Frequently Asked Questions

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Training

Expedition

Tuition and credit

FAQ

Who should apply?
Do I need experience in activism to participate?
What is the minimum age for participation?
Do I have to be currently enrolled in college?
What can I do if I'm not eligible?
Do I have to take a semester off?
Can I earn school credit for the program?
Where is the Greenpeace Organizing Term located?
How is the Greenpeace Organizing Term different from an internship?
How much do we travel during the Greenpeace Organizing Term?
What is the Greenpeace Expedition?
Do I need a passport?
What is the training like?
When are tuition payments due?
Are scholarships available?
How do I fundraise for the program?
How do I find housing during the term?
What are the dates for the 2009 program?
What if I'm an international student?

 

Who should apply ?

We are looking for folks who are 18-24, current undergraduate students, smart, and passionate about making change and the environment.Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are preferred. Greenpeace strongly encourages applications from women, people of color and other under-represented communities.

 

Do I need experience in activism to participate?

Prior experience is not necessary- but folks who understand basics of grassroots organizing are preferred.

 

What is the minimum and maximum age for participation?

Participants must be at least 18 years old at the start date of the program and must be 24 or younger at the beginning of the program.

 

Do I have to be currently enrolled in college?

Yes and no. The goal of this program is to train students up to get back to a campus and use their new skills. If you are in between High School and college, you are eligible. We do have preferences toward students who are currently attending a university or college, and more specifically have at least a year back on their campus after the program ends.

 

What can I do if I’m not eligible?

I’m glad you asked! The Organizing Term is not the opportunity we have for volunteers. If you’re interested in getting involved as an online activist sign up for our e-actions here.

If you want to work on campaigns in your community check out our Activist Network here.

If you’re more interested in working for Greenpeace, a great place to get involved is in our Frontline program. For information about our local offices.

If you’re interested in being involved as an activist on your campus check out the Student Network.

Finally, if you’d like to intern in our offices please check out our online applications here.

 

Do I have to take a semester off?

Because the program is intensive, we ask that students not take classes during this time. You will be training Monday-Friday about 6 hours a day. Activities range from classroom discussions, training’s, guest speakers, campaign-planing etc. Unfortunately, you will not have time to dedicate to study outside of the Organizing Term. Most students are able to get credit for the program. If you absolutely cannot take the semester off, we also offer a summer program.

 

Can I earn school credit for the program?

Many students are able to obtain credit for the program. Every school is different and credit hours, cost (if any), or even ability to gain credits varies. Most folks go the route of independent study or internship programs to secure their credits.  Your recruitment coordinator can work with you to secure credits for the program, but it is up to you to meet with your advisors.

 

Where is the Greenpeace Organizing Term located?

The Greenpeace Organizing Term is held in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, CA.

 

How is the Greenpeace Organizing Term different from an internship?

The Greenpeace Organizing Term’s goal is to train students in a specific organizing skill set. In a normal internship, students will get do basic research, learn what it is like to be in an office, and only get a taste of what it’s like to be an organizer.Think of the Organizing Term like a semester of school- Monday-Friday you come to a class room and learn from some of the best trainers in the movement. For 2-3 weeks during the program, you get to go into the field and stretch your new organizing muscles you just learned. The Organizing Term is more like a semester abroad (except in the states) than an internship. Students emerge from the program with a deep knowledge and broad skills to run campaigns, great connections to environmental leaders and the skills and knowledge to be an effective leader within the environmental movement.

 

How much do we travel during the Greenpeace Organizing Term?

The program will include roughly 2-3 weeks of travel. The Greenpeace Expedition (definition of such in next question) will be about 7-10 days. Students will also travel the States helping to run a campaign for an additional 7-10 days.

 

What is the Greenpeace Expedition?

The Greenpeace Expedition is one of the most exciting parts of the semester. Students travel for about 7-10 days to meet with National and International activists. The goal of this trip is for students to give students an eye-opening experience where they can understand how environmental issues are affecting many different communities. Past trips have included students taking part in a 6,000 person march protesting Nuclear waste in Germany and meeting with the Zapatista community in Chiapas, Mexico, to learn about their current land right issues. The Expedition isn’t always going to be abroad, but the goal is to bring students to a community or give them an experience they wouldn’t have had access to otherwise.

 

Do I need a passport?

Yes, since there is a chance that you will be traveling to a country other than the US, you will need a passport.

 

What is the training like?

Training can vary every day. You will learn the basics of grassroots organizing, to how to plan a campaign, to how to practice peaceful direct action. Students will learn from some of the best trainers in the movement on every skill that they will need to know to hit the ground running back home. Our staff in D.C. and in San Francisco will give students briefings on a how to recruit volunteers, clean energy, forests, how to pressure decisions makers, how to get media, and a number of other important organizing skills.

 

When are tuition payments due?

Once a student is accepted into the program, they are asked to place a non-refundable $500 deposit to hold their spot in the program within 3 weeks. The remaining $3,450 is due 1 week before class begins.

 

Are scholarships available?

We do have a small scholarship program that is given out based on need and merit. We ask that students look at the scholarship program as an extra boost to their own fundraising. Scholarships aren’t decided until about a month prior to the program, so we ask folks not to rely on scholarships as their way to come to the program. Scholarship awards tend to range from $200-$500.

 

How do I fundraise for the program?

There are tons of ways to fund for the program! A majority of students coming to the program are fundraising for program costs.

Students in the past have done things ranging from simple events like bake sales, yard sales, asking a friend’s band to play a show in their backyard, or even hosting a showing of your favorite environmental film on campus (charge a few dollars as a cover).

Students have even approached local businesses to sponsor them, sent letters to family, friends, and old professors, and even have held big events in town.
 
The best thing about fundraising is you get to be creative! If you have a special talent, show it off. If you have a birthday coming up, ask for donations as presents.  We have great ideas to help you spread the word about the experience you’re about to embark on while also funding for the program.

For any questions, or additional ideas, contact Linda Capato, Recruitment Coordinator at 415-255-9221x320.”

 

How do I find housing during the term?

Once accepted, we will provide you with a guide to your city to help find housing. Also, about a month or so before the program, you will be put in touch with the rest of your class. We do this so students can start to discuss housing options together or find affordable options. Many students live together during the program to cut down on costs- we suggest that folks keep group houses no larger than 4 students. Housing is always the thing that seems most intimidating, but we will support you in your search!

 

What are the dates for the 2009 program?

The Summer semester begins on June 1st-August 14th and Fall semester begins on September 21-December 11th. We offer semesters three times a year, our Spring semester, Summer, and Fall.

 

What if I’m an International student?

Unfortunately, this program is only open to students currently studying in the United States and Canada. International students are welcome, but only if they are studying in the US or Canada.

If you are an International Student, check out Solar Generation, our Greenpeace International Student Network.