Environmental Justice and Air Quality Intern (Worcester) (UNPAID)

Who We Are:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance Massachusetts’ environmental resources and create a clean energy future for all residents. Through the stewardship of open spaces, the protection of environmental resources, and the advancement of clean energy, EEA works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.   Our commitment to environmental justice ensures that every resident, regardless of background or location, can live in a safe, clean environment and shares equally in the benefits of the clean energy transition.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air, land, and water. Our work impacts every aspect of people's lives and is critical to the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors. MassDEP is the lead agency for safe management of toxics and hazardous materials, promotion of waste reduction and recycling, preservation of the state's wetlands and coastal resources, air quality monitoring and pollution reduction, and so much more.

Who We Are as an Employer:

At EEA, we create meaningful, inclusive opportunities that empower our employees to make a real difference in shaping the environmental future of Massachusetts. We foster a workplace culture where diversity is valued, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration thrives. Our employees play a vital role in advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on Massachusetts and its residents.

This internship is unpaid and designed to support students or recent graduates seeking practical experience in the field. Interns may be eligible to earn academic credit through their college or university.

Job Description:

The project is designed to support MassDEP’s ongoing advancement of Environmental Justice (EJ) and equity goals. EJ communities are disproportionately impacted by air pollution and the detrimental health outcomes that accompany it. There is a known lack of air quality monitoring and data in the Central Region of Massachusetts, and especially in the North Central communities. MassDEP is committed to ensuring that every community across Massachusetts, especially those that have been historically underserved, has clean, healthy air. MassDEP is offering a grant opportunity for tribes, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and municipalities to receive, at no cost, up to five PurpleAir sensors to measure levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in their communities' outdoor air.

The EJ intern will work with CERO’s Environmental Justice Coordinator to assist our communities and partners in securing air monitoring sensors. The intern will create a checklist to guide communities through the application process. The intern will help communities gather their specific information and help draft the project description required to apply for the grants. The intern will work with the EJ Coordinator to increase public awareness of air quality and its health impacts, and help distribute educational information, including the air quality poster with QR code developed by CERO. The project goals will help track local PM2.5 levels, identify areas with higher pollution and target mitigation efforts to protect public health. The intern will also assist the Environmental Justice Coordinator in outreach efforts to establish and maintain community relationships and create an updated database of EJ contacts for outreach.

Job Duties:

• Learning about the concepts of air quality, including how the PurpleAir and Fire and Smoke maps work.

• Establishing contacts within CERO tribes, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and municipalities to collaborate with when applying for MassDEP air sensors.

• Creating an easy-to-understand checklist to help communities and others apply for and install MassDEP’s PurpleAir Sensors.

• Assisting grantees with drafting project descriptions required to apply for air sensor grants.

• Assisting grantees with identifying locations to install sensors.

• Identifying outlets and distribute CERO’s air quality poster.

• Participating in Community Engagement, including establishing and maintaining community relationships and create an updated database of EJ contacts for outreach.

• If time allows create/enhance educational resources that include general air quality information and the importance of monitoring air quality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Good interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to work independently.

• Ability to collect information and concisely summarize it.

• Familiarity with Microsoft applications, including Word, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.

Position Information:

• Contracted Student Intern: Environmental Justice and Air Quality Intern (Worcester) (UNPAID) (ID: 260007U2)

• Start/End Date: 1/11/2027 - 6/18/2027

• Weekly Hours: 22.5 hours

• Number of Openings: 1 position

Who We Are:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance Massachusetts’ environmental resources and create a clean energy future for all residents. Through the stewardship of open spaces, the protection of environmental resources, and the advancement of clean energy, EEA works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.   Our commitment to environmental justice ensures that every resident, regardless of background or location, can live in a safe, clean environment and shares equally in the benefits of the clean energy transition.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air, land, and water. Our work impacts every aspect of people's lives and is critical to the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors. MassDEP is the lead agency for safe management of toxics and hazardous materials, promotion of waste reduction and recycling, preservation of the state's wetlands and coastal resources, air quality monitoring and pollution reduction, and so much more.

Who We Are as an Employer:

At EEA, we create meaningful, inclusive opportunities that empower our employees to make a real difference in shaping the environmental future of Massachusetts. We foster a workplace culture where diversity is valued, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration thrives. Our employees play a vital role in advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on Massachusetts and its residents.

This internship is unpaid and designed to support students or recent graduates seeking practical experience in the field. Interns may be eligible to earn academic credit through their college or university.

Job Description:

The project is designed to support MassDEP’s ongoing advancement of Environmental Justice (EJ) and equity goals. EJ communities are disproportionately impacted by air pollution and the detrimental health outcomes that accompany it. There is a known lack of air quality monitoring and data in the Central Region of Massachusetts, and especially in the North Central communities. MassDEP is committed to ensuring that every community across Massachusetts, especially those that have been historically underserved, has clean, healthy air. MassDEP is offering a grant opportunity for tribes, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and municipalities to receive, at no cost, up to five PurpleAir sensors to measure levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in their communities' outdoor air.

The EJ intern will work with CERO’s Environmental Justice Coordinator to assist our communities and partners in securing air monitoring sensors. The intern will create a checklist to guide communities through the application process. The intern will help communities gather their specific information and help draft the project description required to apply for the grants. The intern will work with the EJ Coordinator to increase public awareness of air quality and its health impacts, and help distribute educational information, including the air quality poster with QR code developed by CERO. The project goals will help track local PM2.5 levels, identify areas with higher pollution and target mitigation efforts to protect public health. The intern will also assist the Environmental Justice Coordinator in outreach efforts to establish and maintain community relationships and create an updated database of EJ contacts for outreach.

Job Duties:

• Learning about the concepts of air quality, including how the PurpleAir and Fire and Smoke maps work.

• Establishing contacts within CERO tribes, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, and municipalities to collaborate with when applying for MassDEP air sensors.

• Creating an easy-to-understand checklist to help communities and others apply for and install MassDEP’s PurpleAir Sensors.

• Assisting grantees with drafting project descriptions required to apply for air sensor grants.

• Assisting grantees with identifying locations to install sensors.

• Identifying outlets and distribute CERO’s air quality poster.

• Participating in Community Engagement, including establishing and maintaining community relationships and create an updated database of EJ contacts for outreach.

• If time allows create/enhance educational resources that include general air quality information and the importance of monitoring air quality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Good interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to work independently.

• Ability to collect information and concisely summarize it.

• Familiarity with Microsoft applications, including Word, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.

Position Information:

• Contracted Student Intern: Environmental Justice and Air Quality Intern (Worcester) (UNPAID) (ID: 260007U2)

• Start/End Date: 1/11/2027 - 6/18/2027

• Weekly Hours: 22.5 hours

• Number of Openings: 1 position

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Requirements: NONE

Please see the Preferred Qualifications above.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Requirements: NONE

Please see the Preferred Qualifications above.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.