Why should you work as a Campus Organizer with the Student PIRGs?
Student PIRGs combine the idealism of college students with the expertise of a professional staff to win positive steps toward a greener, healthier, more meaningful future.
Ten reasons to work for The Student PIRGs:
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Students have the power to reshape our country and our future. Student PIRGs organize students to harness this power, by acquiring and applying the tools and training necessary to build a better, more sustainable future for all.
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In building this better, more sustainable future, Student PIRGs tackle issues that affect everybody, not just students or any other specific group of people.
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We focus on issues that affect the quality of our environment and our lives, not the quantity of “stuff” people have and whether that’s fair or not. We seek answers to questions such as: How do we transition to a renewable energy future? How do we eliminate plastic pollution? How do we preserve the natural world that makes our lives possible, including the pollinators without which we can’t grow much of our food? And on and on.
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In almost every case, one barrier to positive change is the power of special interests with a big stake in the way things are now. That’s why, in order to get to the way things could be and ought to be, our campus organizers emphasize recruitment and organizing: in other words, people power.
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We’re always recruiting. If someone doesn’t agree with us on an issue, we try to recruit them to our point of view. If someone agrees with us, we recruit them to take action. If someone is taking action, we recruit them to become a leader. And we understand that the key to good recruiting and organizing is good listening. We don’t call out people who disagree with us. We call them in. And we’re open-minded about what they have to say.
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We’re always training. We recognize that apathy is a problem, but the bigger challenges are providing students and others with opportunities to make a difference and the tools and training necessary to make the most of those opportunities.
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We’re also always developing new leaders. Sharing a meme is easy, but it’s not enough. We teach students how to organize educational events, work with reporters to get media coverage, build grassroots support, advocate solutions to their elected officials, and more.
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We’re driven. There’s always one more person to talk to, one more text to send, one more signature to gather. Our organizers lead by example: PIRG student volunteers and interns find inspiration in our motivation, energy and commitment. We help students step out of their comfort zone so they can become effective activists and leaders.
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Most of our funding comes from students, who make small contributions via fees at their campuses. We strive to achieve the most change possible for each dollar contributed. And we understand that nonprofit work doesn’t entitle us to for-profit pay.
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We train our organizers well, but we expect you to be self-starting and capable of working independently. The more you do the work, the more you take on, the more you contribute, the more say you’ll have in what we do and how we do it.
Watch this video to learn more about the position:
Help students make a difference right now
Right now, PIRG students are working to: tackle climate change, save our remaining wildlife, protect public health, revitalize our democracy, feed the hungry and more.
Build a brighter future
We all want to live meaningful lives and have a future that’s greener and healthier. By recruiting, training and working alongside student activists on campaigns that get results, you can help build that future today.
Things to know when you apply
The Student PIRGs work closely with The Public Interest Network, which operates and supports organizations committed to a shared vision of a new future and a strategic approach to change.
Click here for things you should know about our network when you apply.
Ready to submit your application?
Underclassmen? Interested, but not yet ready to apply?
Register your interest here!