Utilising Policy to Improve Climate Crisis Education across the Scottish Education System
Job Title: SAGES Policy Internship
Organization: Teach the Future (delivered by Students Organising for Sustainability UK)
Duration: 6 months Part Time (~ 6 hrs per week)
Start date: June Flexible
Remuneration: up to £8k (dependent on experience)
Travel costs: receipted travel and necessary overnight stays covered
Summary
SAGES are offering a unique opportunity for a short-term Internship with the Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) specifically working on the Teach the Future campaign, a student and pupil-led campaign lobbying Government to repurpose the education system for the climate emergency. The intern will research education policy to feed into meetings with Members of Scottish Parliament and to write consultation responses on behalf of Teach the Future Scotland. Teach the Future Scotland’s Asks have been embedded into the election manifestos of both the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Green Party and consequently, there may be other objectives/areas of policy research as part of the role depending on the results of the May 6th election.
Background
Aims and Objectives
The role of the SAGES intern will be to support researching policy education policy and sustainability to advance Education for Sustainable Development across Scotland.
The primary objective are as follows:
Objective 1: Research policy surrounding each Teach the Future Scotland Asks ahead of meetings with civil servants and councils.
Objective 2: Research policy surrounding Teach the Future Scotland Asks to improve and update/improve Asks following Scottish Parliamentary Elections.
Objective 3: Research policy relevant to Teach the Future Scotland Asks to respond to consultations on behalf of Teach the Future.
Timeframe
Teach the Future Scotland will be working with Scottish Government in the lead up to COP26 to implement Asks. There will normally be around 1-2 meetings with MSPs or civil servants a month and around 2 consultations a month.
Person specifications
Please note – the applicant must be a member of SAGES (If you attend a SAGES Institution*, you are eligible to become a SAGES member).
We are looking for an Early Career Researcher or SAGES Graduate student:
• Either working towards, or has recently completed a PhD
• Knowledge and/or experience of working with education policy
• Knowledge and/or experience sustainability policy
• Strong research and synthesis skills.
• Strong communications skills (written and verbal)
• Independent worker who can plan their own workload and is confident in their ability to deliver a well written report.
• DBS or PVG check
How to apply
To apply, please provide a one-page cover letter detailing why you are the right person for this Policy Internship as well as a CV (2 pages maximum) to Laura Scotland at the University of Edinburgh. Please include one reference that you are happy for us to contact, should you be successful.
Questions can be directed to sonya@teachthefuture.uk Sonya at Teach the Future.
*SAGES Partner Institutions: Universities of Aberdeen, Abertay, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling, SAMS UHI, SUERC, UWS and the British Geological Survey, Scotland.
Deadline: 16th June 2021.
