Clean Transportation Intern - Blue Planet Foundation

POSITION: Clean Transportation Intern
REPORTS TO: Blue Planet Foundation’s Managing Director, Programs
POSITION TYPE: 2 Temporary Positions, Full-time (40 hours/week)
LOCATION: Honolulu, Hawai‘i
TERM: June 13, 2022 – August 25, 2022 (plus 1 unpaid week of vacation)
COMPENSATION: Undergraduate: $12/hr; Graduate Student: $15/hr

SUMMARY:
This position is funded by the Clean Cities University Workforce Development Program (CCUWDP). The CCUWDP is an initiative of Clean Cities, a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Program. Clean Cities strives to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector in nearly 100 communities across the country.

The Clean Cities internship will give students the opportunity to grow public awareness and expand the markets of advanced vehicle technologies, alternative fuels, and practices that reduce the consumption of petroleum. Students have participated in research, outreach activities, public education, fleet events, and a vast array of transportation-related environmental projects.

Blue Planet has embarked on a number of new projects and partnerships to help us reach these bold transportation goals. In addition to Alternative Fuel Price Reporting, other Clean Cities deliverables and reporting, and general stakeholder policy and partnership support, the Sustainable Transportation Coalition of Hawaii (STCH) is currently working on or involved with the following initiatives:

KEY PROJECTS MAY INCLUDE:

EV Ride-and-Drive Events—STCH hosts electric vehicle (EV) ride and drive events throughout the year which expose potential EV customers to a wide variety of EV options in one place. Due to ongoing COVID-19 impacts, STCH has started to create virtual test drive opportunities. The coalition films test drives of EVs at the dealership, edits those videos, and features them on Zoom webinars for the public in coordination with STCH trained EV Experts.
Drive Electric Hawaii (DEH) Communications – STCH and Blue Planet are founding members of the Drive Electric Hawaii coalition and in June 2020 an agreement was formalized to direct and execute a communications campaign for DEH. The two-and-a-half-year effort pursues the elevation of the existing DEH brand and materials and the expansion of EV outreach and education efforts to the public, policy-makers, commissioners, community leaders, and other key audiences. We are also responsible for the execution of programming for certain key EV-related annual events, including the First Hawaiian International Auto Show and National Drive Electric Week which is upcoming in September.
EV Expert Certification Program—In 2018, STCH launched an EV training program for dealership sales associates in Hawaii. In general, the adoption of EVs in Hawaii is hampered by a lack of awareness and the ability of sales associates to effectively sell the vehicles. Sales associates are often unsure of the technology, benefits, incentives, and laws regarding EVs, and the unfamiliarity discourages them from actively promoting EVs over regular internal combustion engine vehicles. This certification program continues to grow a network of EV experts who are well-equipped to be the point-person on EVs at their dealerships. We provide them with information about EV technologies, incentives, and infrastructure, and provide them with resources to keep them up-to-date as things evolve. Thus far, we have certified over 70 EV Experts at 22 dealerships. This program requires ongoing dealership communication and outreach, management of the online platform, follow-up with certified individuals, and management of the existing network of certified EV Experts.
Fleet Listening Sessions – STCH has selected Clean Cities sub-task 3.1 as part of the annual agreement. We plan to conduct small technology-specific listening sessions on specific fuel and vehicle operations. The listening sessions are planned to be conducted with bus fleet operators on topics including electric buses, biodiesel vehicles, and hydrogen vehicles.
Stakeholder Outreach and Engagement – STCH will continue to undergo stakeholder outreach and renewal campaigns. We want to continue to strengthen our relationships with fleets and transportation stakeholders in Hawaii while increasing the value provided to them through the Clean Cities Program.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be attending an undergraduate or graduate degree program from an accredited
college or university or be a recent graduate (less than 1 year); preferred areas of study include Communications, Environmental Science, Sustainable Development, Urban and Regional Planning, Business, Public Relations, or some related field.
Intern is required to work 40 hours per week; including occasional weekends for events
Must have reliable access to internet, for potential remote work
Ability to communicate verbally and build relationships with new people
Awareness of, or strong interest in, sustainability and/or clean transportation issues
Ability to effectively communicate (verbal and written) in a professional manner
Excellent organizational skills for handling details and tracking progress
The ability to complete projects from beginning to end efficiently with minimum
amount of supervision
A proactive and positive attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and a high degree of initiative

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience developing and administering social media content
Experience conducting public outreach
Experience developing communications materials, such as newsletters or visual aids

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send a cover letter and resume as a PDF attachment to [email protected] Please indicate “Clean Transportation Intern” in the subject line.

Applications due by 5p HST on Friday, June 10, 2022.

Blue Planet is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce.