The first time I learned about the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change (OECC) was at an environmental networking event at UW Madison during spring of my junior year of college. I had the opportunity to chat with Kathy about how the county engages different community stakeholders such as faith groups to take action on climate change, and I knew from that moment on that this office was something I needed to be involved in.
If you want something really badly, you need to try again even after you fail the first time. That is the mindset I had when applying for this internship - after not being selected for the position the first time I applied, I decided to apply again when it reopened not only because of the impactful conversation I had with Kathy when we met, but also because of what I learned about the office during my first application process.
When I got the job and January rolled around, I could not wait to get started. My first assignments were to interview for and write two success stories, update the Clean Energy Map, update our website, and put together the February newsletter. Have I ever written a success story before? Nope. Have I ever used ArcGIS to edit maps? Nope. Have I ever used a content management system to make website edits? Nope. Have I ever used Mailchimp before? Nope. Did not only survive, but also have so much fun while completing these tasks? You bet!
In addition to all of these new skills and experiences, one of the biggest things I gained from this internship was the ability to confidently and fearlessly dive into new things that I have never done before. Since these initial tasks, I really enjoyed writing more monthly newsletters, blogs and success stories, making countless website edits, helping with grant applications, and even figuring out how to do source code! The project I spent most of my time working on was 2024 Climate Champions. This involved creating registration forms for each of our categories, recruiting and maintaining a list of prospective applicants, keeping track of entities who applied, helping with the press release, adding the new Champions to our website list and Climate Champions map, and coordinating awards.
When I was a student at UW Madison, I was very knowledgeable about sustainability initiatives around campus, so a goal for me was to learn more about climate initiatives happening in the broader local, non-student community. I’m very grateful that the OECC helped me make countless community connections by attending engagement meetings, assisting with grant applications, and getting to meet so many amazing Dane County sustainability leaders at various events like planting trees at Shabazz Middle School, attending Party for the Planet at Henry Vilas Zoo with the Tree Canopy Collaborative, and showing off induction cooktops at last month’s Environmental Fun Fair. One of the most meaningful experiences for me was helping Mel kick off a collaborative working group to address the intersections between food waste and food justice in Dane County. After that initial meeting, I walked away feeling so energized knowing that there are already so many different existing initiatives addressing this issue, and being so excited about what the results of this collaboration could be.
Throughout my time here, it was so beyond inspiring to learn about all the ways Dane County leads by example, especially with big wins like securing EECBG funding, being recognized by the EPA, OECC receiving an EV Charging Infrastructure grant, and many more! In addition to my rewarding work, it was a pleasure to spend these past 8 months getting to know and spending time with my colleagues. Kathy, Mel, Valora, and Sara are all so passionate and knowledgeable about the work they do, but they’re also just great people to be around. Some of my favorite moments with them include viewing the solar eclipse outside the City County Building, random coffee runs, sharing the occasional treat brought in for team meetings, and the many laughs we all shared together. Thank you all for making this such a meaningful experience for me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else the OECC achieves in the future!
Isabella is a graduate of UW-Madison passionate about exploring the intersections between sustainability and community engagement. She earned her degree in Environmental Studies and Political Science, with certificates in German and Public Policy. Isabella is excited to learn more about the role local government can play in empowering community stakeholders like residents, business owners, and others to make sustainable choices in their lives.
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