MI Healthy Climate Corps:

Join the MI Healthy Climate Corps (MHC Corps) and make a lasting impact on Michigan’s carbon-neutral future! The MHC Corps accelerates Michigan’s climate action through capacity building and leadership development. Members serve across the state to advance the MI Healthy Climate Plan’s (MHCP) goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The plan, unveiled by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in April 2022, aims to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis; create good-paying jobs; position Michigan as a climate action leader; and build a healthier and more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable Michigan for all Michiganders.

About the Host Partner:

Michigan Sustainable Business Forum promotes business practices that advance climate leadership, social justice and the creation of a circular economy. The organization hosts a statewide network with regional programs and strategic alliances that provide education, sustainable business resources, and opportunities for collaboration and civic engagement to businesses and private and public-sector institutions.

Through our membership program, we are Michigan’s leading organization for beyond-compliance sustainability practitioners, serving its most recognizable brands, largest employers and most innovative entrepreneurs, advocates, educators and local government. Through our campaigns and advocacy, we serve partners and diverse stakeholders as a boundary organization committed to the development of practices, policies and partnerships that improve environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

The Michigan Food System Waste Reduction Roadmap Initiative was a stakeholder-driven process to create a strategy for the state to reduce waste and loss in the Michigan food system. It identies barriers to the removal of 1.2 million tons of food loss and waste from the Michigan food system per year and highlights potential solutions and opportunities. The Forum has been working to develop projects to advance the identied priorities of the Roadmap initiative. This includes eight interrelated initiatives to improve food rescue, promote food loss and waste prevention through technical assistance and education, map byproduct value chains, improve state and local policy, and advance composting and alternative packaging pilot projects.

MHC Corps Member Role and Responsibilities:

• The Member will conduct research, organize technical assistance, and facilitate interventions for value-added opportunities that emerge from the Michigan Food System Waste Reduction Roadmap Initiative, allowing for an immediate tactical response to issues identied during stakeholder engagement, committee meetings, and project tasks.
• Member will prioritize initiatives to decarbonize food recovery as a means to promote participation among institutions in the charitable food system. This will include identication of funding for electric vehicles and decarbonization solutions for food recovery agencies to ensure food waste solutions achieve net emissions reduction, while delivering cost savings to
  support programs. Also support composting and upcycling solutions to ensure surplus donated material does not become landll waste.
• Empower the community to access federal and state climate resources by planning meetings, educational programs, and/or other activities to consistently share information.
• Participate in MHC Corps member development shared learning and collaboration activities including four MHC Corps in-person convenings, MHC Corps monthly virtual trainings (refer to calendar attachment), and Michigan’s AmeriCorps activities.
• Members will host a community input session with their host site to collect community feedback and advance the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan.

Evaluation and Reporting:

• Members will complete a Mid-year Performance Evaluation during the term.
• Other reporting requirements (bi-weekly timesheets, monthly data reports, quarterly narrative reports).

Preferred Qualications:

The appropriate candidate will have a strong interest and/or background in environmental issues, coalition building and/or community organizing, and communications or a combination of such interests. The appropriate candidate must possess strong verbal and written communication skills, excellent attention to detail, the ability to work within a team or as an individual and be familiar with the Microsoft Oce suite and Google Applications. Members are required to work the standard oce hours of their host communities.

No specic background or education is required to join the MHC Corps!
But a minimum of 2 years of experience in these types of situations is essential for success:

• Experience facilitating a meeting with people who have more experience than them

• Complete their work independently and without constant supervision
• Experience overcoming obstacles in work situations in the past
• Experience managing multiple professional relationships
• Comfortable working outside of the typical 9 am – 5 pm to attend community events
• Ability to use or teach oneself new software in a fast-paced role with little oversight

Minimum Qualications:

• Live in Michigan
• Ability to travel to four in-person MHC Corps convenings around the state. Carpools will be available and encouraged.
• Be at least 18 years of age. Applicants must have a high school diploma, GED, or be working toward the completion of one.
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
• Pass the following National Service Criminal History Checks: State of Michigan background check, State of residency (if not Michigan), FBI Fingerprinting, and National Sex Offender Registry

Compensation:

Members will receive a living allowance of $35,200 distributed in even increments, bi-weekly. Members will receive student loan forbearance for qualied loans, health care benets, child care assistance upon eligibility, and continual professional development. Upon successful completion of service, an education award in the amount of $7,395 will be issued. Members will serve approximately 40 hours per week (a total of 1,700 hours during the service term).

The MI Healthy Climate Corps Program is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations will be made for interviews and service as needed.