For 20 years, Food & Water Watch has combined smart strategy with people power to defend sustainable food, clean water, and a livable climate. We’ve won real improvements in people’s lives, from keeping our water affordable and public, to reining in factory farm pollution, to stopping fossil fuel projects in their tracks. This summer, we were fortunate to work with interns who brought their unique skills, perspectives, and dedication to state campaigns across the country.

Young activists’ energy and ideas make the environmental movement thrive. At Food & Water Watch, our summer internship program helps young people develop vital skills and nurture their passion for ensuring a livable future for all. We expanded our program from last year, working with nine interns from coast to coast.

During their time with us, interns gained on-the-ground experience and took on leadership roles in their campaigns. They learned our winning approach to organizing. They built relationships with allies, volunteers, and legislators. And they took on the hard, rewarding work of organizing toward real change — everything from petition-gathering to event coordination to writing and much more.

The interns fought for much-needed protections for our food, water, and climate — from stopping polluting pipelines and factory farms to advocating for affordable energy and accountability for polluters. They developed skills they’ll use to bring positive change to their communities in any path they choose.

It was an honor to work with them, and we know they’ll continue to grow as advocates and shine wherever they go next.

Stopping Pipelines in New York!

Finn Does, Michaela Alsiadi, and Rikki Wilhelm worked with our New York team to stop three fracked gas pipelines that threaten the state. They helped mobilize a powerful opposition with other organizations, elected officials, and everyday New Yorkers as we demand that Governor Hochul reject these pipelines.

I appreciated how committed Food & Water Watch is to their volunteers! Much of my experience has been around event organizing, and even though I have worked to base build extensively, Food & Water Watch embodies a true commitment to lifting up each individual volunteer and that is something I admire.

I’ve had extensive past experience organizing and leading coalitions and organizations, so I’ve improved existing skills of mine including interpersonal relations and base-building.

— Finn Does

I’m most proud of our March in August. Having the lieutenant governor right next to me marching across the Brooklyn Bridge was pretty surreal. My mother used to work for the lieutenant governor many, many years ago, and I grew up in that office in the city. 

Working in a space where I could collaborate with those legislators all these years later was a pretty cool full circle moment for me. Also, seeing the turnout, showing New York City these issues, and getting people, even just passers-by, to come along and cheer for us — that’s definitely something that I will never forget.

— Michaela Alsiadi

This internship surprised me with the role traditional organizing strategies and tactics still have in our digital world. I’m more attuned to the digital side of strategy, but having first-hand experience with on-the-ground canvassing not only helps me understand the power of both approaches, but strengthens my digital approach, as well.

Getting the opportunity to petition, attend rallies, marches, letter deliveries, and lobby meetings has invigorated my confidence as an organizer. The internship allowed me to have a deeper personal connection to the issues and a stronger commitment moving forward.

— Rikki Wilhelm

Fighting for Climate Action in New Jersey!

Aidan DiMarco joined the Food & Water Watch New Jersey team to advocate for the state’s Climate Superfund Act. He also joined our years-long fight against a South Jersey liquefied natural gas export terminal that would turn Gibbstown into a sacrifice zone.

From the internship, I am most proud of contributing to building the list of volunteers in New Jersey. Volunteers are a significant part of the work that is done for any organization, and having a base of active and engaged volunteers is crucial.

The New Jersey team was extremely helpful throughout the internship and helped guide me throughout assignments. I plan on becoming an environmental attorney, and this internship helped me understand the environmental issues communities are facing on the ground, specifically in New Jersey.

— Aidan DiMarco

Stopping Fossil-Fueled Rate Hikes in Florida!

In Florida, Isabella Moeller mobilized support from allies and elected officials for our campaign to stop historic, fossil-fueled rate hikes in Hillsborough County. Together, we’re fighting for affordable, clean energy in the Sunshine State!

I’m proudest of securing meetings with elected officials across Florida to discuss utility rate increases and secure signatures on a letter we wrote opposing the Florida Power & Light rate hike. I gained skills in holding lobbying meetings and conversations with elected officials. I also improved my skills in facilitating effective meetings and coordinating efforts between other organization groups and volunteers.

Because of my past two years of interning with Food & Water Watch, I’m now interested in further pursuing organizing and policy work after I graduate college. Because of Food & Water Watch’s comprehensive trainings and support from my supervisors and other staff, I’ve gained valuable skills and experience that I believe have set me up for success in this field of work in the future.

— Isabella Moeller

Protecting Iowa’s Water from Big Ag’s Pollution!

In Iowa, Adam Bessman and Evelyn Bergus joined our fight for clean water and accountability for the state’s many, many factory farms. Industrial farming and Big Ag corporations have created multiple public health crises. Adam and Evelyn pushed leaders to put Iowans over corporate profits.

I loved working with campaign tactics/strategy. It felt extremely fulfilling to work with volunteers, research for tactic implementation, and do something that led us closer to our campaign goals in a material way. Especially having studied mobilization a fair amount the semester before I started, it felt like my work with Food & Water Watch directly connected to what I’m going to school for, which is extremely exciting. It felt like I was a part of something meaningful.

I serve on the executive board of a queer student nonprofit, and the tools and theories I’ve learned this summer will really help me to perform my duties as we continue to grow. I also learned a lot about our campaign issues, which will be helpful for me as I pursue a career in environmental law.

— Adam Bessman

I really liked tabling and sharing my experiences with farming and hearing what people had to say. I got better at reading people and figuring out a concise and compelling way to talk about Food & Water Watch, and I became more confident with engaging people.

There were a number of people who would come up saying they supported us and all our work, but also think it’s all hopeless. I tried to push hope and joy as a form of resistance and people responded really well to a young person telling them to have hope about the future. I am so grateful that I got firsthand experience with talking to people on a personal level and getting to engage them in a bigger fight for climate justice.

— Evelyn Bergus 

Making Polluters Pay in California!

Aditya Kataria joined our California team to advocate for the state’s Climate Superfund bill, which would force the biggest climate polluters to pay damages for climate disasters. Those most responsible should pay the costs of climate adaptation and disaster recovery — not California taxpayers. 

I enjoyed the trainings, meeting different people, going to Sacramento for a committee meeting, in-person petition gatherings, and talking to other interns. It surprised me that there are so many campaigns happening at one time, and organizers are still able to get stuff done. Given that I want to go into law, this showed me how to work together with different members of this organization and other organizations.

— Aditya Kataria

Holding Factory Farms Accountable in Oregon!

In Oregon, polluting factory farms (particularly mega-dairies) have contributed to a drinking water crisis. Along with fighting mega-dairies in the state, Violet advocated for Food & Water Watch’s signature federal legislation, the Farm System Reform Act, which would phase out factory farms nationwide and kickstart a transition to a fair food system.

Petitioning pushed me out of my comfort zone in a really good way. And aside from communication skills, I learned a variety of skills/tactics that organizers use to influence the actions of politicians. I power-mapped several Oregon politicians, which was helpful in understanding different pressure points crucial to enacting change.

This internship helped teach me how organizing works on a larger scale. Working to enact change within a national organization requires teamwork and communication at all levels. It was cool to see how that worked with different states, goals/objectives, and all together.

— Violet Williams

Young Organizers Are Building Our Movement 

Grassroots organizing is the foundation of our work at Food & Water Watch, and it’s the key to overcoming corporate power and protecting all we hold dear. In an increasingly chilling political time, with an administration determined to roll back basic protections for our health and environment, we know we need this movement to meet the moment. 

This summer, Food & Water Watch interns worked with us to keep building our movement. They reached out and brought their neighbors into the fight, educated their communities, and held their leaders accountable to their constituents. We look forward to all the great things their skills and commitment lead to next.

Thank you to all of our generous donors who invested in this program and in Food & Water Watch interns this year, and thank you to Aditya, Adam, Aidan, Evelyn, Finn, Isabella, Michaela, Rikki, and Violet for their dedication and work this summer!