Solar Energy Education Assistant

Special note: this is an 8-week, paid internship. See details below

Located in our Norton, Va. office, the Solar Energy Education Assistant will focus on the Renewable Energy Outreach and education initiative

The Solar Energy Education Assistant will create a high-school-level solar education program for use in one or more of Southwest Virginia’s coalfield county schools (Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties). The project will include participation from high school students as a classroom project or school-sponsored extracurricular activity and would ideally take place during the upcoming spring semester. The goal of the coordinator’s work is to increase engagement and educational opportunities for local students in the growing solar energy industry in Southwest Virginia.

The coordinator’s responsibilities and opportunities include:

Research completed on ongoing solar projects or competitions in Virginia k-12 schools
Development of an education-based solar energy project or competition for local schools
Increase understanding of the benefits of solar energy for schools and local communities
Create a pamphlet describing the solar program, its goal, and how to participate
Track the cost of proposed program materials
Attend regular virtual bi-weekly updates/check-ins with Mentor as needed
Meet with local school teachers or club sponsors to coordinate the creation of a local competition
Identify relevant local k-12 clubs, afterschool programs, or classes
Work with the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia to understand and incorporate organizational goals
Identify grant opportunities for education-based renewable energy programs

The intern will gain:

In-depth experience in fields of renewable energy outreach, education, and/or community engagement
First hand experience working in an emerging field in our region
Ability to directly apply skills obtained during undergraduate studies into real world applications

Time Commitment: 10 hours a week for 8 weeks (80 hours)

Compensation: $9.50/hour

Apply now

About Appalachian Voices
Appalachian Voices is a nonprofit advocacy organization that works to achieve an Appalachia with healthy, intact ecosystems and advance a just transition to a generative and equitable clean energy economy. We have 30 staff members located in offices in Boone, N.C., Charlottesville, Va., Norton, Va., Knoxville, Tenn., and Durham, N.C.

Commitment to equity
Appalachian Voices is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion both in our work and in our organizational structure. We seek applicants who share and exhibit these principles. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure staff and interns and applicants for those positions are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.