2023 Green Economies Youth Fellowship

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Location:  [Birmingham, Alabama]

Organization:  [SWEET Alabama]

Reports To:  [Co-Executive Director, Policy & Programming]

Supervises:  [N/A]

Wages:  [$20/hr, non-negotiable]

Time Frame:  [contract, 10 hours/week, 16 weeks – July 31st through November 17th, 2023]

The Green Economies Youth Fellowship is a 16-week paid fellowship which will train four youth Fellows (between the ages of 16-24) in peer-to-peer organizing, political education around climate and environmental justice, and vocational skills to energy retrofit housing in Birmingham, Alabama. We encourage residents who have an interest in community organizing, housing & energy, and construction trades to apply.

The majority of the fellows' time will include community outreach efforts, and learning vocational skills to retrofit housing in order to decrease residential energy bills. While the hours are flexible, fellows should expect to occasionally work during the week and on the weekends. 

• Meet weekly with Co-Executive Director, Policy and Programming for check-ins and fellowship support 
• Participate in peer-to-peer education sessions, including topics about community organizing, climate justice, and housing 
• Work with SWEET Alabama staff and fellowship class to organize and participate in home energy retrofit trainings  
• Conduct community outreach to recruit community members and peers (which can include friends, family, or neighbors), which may include door to door canvassing and phone banking
• Work with SWEET Alabama staff and fellowship class to distribute home energy efficiency mutual aid kits to community residents
• Support the expansion of our Community Tool Library

• Must live inside the city limits of Birmingham, Alabama 
• Must be between the ages of 16-24 (at the time of application) 
• Interest or experience in basic construction skills for retrofitting homes 
• Interest in community outreach, issue based organizing, and volunteer management 
• Interest in recruiting, training, and developing the skills of their peers  
• Strong interpersonal communication skills & abilities 
• Commitment to racial, economic, and environmental justice, and commitment to improving the material conditions of our communities 
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, one-on-one and in a group 
• Belief in leadership development of self and others and that growth relies on an individual’s ability to own important projects and achieve success for themselves 
• Ability to work independently in a dynamic community setting 
• Preference to those with reliable transportation (i.e. able to get to trainings and event launch sites reliably) 
• Preference to those with reliable communication (i.e. has reliable access to communication for communication with staff organizers and volunteers)

• Strict adherence to a maximum of 15 hours a week 
• $20/hr 

Founded in December 2017, SWEET Alabama is a 501(c)3 nonprofit “just transition” organization focusing on democratic economies and energy independence within Birmingham and the beautiful state of Alabama. We are connecting people to resources to achieve these goals. This transition will be supported by popular education in cooperative economics and sustainable uses of energy, land, and water.  

We are connecting communities to resources for energy efficiency, sustainability, and affordable homes.  

We are a "just transition" organization focusing on democratic economies and energy independence within Birmingham and the beautiful state of Alabama. We are connecting people to resources to achieve these goals. This transition will be supported by popular education in cooperative economics and sustainable uses of energy, land, and water.  

• SWEET Sovereignty:  Improved quality of life, Transformation, Community ownership, Land stewardship   
• Yield of Love:  Transparency, Honesty, Dignity, Empathy, Patience, Integrity   
• Reverence for Communities:  Adherence to cultural values, Reciprocity, Cooperation   
• Authenticity of Work:  Accountability, Commitment, Welcoming, Interconnectedness, Openness   
• Acknowledgement of People:  Embracing differences, Compassion, Sensitivity, Human-centered   
• Power of Voice:  Stronger together, Consensus, Courage, Wisdom   
• Acts of Love:  Healing, Support one another, Heart-centered  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER ~ COMMITTED TO A DIVERSE WORKPLACE 

SWEET Alabama is an aggressive advocate of affirmative action and welcomes applications from everyone, particularly from people of color; women; LGBTQ people; immigrants or refugees; people with disabilities; and people from low- or moderate-income backgrounds.