City of New Haven City Plan Department
City Plan works to improve the well-being of all residents in New Haven by creating safe, equitable, healthful, economically vibrant and attractive places. Planners engage with residents, community leaders, and elected officials to guide the development of physical spaces and develop frameworks for the long-term sustainable growth and development of the city. City Plan is the regulatory body for land use development in the city through the City Plan Commission, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Historic District Commission. TheFellow will gain substantial experience with the regulatory roles of the City Plan Department with particular focus on sustainability and regulation of projects in the State’s Coastal Management Area.
Click here to read the agency’s placement proposal
Agency website: www.newhavenct.gov/government/departments-divisions/city-plan
City of New Haven Office of Climate and Sustainability
The Office of Climate and Sustainability works with City departments, community organizations, and New Haven residents to advance and coordinate city-wide climate and environmental sustainability policies, practices, and initiatives. The Office seeks to implement climate mitigation and adaptation solutions that intersect with and address the immediate challenges facing New Haven residents: from finding safe and affordable housing, to accessing quality employment opportunities, to improving air quality and respiratory health.
Placement 1: The Fellow will assist in organizing the City’s community outreach and education campaign regarding residential energy efficiency and home electrification. Tasks will include organizing meetings with community groups, managing and participating in neighborhood-level canvasses, researching state and federal energy efficiency and clean energy incentives, and creating communications materials.
Click here to read the agency’s placement proposal for Placement 1
Placement 2: The Fellow will co-manage the City’s application to Sustainable CT. Tasks include tracking progress on sustainability goals, outreach to partner organizations, researching specific actions, and creation of communication materials.
Click here to read the agency’s placement proposal for Placement 2
Agency website: www.newhavenct.gov/climate
Common Ground High School, Urban Farm, and Enviromnental Education Center
Common Ground is a center for learning and leadership, inviting people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, grow into their full potential, and contribute to a just and sustainable world.
Placement 1: Development and Community Events-the Fellow will work to help Common Ground’s long-term sustainability through supporting two major community events called Feast from the Fields and Feast for Fams.
Click here to read the agency’s proposal for Placement 1
Placement 2: Green Jobs Corps Farm Crew-the Fellow will provide hands-on support growing vegetables, maintaining Comon Ground’s compost system and caring for animals on the Common Ground 1 acre urban farm alongside its farm team and summer young adult interns (including technical farming workshops, food justice conversations and field trips).
Click here to read the agency’s proposal for Placement 2
Placement 3: Summer Camp-the Fellow will participate in direct service with children as a leader and mentor, helping to care for campers as they cook, play, hike, garden, build forts, make nature art, care for animals, play games, enjoy campfires, and make summer memories.
Agency website: commongroundct.org
Haven’s Harvest
Haven’s Harvest is an environmental food recovery organization that directs food to communities experiencing food insecurity–daycare centers, schools, health clinics, methadone clinics, subsidized housing sites. The Fellow will engage in community outreach activities and will spend time in the warehouse meeting partners and volunteers to accept and share food; use social media; and perform data collection and management activities at community at events or by surveying partners to update information.
Agency website: www.havensharvest.org
New Haven Urban Resources Initiative
The Urban Resources Initiative (URI) is a nonprofit Yale University partnership that empowers and supports communities in the restoration, stewardship and enjoyment of the urban forest and nature in New Haven. URI hires community forestry interns for its Community Greenspace program each summer. Through this program, URI community foresters work with about forty community groups in middle- and low-income neighborhoods to reclaim, restore, and replant parks, vacant lots, and streetscapes while revitalizing New Haven communities. URI community foresters receive training in urban forestry, project planning, site assessment, social forestry, and research techniques, and gain experience working with community groups, city officials, and non-profit agencies. As a community forester, the Fellow will provide technical and material support to six or seven community groups engaged in environmental rehabilitation projects, such as tree planting, vacant lot restoration, or invasive species removal.
Click here to read the agency’s placement proposal
Agency website: uri.yale.edu
Solar Youth
Solar Youth’s mission is to empower youth aged 5-18 from New Haven’s low-income neighborhoods to achieve lifelong success. Through programs that connect youth to the environment, their communities and each other, youth build the skills and motivations necessary to be positive contributors to their community, create healthy relationships, maintain physical and mental health, and become economically self-sufficient. Over the past 22 years, Solar Youth has built a track record as one of New Haven’s most promising solutions for empowering low-income youth. All of the children Solar Youth serves reside in low-income communities in New Haven. The Fellow will support Solar Youth’s Executive Director with non-profit administration during the first three weeks. The Fellow will then will support program staff during remaining weeks, work directly with youth in summer camp, and help collect end-of-season data.
Click here to read the agency’s placement proposal
Agency website: solaryouth.org