Are you passionate about addressing social justice and sustainability? Do you want to spend a year in beautiful Maine? If so, our service-minded Service Fellowship team needs your help!
Climate change is here, increasing the size and frequency of natural disasters and climate related health outcomes, disproportionately affect under-resourced and rural communities, whose road to recovery often takes years. Maine Service Fellows is dedicated to shrinking these disparities, work that includes helping individual homeowners and communities move towards resilience through education and connection.
We have rolling start dates throughout the year, please feel free to message us if you're curious about specific start dates. We are always recruiting; it's never too early to apply!
Service Activities
The Fellow will orient to the community and it’s needs including, meeting leaders, learning operations of agencies like Window Dressers, navigating current and projected climate goals, and identifying opportunities for further engagement.
Take practical action for current work undertaken including recruiting and training new volunteers for window builds, hosting trainings and workshops, and meeting with direct community members to assess their individual homes for the program.
Additionally, the Fellow will meet with identified stakeholders to educate, and present Assess their level of support, ask for further recommendations, find out how they and their constituents get information on important topics.
The Fellow will finally be responsible for public outreach including media initiatives and community workshops. And will be key for identifying vulnerabilities and sustainability strategies, making recommendations to the committee and delivering a final report to the town council.
Community Need Addressed
The Energy Collaborative Maine Service Fellow will work to bring new energy to 3 local climate-action organizations in Piscataquis County Maine: The Commons Energy Collaborative, The Climate Action Advisory Committee, and Maine Highlands Window Dressers to develop organizational sustainability, and to increase community engagement with climate-related volunteer organizations in the town of Dover-Foxcroft. In addition to assisting with the seasonal efforts already undertaken, the Maine Service Fellow will help re-envision the trajectory of climate action through expanded community engagement. The energy Fellow will work to develop a larger volunteer base and evolving leadership for these programs to enable long term sustainability.
Position Outcomes
Success of this project will bring sustainability to the efforts of these organizations, will promote wider community understanding of the drivers and effects of climate change, and will engage more members of the community in climate-related activities. The Energy Fellow will be instrumental in expanding understanding of climate change for the community and developing and supporting measures to develop community climate resilience.
One of the major undertakings since inception of the CEC have been to sponsor a local Maine Highlands Window Dressers group building and supplying low-cost internal storm window inserts to homes, businesses, and non-profit organizations in the Maine Highlands region to reduce heating costs, improve comfort, and decrease CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use. The Fellow will help expand the work taken on by Window Dressers to help create safe and sustainable homes for the community.
A Service Fellow will spearhead the evolution of community engagement with the ultimate goal of involving more local people in the region in programing and eventually developing new, younger, local leaders. This requires new messaging, outreach, networking, and re-visioning which could be done with the help of a service fellow.
Benefits
Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Training
Education Benefits
Credential or Certification
Asset Based Community Development credential (ABCD) and credential in facilitation. MSF is invested in meeting the needs of our members and will work to provide appropriate training and learning opportunities whenever possible.
Skills you will gain
Volunteer recruitment and management, public speaking, grant writing, community engagement, and navigating federal and municipal policies and regulations
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Provide relevant expertise
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Drive decision making, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment