Clean Leadership Summer Internship: 2024 Waste Management Cohort

The Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program, run by the Clean Foundation, provides paid employment opportunities for youth (age 15-30) looking to work in Nova Scotia’s and PEI’s growing clean economy. In 2024, Divert NS continued our support of the internship program by providing funding for 11 interns within the waste management field. This article, submitted by the Clean Foundation, summarizes the amazing work undertaken by the waste cohort this summer.

Following the launch of their internships at the annual Clean Leadership Professional Development Conference, the 2024 Clean Leadership Waste Cohort has successfully completed another season with their host employers. In collaboration with Divert NS, the Clean Leadership Summer Internship Program aimed to recruit and engage passionate youth within the Nova Scotian Waste Sector. Thanks to the generous support from Divert Nova Scotia, 11 internship positions were created across the province from Yarmouth (Waste Check) to Cape Breton (Municipality of the County of Inverness, Eskasoni Band Council, Cape Breton University, We'koqma'q First Nation).

Divert NS representatives participated in the Conference, joining over 150 youth to highlight the vital role of waste management in climate action. Their presentation and ongoing discussions facilitated the sharing of effective waste management practices beyond the cohort, contributing to a successful Clean Leadership conference.

The 11 Divert-funded Clean Leaders worked across the province to engage the public about waste management and promote sustainable practices in Nova Scotia. Their diverse projects included community outreach regarding curbside monitoring programs (Waste Check), solid waste audits (Municipality of Colchester), and research related to biochar production from food waste (Cape Breton University).

The Clean Leadership Team has been thoroughly impressed by the work done by this cohort of interns, with many of them having been inspired to continue studying to build careers related to waste management and similar fields of work. Naomi Davison at West Hants Regional Municipality helped run the Green Cart Program, where she learned to use CarteGraph software and conduct data analysis, as well as interact with local council and conduct reporting for them. Laura Isaacs at Municipal Joint Services Board Lunenburg Region highlighted her interest in pursuing a master’s degree in resource economics after her experience learning about the importance of proper waste management in the community. Similarly, Megan Jones at Municipality of the County of Inverness mentioned her goal to integrate her learnings from this summer into her schoolwork:

“I am going into my 3rd year of university (HBSc.) to complete a specialization in environmental biology. I think this internship was very beneficial to help me in my future career, and it definitely affirmed my plans to work in the environmental sector. I can definitely incorporate what I learned here in my future projects and classes at school.”

One intern, Charlotte Peng at Valley Waste Resource Management, emphasized her appreciation for the experience, which allowed her to explore a new field and experiment with potential career paths.

“I hold a BSc. in Biology and have always enjoyed education and teaching so this summer internship meshed really well with my interests. I do hope to find myself continuing to be in this space in my future career aspirations. This internship has influenced my personal goals and plans of continuing to live a sustainable lifestyle and being more conscious of choosing wasteful and packaged products over compostable/ low/zero-waste products. I will be attending law school in the fall and can definitely see myself enjoying environmental law.” – Charlotte Peng, Valley Waste Resource Management.

The wide range of skills gained by the interns demonstrates the success of the partnership between the Clean Leadership Program and DivertNS. For example, Jocelyn Knockwood (Eskasoni Band Council) improved her communication and teamwork skills through engagement with community members regarding electronic waste management. Likewise, during his time at We'koma'q First Nation, Brian Toney was able to improve his communication, fieldwork, and data collection skills by helping with the recycling program and assisting with a local clothing drive.

Throughout the summer, each intern sharpened their communication, critical thinking, and organizational abilities while making meaningful contributions to waste management efforts. They embraced their leadership roles, building confidence and expertise regardless of their diverse experiences. We express our deep appreciation to Divert NS for supporting these talented individuals, who are helping lead us toward a more sustainable future.

To learn more about the Clean Leadership Internship Program visit: https://cleanfoundation.ca/workforce-development/