Internship Location: Remote
Organization Type: Nonprofit
Policy Areas: Climate
I had the opportunity to intern with MN350. They are a nonprofit advocating for climate justice in Minnesota. Our team of Pipeline Resistance Policy interns worked on changing Minnesota’s Environmental Quality Board (EQB) standards so that all new developments in MN receive a more thorough environmental review. This would open the path to creating a new set of rules restricting developments that fail to meet specific environmental standards. To do this, we had to sort through reports published by the EQB and engage different stakeholders to influence the EQB’s decision-making process. Understanding the EQB’s decision-making power meant learning about how the state of Minnesota implements environmental policy, including the role of the Department of Natural Resources and the Pollution Control Agency. I was able to personally speak at two of the EQB’s in-person monthly board meetings, which was an empowering experience. I learned how to efficiently read through lengthy government documents, draft impactful public statements, and coordinate with different groups. For example, we communicated with the public through outreach events and mass emails, contacted government staff, and consulted with policy experts from other organizations to develop our policy goals. At MN350, I also studied what indicators a nonprofit uses to measure performance and how they analyze this data. The best part of the internship was collaborating with inspiring professionals in a productive and friendly workplace environment. I know I will use the network and many insights I gained from this internship in my academic and professional future.