By Lauren Wittig

I have always been deeply interested in sustainability and have been able to incorporate it into my work in both the private and nonprofit sectors. My consistent draw to this space is what inspired me to pursue my Master of Public Administration degree with a specialization in environmental policy at the University of Washington in Seattle. A few months into my graduate program last year, I heard about the EDICT (Empowering Diverse Climate Talent) internship program, run by the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI), Elemental Excelerator, and Future Map. The program aims to match dozens of climate organizations from across the country with students from diverse backgrounds, helping to increase representation and presence of traditionally excluded groups in the climate sector.

Lauren Wittig (at left) with Launch Alaska Managing Director Penny Gage (center) and Tech Deployment Track Lead Suzanna Caldwell (right) during a Launch Alaska event at the Anchorage Museum on Sept. 27, 2022.

I applied to the EDICT program, was accepted, and was excited to be paired with Launch Alaska for my summer 2022 internship. I was energized by the work Launch Alaska does to move forward the energy transition in a unique place like Alaska. I live in Washington state and participated in the internship remotely, and was able to fly to Anchorage in September to meet the team and support the kickoff of Launch Alaska’s eight-month accelerator program, the Tech Deployment Track. Not only did I have the chance to meet the team in person for the first time, but I also got to know 13 cohort companies from all over the world and dozens of Alaska subject matter experts.

I’m grateful to have participated in the EDICT program, and will take the relationships with me through the rest of my career. Our EDICT intern class of 72 students from across the country took part in weekly workshops that helped enhance my fundamental understanding on topics ranging from clean energy finance to energy justice to the circular economy. The speakers that attended each session and the case study activities we worked through together provided tangible examples and practice in this sector. 

I carry three key takeaways with me coming out of this internship experience: 

Local matters when it comes to implementing climate technologies.

One size does not fit all. It is imperative when developing and deploying a new, innovative technology to understand the history, culture, and the landscape of the place from those who live and work there.

Partnerships are at the heart of deployment.

• From selecting companies to be a part of the accelerator cohort to the program kick off to project mapping, collaboration between team members, companies, and experts is pivotal. One can not succeed without the others, and neither can the program. Being able to work cross-functionally and apply my project, program, and process management skills to a new scope, further emphasized the importance of partnership to support deployment of needed climate technologies.

Policy action is necessary to reduce barriers in efforts to decarbonize.

In addition to my main responsibilities with Launch Alaska’s accelerator program, I also was able to support other programs at the organization, including policy and advocacy, something that directly aligns with my graduate degree focus. Through research, analysis, and surveying I learned about the significance of this work to enable impact.

At Launch Alaska, I had a great manager, a supportive team, and experienced a warm culture. I could not imagine a better place to have spent my summer and further my career interests. And being in person in Alaska at the end of my internship was the perfect culmination of my learnings over the summer. Meeting brilliant entrepreneurs and industry experts, attending panels on Arctic countries’ partnerships, and exploring Anchorage opened my mind to so many new discoveries and helped to hone my technical knowledge. My time at Launch Alaska and in the EDICT program validated my interests in climate, technology, policy, and partnerships and further showcased the impact this work can have not only on our environment but on the people that inhabit it.

Empowering Diverse Climate Talent (EDICT) is designed to create a diverse pipeline of talent for the climate sector, to empower climate organizations in creating inclusive cultures, and to support the skill and network development of rising leaders from traditionally excluded groups. To learn more about EDICT and how to get involved as an employer or student, visit the program’s website.