Climate Change, Climate Solutions

Position: Municipal Climate Intern
Organization: Environmental Leadership Canada
Location: Southern Ontario & Manitoba (see below)

***Please apply using the application form on our website - https://www.environmentalleadership.ca/mci. Applications sent directly to our email address will NOT be considered. Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.***

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP CANADA

Environmental Leadership Canada (ELC) is a Canadian educational charity that believes people need to know more about how politics works so they can make politics work for the health of our planet.

Through our educational programs, we aim to build a new generation of environmental leaders and to boost the capacity of everyday Canadians who care about the environment to engage in our democracy and hold elected officials accountable for their environmental commitments.

ABOUT THE INTERNSHIP

The Municipal Climate Internship (MCI) provides young environmental leaders, age 18-30, with the opportunity to work and learn alongside municipalities that are invested in advancing local climate change solutions. Successful applicants to the program receive a six-month paid internship placement with a host municipality and take part in cohort-based leadership and professional development.

Through the MCI program, interns gain first-hand experience and knowledge in municipal climate issues, solutions, and local decision-making. Interns will be exposed to various municipal government and political processes and will become well-versed in how climate change is integrated into municipal planning. The knowledge, experience and professional skills gained will help prepare participants for careers as local climate leaders.​

Most interns will perform a variety of tasks for their municipality. This could include researching municipal climate solutions, planning for stakeholder engagement events, preparing information needed for a presentation at a council meeting, compiling information for GHG emissions inventories, conducting waste audits, assisting with communications or administrative work and/or writing or updating reports on climate action plans. Tasks will vary between municipalities and may encompass a wide variety of opportunities depending on their needs.

Outside of placement work, interns will participate in leadership, networking and professional development opportunities, including peer-to-peer learning, workshops, conferences, sharing their experiences with other municipalities and fireside chats with experts from industry, the nonprofit sector and/or municipal government.

The MCI program runs from January to July 2026. Interns can expect to work in-person at their host municipality, putting in full-time hours (approx. 37.5 hours/week). Most of this time will be spent with the host municipality, but each week, there will be a couple of hours of ELC programming dedicated to leadership and professional development. In January, all interns participate in a week-long orientation to get familiar with municipal government, the municipal climate landscape, and the rest of the cohort before placements begin. ELC programming is delivered in a hybrid format with both in-person and online events.

Interns receive:

• a monthly stipend of $3,000, for a total of $18,000 over the six months of the program
• up to $1000 to participate in professional development opportunities tailored to their goals and interests
• a $500 personal technology/internet allowance
• a $1000 travel allowance to help cover commuting costs to their host office
• coverage of travel costs to in-person program meet-ups and/or events

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

ELC values young leaders from all backgrounds and disciplines. We are eager to find local youth interested in building careers focused on municipal politics and/or climate leadership in their communities.​ This year, we have partnered with municipalities in Southern Ontario and Manitoba and are recruiting interns to become a part of our 3rd cohort.

Interns will be paired with a host municipality depending on their location. The host municipalities are:

1. Peterborough County - 310 Armour Rd, Peterborough, ON K9H 1Y6
2. County of Renfrew - 9 International Dr, Pembroke, ON K8A 6W5
3. Prince Edward County - 280 Picton Main St, Picton, ON K0K 2T0
4. Bruce County - 30 Park St, Walkerton, ON N0G 2V0
5. Municipality of Port Hope - 284 Victoria St N, Port Hope, ON L1A 0E4
6. City of Niagara Falls - 4310 Queen St, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 2L1
7. City of Winnipeg - 252 Stafford St, Winnipeg, MB R3M 0N5 and 510 Main St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1B9
8. Town of Stonewall - 293 Main St, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0

Applicants must be:

• Between 18-30 years old as of January 1st, 2026
• Able to work full-time between January and July 2026
• Legally eligible to work full-time hours in Canada for the duration of the program (Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, Refugee, Person with an open-work permit, etc.)
• Residing or able to reside (example: staying with family) within a 1 hr commuting distance and able to get to their host municipality’s office

We especially invite candidates who self-identify as Indigenous, Black, a person of colour, a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, a person with a disability, gender-diverse and/or a woman to apply.

ELC recognizes that leadership takes many forms. We also recognize that many pathways exist to gaining the types of skills and competencies needed to be successful in this program and that systemic barriers limit access to opportunities for many groups of people. For this reason, we invite applications from young leaders, no matter their level or type of education and no matter their type of leadership experience.

Based on the nature of working for a municipality and our role as a leadership development program, the following are some of the skills, experience, and competencies we value more than particular credentials in the selection process:​

• Demonstrated interest in climate/environment
• Demonstrated interest in politics, the political process or political advocacy at any level of government
• Exceptional written communication skills in English (proficiency in French is an asset, but not required)
• Strong oral communication skills in English
• Critical thinking skills
• Willingness to learn and engage with different political viewpoints (open-mindedness)
• Curiosity
• Adaptability
• Initiative (“self-starter”)
• Time management skills
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Experience in conducting research and ability to synthesize information effectively
• Emotional intelligence

For more details about the selection process and internship experience, please refer to our website and FAQ.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply using the application form on our website-https://www.environmentalleadership.ca/mci.

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

If you require any reasonable accommodations during the application process, please contact the program manager at mci@environmentalleadership.ca PRIOR to the application deadline.

APPLICATIONS ARE DUE NOVEMBER 3RD, 2025.

 

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Seeking Candidates that live within a 1 hr commuting distance of the host municipality office: Peterborough County - 310 Armour Rd, Peterborough, ON K9H 1Y6 | County of Renfrew - 9 International Dr, Pembroke, ON K8A 6W5 | Prince Edward County - 280 Picton Main St, Picton, ON K0K 2T0 | Bruce County - 30 Park St, Walkerton, ON N0G 2V0 | Municipality of Port Hope - 284 Victoria St N, Port Hope, ON L1A 0E4 | City of Niagara Falls - 4310 Queen St, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 2L1 | City of Winnipeg - 252 Stafford St, Winnipeg, MB R3M 0N5 and 510 Main St, Winnipeg, MB R3B 1B9 | Town of Stonewall - 293 Main St, Stonewall, MB R0C 2Z0