Community Engagement Fellow

Hosted by Friends of Northern Lake Champlain (FNLC), in partnership with Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG)

Friends of Northern Lake Champlain (FNLC), a nonprofit organization working with communities to improve water quality across northern Lake Champlain, seeks a motivated early-career professional to support the development and piloting of a place-based subwatershed engagement model. This two-year, paid fellowship co-sponsored by Lake Champlain Sea Grant (LCSG) offers hands-on experience in applied social science, community engagement, and watershed stewardship. 

Fellowship Overview 

Status: Full-time, exempt, 2-year fellowship 

Compensation: $40K annually, with paid time off, healthcare stipend, professional development funds, mileage reimbursement for fieldwork, and access to FNLC office resources 

Timeline: Applications received by January 9th will receive priority; review and interviews will begin in early January; anticipated start date is February 2026

Fellowship Description 

This fellowship is a unique opportunity for an early-career professional with strong communication, analytical, and community engagement skills who is interested in learning how social science and stewardship practices can deepen local participation in watershed health.

The Fellow will work under the supervision of FNLC’s Executive Director, in collaboration with FNLC staff, local partners, and LCSG mentors.

Responsibilities include: 

• Conducting social landscape scans and community readiness assessments through surveys, interviews, or focus groups
• Assisting with Lake Wise and stormwater technical assessments   
• Support the recruitment of landowners for site visits, technical assistance, and stewardship planning 
• Collaborate with staff to co-create and pilot community engagement strategies that are tailored to each subwatershed’s culture and needs 
• Analyze engagement outcomes and compile lessons learned to inform a replicable model 
• Produce written reports, visual materials, and a “Community Stewardship Toolkit”  
• Sharing insights through blogs, presentations, community meetings, and partner events   

Preferred Qualifications 

• Recent degree in environmental studies, natural resources, social science, communications, sustainability, geography, or related field   
• Experience or coursework in community engagement or applied research   
• Strong communication and listening skills   
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively   
• Comfort engaging with diverse community members   
• Interest in watersheds, stewardship, and rural community dynamics  
• Experience with surveys, interviews, GIS, or outreach preferred but not required 
• Knowledge of Lake Champlain watershed issues, native plants, or BMPs a plus 

What You’ll Gain 

• Hands-on experience in water quality place-based engagement 
• Applied social science skills for environmental problem-solving 
• Mentorship from FNLC and LCSG staff and affiliated researchers 
• A growing professional network in the Lake Champlain Basin 
• A strong portfolio of real-world deliverables for future career advancement