Civic Environmental Scholar (CES) Application Page

Thank you for your interest in being a Civic Environmental Scholar for 2026-2027! The Civic Environmental Scholar position is a collaborative student leader position between the Center for Civic Engagement and the Environmental Stewardship Center. Students interested in being a Civic Environmental Scholar must complete the Application Form including providing a resume, cover letter, and two references. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. If you have any questions, please contact Sashae.Mitchell@kzoo.edu or Sara.Stockwood@kzoo.edu

Before you apply, please read through the general position description AND the description for the specific program you are applying to. Candidates are encouraged to consider all parts of their academic, working, and personal life when applying for this role to ensure the success and wellbeing of each leader, the program, and community partnerships. Some student roles with potential conflicts to consider when applying include president’s ambassador, DSA, TA/SI, sports team player or captain, student organization leader, other campus/non-campus jobs or volunteer positions. The following student leader roles CAN NOT be held simultaneously with a CES position: Resident Assistant, FYE Mentor, LandSea Leader (NY site). Students who accept the Civic Environmental Scholar position must be prepared and available to attend the three day training retreat scheduled for September 9-11, 2026.

General Position Description (Civic Environmental Scholar):

General Civic Environmental Scholar Description:

The Civic Environmental Scholar position is collaborative student leader position between the Center for Civic Engagement and the Environmental Stewardship Center. Supervision will be shared between the partner program, and the Directors of the Center for Civic Engagement and Environmental Stewardship Center.

The following commitments are required of all Civic Environmental Scholars:

Mandatory attendance at the Center for Civic Engagement CES and Environmental Stewardship Center Fall Retreat/trainings
Mandatory attendance at one CCE workshop per quarter
Mandatory attendance at CES reflections 1x per quarter
Mandatory attendance at ESC intern meetings 1-2x per quarter (could include attending Sustainability Chats)
Communicate effectively and regularly with CCE/ESC staff, community or campus partner
Work 7-10 hours per week, depending on the needs of your program.
View your work through a social justice lens and facilitate in depth discussions about social issues as that relate to your program
Build and sustain reciprocal partnerships with community partners
Understand, articulate, and adhere to the mission of the CCE and ESC
Learning best practices for confronting systemic oppression

Responsibilities:

Serve as liaison between the CCE/ESC and community partner
Design and facilitate at least one structured reflection sessions that promote student skills and broaden understandings of social issues related to the program
Support courses engaged with your program site

A strong candidate has:

Strong organizational, logistic, and time management skills
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people
Knowledge of social justice, environmental and civic engagement issues and/or open to learning about these topics
Good facilitation skills or willingness to learn
Excellent communication skills and highly responsible
Willing to be a partner with CCE/ESC/KCCC as we co-design this position throughout its first year
Receptive to regular feedback and evaluation from CCE/ESC staff, community partners and peers
Ability to effectively collaborate and an investment in community engagement

Program-Specific Job Description (Civic Environmental Scholar):

Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition

Organization Overview

The Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition (KCCC) is a grassroots network of over 40 organizations, nonprofits, neighborhood groups, businesses, and community leaders working collectively to advance climate justice and build a resilient, equitable future for all residents of Kalamazoo County. Formed in 2019, KCCC emerged from a volunteer-led effort that mobilized more than 1,500 residents during the Global Climate Strike and secured Climate Emergency Declarations in five municipalities.

Since then, we have played a central role in shaping local climate policy, co-leading the development of Kalamazoo County’s first Climate Action and Climate Justice Plan and helping establish the county’s first full-time Climate Coordinator position. These achievements helped attract an $18.9 million EPA Community Change Grant. Though federal funding was terminated in 2025, the planning process built strong infrastructure for equitable climate action: trained staff, home energy auditors, a skilled partner network, and a robust foundation for long-term solutions.

Today, KCCC administers three core program areas:

Community Education & Engagement, including Climate Conversations (now in its sixth year), Fridays for Future, youth outreach, policy advocacy, newsletters reaching 2,000 residents, and statewide climate justice presentations.
Climate Ready Homes, which improves housing stability and health through repairs, electrification readiness, indoor air quality improvements, energy-efficiency upgrades, and resource navigation for low-income homeowners.
Ardea Youth Climate Coalition, a year-long leadership and civic engagement program preparing high school students for a solutions focused climate future through peer education, local climate action projects, and participating in the democratic process by advocating for local and statewide policy change.

Position Overview

The Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition (KCCC) is seeking a Civic Environmental Scholar to support long-term climate planning, policy research, and community partnership development connected to the Kalamazoo County Climate and Justice Action Plan. This position is ideal for someone interested in climate justice, civic engagement, public policy, systems change, and collaborative community research.

The Scholar will help strengthen KCCC’s role as a climate justice partner by conducting research, analyzing policy pathways and barriers, identifying community leadership opportunities, and supporting implementation planning rooted in equity and community resilience. The Scholar will also conduct comparative analysis between the Kalamazoo County Climate and Justice Action Plan and the Kalamazoo College Climate Plan to identify alignment opportunities, gaps, and collaborative strategies.

The Civic Environmental Scholar will have opportunities to observe and support current KCCC initiatives in order to better understand how climate planning goals translate into real-world community action. This may include participating in and learning from programs such as Climate Ready Homes, the Climate Conversations learning series, and the Ardea Youth Climate Coalition. Through these experiences, the Scholar will gain exposure to community engagement strategies, climate resilience implementation, youth leadership development, equitable outreach practices, and collaborative program design. The Scholar may attend community meetings, assist with research or program support tasks, and engage with staff and partners to better understand how local climate justice work is carried out in practice.

Conduct long-term planning questions and general research associated with the Kalamazoo County Climate and Justice Action Plan.
Review climate action strategies, implementation models, and best practices from local, regional, and national climate initiatives.
Research climate justice frameworks and equitable implementation strategies relevant to housing, transportation, energy, resilience, public health, workforce development, and environmental justice.
Support development of recommendations, summaries, presentations, and planning materials for KCCC staff and partners.
Organize and synthesize findings into accessible briefing documents, and visual summaries.

Compare and analyze the Kalamazoo County Climate and Justice Action Plan alongside the Kalamazoo College Climate Plan.
Identify areas of alignment, opportunities for collaboration, implementation gaps, and potential shared priorities.
Research measurable goals, timelines, accountability structures, and community engagement strategies used in both plans.

Develop a list of potential community partners, institutions, organizations, agencies, and coalitions that may be well-positioned to help lead or support aspects of the Climate and Justice Action Plan outside of KCCC’s direct mission areas.
Research existing initiatives, and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration.

Support facilitation of community conversations, presentations, or engagement activities when appropriate.
Communicate effectively and regularly with KCCC staff, community partners, and collaborators.
Participate in meetings, reflection sessions, and planning discussions as requested.
View all work through a social justice and equity lens.
Support community-centered approaches to climate planning and civic engagement.
Build and sustain reciprocal partnerships with community organizations and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

A strong candidate will demonstrate:

Strong research, writing, and analytical skills
Interest in climate policy, sustainability, environmental justice, public policy, urban planning, or related fields
Ability to synthesize complex information into accessible summaries and recommendations
Strong organizational and time management skills
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people and perspectives
Knowledge of social justice and civic engagement principles or willingness to learn
Strong communication and collaboration skills
Self-motivation, curiosity, and initiative

Learning Outcomes & Professional Development

Through this position, the Civic Environmental Scholar will gain experience in:

Climate action planning and implementation
Public policy and systems analysis
Community-based participatory research
Environmental justice frameworks
Cross-sector partnership development
Civic engagement and coalition-building
Strategic planning and nonprofit collaboration
Professional research, facilitation, and communication skills

Civic Environmental Scholar Application

Step 1 of 5

Personal Information

Your Name(Required)

First Last

Pronouns(Required)

Your K College Email(Required)

Your Cell Phone(Required)

Student ID Number(Required)

Must have 7 digits in total (including the leading zero)

Have you completed the Campus Employment Student Orientation?(Required)

Yes

The Campus Employment Student Orientation can be found here: https://moodle.kzoo.edu/course/view.php?id=2142

Have you worked an on-campus job before?(Required)

Yes, I have previous worked on campus while at K

No, I have not worked on campus while at K

Please list on-campus jobs you previously had:(Required)

If hired, you will need to visit Human Resources in Mandelle Hall, Room 108(Required)

I understand, I will visit Human Resources to complete hiring paperwork if I am hired for this role

Wait, I had an on-campus job before

Human Resources will provide you with the required paperwork in order to work an on-campus position. You will need to fill out the W4s and I9 with them. These can also be found here: https://hr.kzoo.edu/students/

Class Year for 2026-2027 Academic Year(Required)

Program you are applying for(Required)

Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition

Will you be off campus for any portion of the academic year? Please note that due to the demands of this role, CESs must not be away from campus for no more than one trimester.(Required)

Please list all jobs, sports teams, and/or leadership positions you may be involved with during the 2026-2027 academic year. Please include positions you have applied for, even if you do not yet know the status of your participation.(Required)

Please note that there are several positions that are incompatible to be held at the same time as a CES role. Those are: LandSea Leaders (Adirondacks), First-Year Experience Mentors, and Resident Assistants.

Contact Information for References

Please provide the names and contact information of ONE faculty or staff member with whom you’ve worked with AND ONE off-campus supervisor or collaborator with whom you’ve worked with. (In addition, we will also be in contact with the current Civic Engagement Scholar for this program).

Reference #1: Advisor, Faculty or Staff Member(Required)

First Last

References: Please provide the names and contact information of ONE faculty or staff member with whom you’ve worked with. We will also be in contact with the current Civic Engagement Scholar for the program(s) you have worked with.

Email of Reference #1(Required)

Office Phone Number of Reference #1(Required)

Reference #2: Advisor, Faculty or Staff Member(Required)

First Last

References: Please provide the names and contact information of ONE off-campus supervisor or collaborator with whom you’ve worked with. We will also be in contact with the current Civic Engagement Scholar for the program(s) you have worked with.

Email of Reference #2(Required)

Phone Number of Reference #2(Required)

Please provide an up-to-date resume(Required)

Drop files here or

Max. file size: 5 MB.

Larry J. Bell '80 Environmental Stewardship Center

General Position Description (Civic Environmental Scholar):

The following commitments are required of all Civic Environmental Scholars:

Responsibilities:

A strong candidate has:

Program-Specific Job Description (Civic Environmental Scholar):

Organization Overview

Position Overview

Core Responsibilities

Climate Action Planning & Research

Comparative Climate Plan Analysis

Policy Research & Systems Analysis

Community Partnership Mapping

Civic Engagement & Collaboration

Preferred Qualifications

Learning Outcomes & Professional Development

Civic Environmental Scholar Application

Personal Information

Responsibilities & Roles

Civic Engagement and Social Justice

Structured Reflection

Contact Information for References