Overview

The Open Space Institute’s Conservation Diversity Fellowship, started in 2016, seeks candidates pursuing professional experience in the conservation field. The Fellowship is a full-time, salaried, one-year position in New York City offering candidates the chance to work with colleagues and leaders at the Open Space Institute to accomplish meaningful conservation goals download brochure).

The Fellowship offers college graduates a one-year, paid position (competitive starting salary of $55,000 prorated with a comprehensive benefits package) working alongside full-time staff based out of OSI’s New York City home office. OSI’s multifaceted programs will give the fellows wide-ranging experience in the conservation field. Fellows will have the opportunity to work on projects related to the following, based upon her/his education and desired career path:

  • Conservation real estate transactions, acquisitions, and dispositions
  • Access to urban parks, state parks, and the stewardship of protected lands
  • Conservation science research and information dissemination
  • Administration of grant funds to partner organizations for land protection and environmental education
  • Finance, accounting and administration of a large non-profit organization
  • Executive and development departments working with partners, funders, and the board of trustees

Read this interview with OSI’s first Conservation Diversity fellow, Dyaami D’Orazio, and learn about her year spent “in the trenches” with OSI!

 Eligibility

  • Interest in pursuing a career in a conservation and/or non-profit related field
  • Demonstrated commitment to the mission of conservation or the environmental movement, including diversity in conservation
  • College graduate with demonstrated academic excellence (GPA, course selection, and leadership)
  • Availability and commitment to full and enthusiastic participation in all aspects of the Conservation Diversity Fellowship
  • Working out of OSI’s midtown office in New York City and participating in the Fellowship for one year beginning in late summer of 2021
  • Eligible to work in the United States

The selection process, including a potential interview, will take approximately four to six weeks. Please use the online application form. The application is due on May 15, 2021. To receive email updates about the fund, sign up here.

  • Resume or CV
  • College transcript
  • Statement of Purpose (750 words or less)

Two Letters of Recommendation that may be from a professor or recent employer sent directly to OSI.