Parliamentary Internship for the Environment - Environmental Leadership Canada

Closing Date of Opportunity: April 13, 2025

Name or Organization: Environmental Leadership Canada

Website: https://www.environmentalleadership.ca/pie

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Now entering its eighth year, the Parliamentary Internship for the Environment (PIE) program offers outstanding young leaders, aged 18-30, the opportunity to work and learn alongside some of Canada’s most prominent environmental leaders in Parliament. Successful applicants to the program receive a ten-month, paid internship placement in the Parliament Hill office of a Member of Parliament (MP) or Senator with a proven record of environmental leadership and work. Reflecting ELC's commitment to nonpartisanship, host MPs come from every major national party.

Through PIE, interns gain a deep understanding of the day-to-day workings of Canadian Parliament. Through full-time office placements, interns become well-versed in legislative affairs, policy research, and constituency work while supporting current environmental change-makers of all political stripes. Most interns perform a variety of tasks in their offices. This could include writing briefing notes on matters before Parliamentary committees, communication with constituents, conducting research for Private Member’s bills, and supporting MPs in meetings with stakeholders. Outside the office, interns take part in a range of professional and leadership development activities, including site visits, training sessions, seminars, and fireside chats with expert speakers from the nonprofit sector, academia, industry, and government. PIE interns are also supported to run their own community engagement activities and workshops related to environment, politics and public participation. These activities serve as an important way that interns can start to carry the knowledge gained from the program back to their communities, enhancing local understanding of political systems and contributing to a more informed and engaged citizenry. 

The Parliamentary Internship for the Environment program runs from September 2025 to June 2026. Interns receive a monthly stipend of $3,000, for a total of $30,000 over the 10 months of the program. Interns can expect to work full-time hours (37.5-40 hours) weekly. Most of this time will be spent in the Parliamentary host office, but there is also weekly ELC programming that include intern check-ins, mentorship, seminars and workshops. In September, all interns will participate in an orientation program to get familiar with Parliament, the environmental policy landscape, and the rest of the cohort before placements begin.

We offer two specialized streams of the program.

The Specialized Stream for Indigenous Interns welcomes young First Nation, Métis, and Inuit leaders from coast to coast to coast to apply. This stream was introduced to continue the difficult work of breaking down the systemic barriers Indigenous individuals face in Parliament Hill and support the development of Indigenous-led policy. The features of this stream were designed in collaboration with an Indigenous-led consultancy, and includes more wraparound support to ensure participants can thrive and succeed. 

The Specialized Stream in Food Systems & Sustainable Agriculture (FSSA) is designed for young leaders with an interest and background in food systems and agriculture. We first piloted a sustainable agriculture stream in the 2020-2021 cohort, with tremendous results. In this next year, recognizing the need to take a more holistic approach to food and food security, we have expanded the program to include food systems as an integral part of realizing sustainable agriculture and food security. The goal of this stream is to advance environmental leadership in food systems & agriculture and elevate rural voices in Canada’s environmental space. Application priority is given to Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), but other applicants with relevant background in food systems and farming will be considered.

All interns, including those in the Specialized Streams, will be part of a single cohort group, and participate in most programming together.

Who should apply?

ELC values young leaders from all backgrounds and disciplines.

PIE is open to all candidates who, at the start date of the internship (September 1, 2025):

• Are between 18-30 years old as of September 1, 2025 and; 

• Are available to work full-time from September 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.

• Are legally eligible to work full-time hours in Canada for the duration of the program

We especially invite candidates who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, a person of colour, a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community, and/or a person living with a disability 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 have always invited 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 Parliament Hill 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 the environment

• Demonstrated interest in politics, the political process, policymaking or political advocacy at any level

• 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 people from different backgrounds and 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 effectively synthesize information

• Emotional intelligence (strong asset)

For more details about the selection process and internship experience, including our approach to anti-oppressive practice, please refer to our FAQ. And if at any point you have any questions about the program, the application process, or the application itself, please contact us at pie@environmentalleadership.ca.

Note: As a program situated on Parliament Hill and run by a non-profit organization, we maintain a high standard for ethics and integrity. Successful applicants will be expected to comply with conflict of interest and anti-lobbying policies (among others). ELC also has policies in place to prevent individuals involved in governing our organization or funding this program from seeking political influence through the program.