About the Program

Electric School Bus Initiative Overview

The 480,000 school buses in the United States account for 80% of all buses nationwide, yet just over 1% are electrified currently. School bus electrification represents a unique opportunity to accelerate decarbonization while bringing direct, tangible benefits to every community in the United States. This transition can help make electric mobility the new normal for an entire generation and help to address historic under investments in communities of color, low income, and rural communities. Through the U.S. Electric School Bus Initiative, created in partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund, WRI’s aim is to create unstoppable momentum toward equitably electrifying the entire fleet of U.S. school buses. Overcoming the cost, infrastructure, policy, and other barriers to mass adoption will require a systemic approach that engages an entire ecosystem of actors and prioritizes inclusive planning with impacted communities. Together with partners, WRI is working in five areas of focus, whereby we:  support school districts in accelerating the equitable transition to electric school buses ; collaborate with manufacturers across the electric school bus supply chain in preparing for an equitable and sustainable transition; work with electric utilities to improve interconnection and investments for electric school bus charging infrastructure, including supportive rates and tariffs ; engage policymakers to drive policies that grow demand and reduce barriers, and to increase electric school bus public funding; partner with communities pursuing school bus electrification, and provide the tools and resources to make it happen. 

This position is hybrid and will require a few days per week in our Washington DC office. 

What you will do:

As a School Bus Electrification Intern, you will report to the Manager for Technical Assistance and Policy Implementation and play a key role on the Technical Assistance team within WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative. You will interact with stakeholders involved in the electrification of the U.S. school bus fleet — including school districts, vehicle manufacturers and other relevant vendors, state and local officials and nonprofit organizations — to ensure that school districts have the resources, tools and guidance needed to successfully adopt and operate electric buses. You will engage in research and analysis, including stakeholder interviews, to inform technical assistance on topics such as stakeholder mapping, community engagement, electric vehicle funding and procurement, charging infrastructure, fleet planning and operations and workforce development. You will support the development of external-facing knowledge products, communications materials, presentations, and other resources. You may assist with planning and logistics for workshops, conferences, webinars, or other events.

Internship Learning Outcomes:

• Conducting research and analysis related to the adoption and operation of electric school buses, including collecting, and organizing data from various sources.
• Understanding the complex relationships and coordination required to support school bus electrification.
• Engaging with public and private sector stakeholders involved in school bus electrification during meetings, working groups, interviews and events.
• Contributing written and graphic content to publications, reports, and presentations, including case studies on school districts electrifying their school bus fleets.
• Assisting team members with efforts to support states’ and school districts’ implementation of policies and programs related to electric school buses.

The intern will gain experience in the following areas:

• Frequent engagement with subject matter experts.
• Technical research and writing, including publishing your work on our website.
• Electric transportation technology deployment.
• Technical assistance and stakeholder engagement.
• Project management in a professional setting

What you will need:

• Pursuing or completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in transportation planning, environmental studies, urban studies, clean energy, public policy, or a related field.
• Fluency in English.
• Demonstrated competence in written and interpersonal communications.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research and analysis, including data collection and database management.
• Project management skills, including organization and communication.
• Demonstrated familiarity with or extracurricular interest in electric vehicles, sustainable transportation and land use, clean energy or similar.
• Experience related to electric vehicles, transportation planning, sustainability, charging infrastructure, clean energy, public policy, or another relevant field.
• Experience working with educational institutions, utilities, government agencies, manufacturing companies, electric vehicle groups, community-based nonprofits, or environmental justice groups.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement or facilitation.

Compensation

The pay for this internship opportunity is $20/hour for undergrads; $22/hour for graduates and $24/hour for PhD students.

Length of Contract:

This is a full-time, 6-month internship with a flexible start and end date.

Location:

This is a hybrid internship that will be based out of our Washington D.C. office. You will be required to work in the Washington DC office at least 8 days per month.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a cover letter by July 12, 2024. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

About Us: Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia, and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  
 

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Internships at WRI are learning experiences designed for current students, recent graduates, and other candidates who wish to gain knowledge about a specific area of our work. We strive to attract diverse, intellectually driven candidates who have a passion for sustainability and development. WRI provides many internship opportunities throughout the year in all our programs.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender, racial, and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. 

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.