Changemakers Fellowships

Applications are now open for 2025 summer fellowships!

Apply by by May 21 st at 11:59 pm, but position will stay open until filled.
MEEA is hiring for two (2) positions for the summer Changemakers Fellowship program. (June 10 - mid-September)
Designed to be flexible: 200 hours over 4-5 months with a $3,800 stipend and a $500 budget for a community action project

ABOUT THE CHANGEMAKERS NETWORK

The Maine Environmental Changemakers youth-led, intergenerational network is a program of the Maine Environmental Education Association that connects young Mainers (ages 15-30) from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about the environment and social justice with peer mentors and established mentors in the sector. Changemakers provide training and resources needed to support the youth-led climate actions that participants organize in their communities. The Changemakers program commits to challenging traditional models of leadership, shifting power, increasing innovation through dialogue, and crossing age and ability boundaries to develop a more just, inclusive, and equitable environmental sector.

POSITION INFORMATION

Changemakers focuses on  leadership development of youth who are passionate about environment and climate justice issues with a specific focus on youth who have faced marginalization in exploring their passions for this work. We are currently seeking two (2) Fellows  who represent the geographic diversity of the state of Maine. The Fellowship contract positions will work within their local, county, and state communities in order to support the work of the Maine Environmental Changemakers Network in providing opportunities for young Mainers from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about the environment to connect with the resources and mentors they need to make effective change in their communities. This fellowship is a part-time contract position paying a $3,800 stipend with an additional $500 budget to support an environmental community action project that you are passionate about.  Total hours for the fellowship is approximately 200 hours.  The target age for this Fellowship is 18-25, but we can be somewhat flexible on this.The fellows must have some flexibility to work during the business hours of 9am - 5pm. The start date for this position is June 10th and will run until mid-September with a negotiable end date.

The fellowship is designed to be flexible. Although most work will be done remotely, occasional travel for in-person meetings is required. Therefore, the Fellows must be based in Maine for the duration of the position.  The Fellows’ supervisor is based in the greater Bangor area so ability to meet in this area periodically is required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Help to organize and attend Changemakers Gathering on September 26-27, 2025 

• Co-present a workshop at the Changemakers Gathering 

• Gather and disseminate a story of youth in the Maine Environmental Changemakers Network who are passionate about environmental and climate justice work.

• Lead an individual environmental/climate community action project of your own design which directly and positively impacts your community

• Attend weekly meetings with MEEA’s Youth Engagement Coordinator

• Outreach and tabling to raise the network's profile across the state

• Participate in the hiring process of the next Fellows and the Changemakers Gathering Planning Team

• Grow your own leadership skills through supported professional development opportunities

• Work with MEEA and Maine Youth for Climate Justice on a project studying the youth climate movement in Maine

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Passion for building a more inclusive environmental and conservation sector in Maine

• Passion for helping other youth step into their own power and belief that everyone can be an environmental changemaker in their own way

• Working collaboratively across different lived experiences 

• Openness to facilitating cross-generational conversations

• Desire to build your own skills and share your knowledge with others

• Self-motivation and independence

• Reliability

• Ability to lead an environmental project of your own design with support from the MEEA staff

• Able to work in a flexible work environment (many remote Zoom meetings and some in-person meetings)

IMPORTANT DETAILS

Applications are due by May 21st, 2025 by 11:59 pm, but the positions will stay open until filled. If you have questions, please email negina at negina@meeassociation.org. Apply using this link. MEEA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, whistleblower activity, marital status, genetic information, or a previous assertion of a claim or right under the Maine Workers' Compensation Act.

Questions? Email changemakers@meeassociation.org