action Network, National Wildlife Federation, 350.org, and NRDC, among others. Due to Green Corps’ rigorous training program and the great need for trained organizers in many social change organizations, Green Corps organizers are often able to find professional positions immediately after completing the program.
Location and Compensation
The target annual compensation for this position is $26,500. Green Corps offers a competitive benefits package. We also offer an excellent training program and opportunities for advancement.
We take into consideration location preferences as well as people's skill sets to see where organizers will make the biggest impact and receive the best training experience.
Things To Know When You Apply
Green Corps is part of The Public Interest Network — a group of organizations that share a vision of a better future, a set of core values, and a strategic approach to making positive change. Click here for things you should know about our network when you apply.
Green Corps is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status.
