The Outreach Assistant will increase CRCL’s capacity to engage a greater number of people who live, work, and enjoy life in coastal Louisiana so that they, in turn, may work towards a more secure future. The Outreach Assistant’s primary focus will be expanding our youth engagement initiatives. This entails being project lead for our Student Ambassador program and coordinating with the rest of CRCL’s Engagement team on our Future Coastal Leaders program. They will also support general outreach and engagement activities and website and social media content creation. Additionally, the outreach assistant will occasionally help with our volunteer events in our Habitat Restoration Program. In specific ways, the Outreach Assistant will engage in: Youth Engagement: Primarily, they will lead our “Student Ambassador” (SA) program. CRCL is developing networks through coastal LA universities and colleges by engaging students who are interested in pursuing a career in an environmental-related field. The Outreach Assistant will guide students through 30 hours of learning and engagement while helping CRCL expand our presence. This includes identifying learning and volunteer opportunities for the students, scheduling regular meetings with the cohort, advising on projects and areas of interest for students to research. Additionally, the member will support CRCL’s “Future Coastal Leaders” (FCL) program that engages high school juniors and seniors interested in our coastal environment. The Outreach Assistant will work closely with CRCL engagement program staff to coordinate this program designed to expose participants to coastal issues and professions through field trips, presentations, and experiential learning. Helping with young-adult engagement can entail evening and weekend work. Additional Activities: Support CRCL’s events and logistics on an as-needed basis. This will include tabling at various events to spread awareness of issues and CRCL’s activities, assisting with volunteer event logistics, and other activities. This may include evening and weekend work and at remote field locations (ie. working with volunteers in the wetlands). 

The Outreach Assistant will enable CRCL to engage with greater numbers of coastal residents and to do so at a deeper level. The position is integral to expanding our capacity to engage youth and young-adult audiences and to engage a greater diversity of communities. Through the SA and FCL programs, CRCL is instilling the importance of coastal restoration, conservation, and stewardship for the environment while also developing the next generation of coastal professionals. In general, increasing awareness and engagement to a greater number of coastal residents leads to a better-informed population making smarter decisions about living with the challenges of climate change. Engaging youth and the next generation of residents and professionals helps in the long-term fight to sustain our coast and communities.

Essential Functions of Position 

• Work with coastal residents – specifically, those who are faced with adapting to increasing flood risks and changing environmental conditions impacting their livelihoods - to provide resources that allow them to make better-informed decisions for the future of their families and communities.

• Assist with the development of informational materials to explain the anticipated impacts of climate change and plans for restoration and flood protection.

• Conduct background research on a wide variety of programs, policies, and case studies relevant to strategies for coastal communities facing climate adaptation issues.

• Collaborate with scientists, historians and other professionals to create online content (webinars, videos, and blogposts) focusing on Louisiana’s land loss crisis.

• Create images and videos to be used for social media and website purposes focused on Louisiana’s many land loss and sea level rise issues and success stories.

• Create content that would be utilized for our Young-Adult Engagement initiatives for high-school and college student engagement.

• Coordinate logistics for experiential learning and other activities for Young-Adult Engagement initiatives.

• Ensuring that each cohort of Student Ambassadors has ample volunteer and experiential learning opportunities to earn their minimum 30 hours of service.

• Assist with content for several of the organization’s social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

• Assist staff with other CRCL programs including (but not limited to) Habitat Restoration Program events, the State of the Coast conference, the Stewardship Awards Banquet, and tabling.

• Assist with special projects as they arise. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• An interest in climate adaptation, coastal environments, climate justice, wetland restoration, flood protection and/or a similarly relevant field.

o Applicants must be able to grasp basic ecological principles and be able to explain them to others.

• Enthusiastic – must have a desire to play a positive role within the community exhibiting the appropriate social and interpersonal skills.

• Self-motivated – the applicant must be comfortable working without constant supervision.

• Comfortable working behind a computer screen in an office and out on the coast in the wetlands.

• Good communication skills (both verbal and written).

• Personable and comfortable interacting with the public - spreading awareness of the issues, coordinating at events, recruiting participants for engagement initiatives, etc.

• Detail orientated and able to manage time appropriately.

Transportation Needs: Personal Vehicle

There are no required academic or experience qualifications for this position