C3 and Me: Connecting to the Charlottesville Community via Climate Communications
Introduction:
Hello! My name is Spoorthi Nadkarni, I am a second-year double major in Environmental Science and Economics at UVA, and this Fall, I got the wonderful opportunity to intern at C3 as the Climate Communications Creator. As my internship comes to a close, I wanted to share a bit about how working at C3 has influenced me, and how you can get involved yourself.
Finding C3:
How I came to C3 was a bit unexpected. It was a cloudy day spent watching Drag Race with my friends, when I saw an email from the career center about the UVA Internship Placement Program (IPP) for the fall. At that time, because I was just coming out of my first year, I decided to apply for nearly every interesting sounding opportunity I saw, see where I ended up, and find my niche somewhere, and I am so glad I have here at C3.
Because IPP is a program through UVA, this internship felt like a comfortable environment to explore beyond just my academics and extracurriculars and gain professional experience in a structured, industry-specific internship for the first time. Looking through internship opportunities, I scrolled through the spreadsheet and saw a bunch of interesting options in the sustainability field related to climate policy, which is my interest and a career path I would like to pursue.
The name “Community Climate Collaborative” alone already interested me, and as a growing advocate who has spent somewhat over four years in the organizing space, particularly in climate and intersectional feminist causes, I wanted to make sure I was putting my time and energy into an internship that fit a few criteria for me. I needed to be doing what I liked, gaining relevant experience, and joining a company with social responsibility and good morals, which I found a fit for in my current role.
Why C3?:
C3’s mission and vision to create cleaner communities and work as a local non-profit to build up resilient communities that can overcome climate disparities through multifaceted collaboration was inspiring. Moreover, their commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and making sure to address systemic issues that infringe upon human rights like environmental justice is commendable. Furthermore, their focus on working with the community on issues like public transport, energy burden, and zoning spoke to me as all of these are also prominent issues in my hometown that are a massive source of tension between companies and the community. I filled out the application, listed C3 as my top choice, prepared heavily for that interview, and a few weeks later, I got to meet my absolutely amazing supervisor, Leah, for a secondary interview. The rest is a wonderful history.
Given that C3 focuses its efforts on Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and Richmond, this internship has also given me the chance to connect myself to the larger Charlottesville community and break out of the UVA bubble in a way I know best, through community advocacy . Both the busyness of school and personal difficulties left me unable to actually explore the area beyond the label of “UVA grounds,” minus one or two downtown visits with friends. I want to make Charlottesville my home, not just a temporary residence for nine months, and being a C3 intern has helped that process, getting to know the vibrant character of Charlottesville, its people, its faults and forgivings. As a benefit, I get to give back, even if it is small. By integrating myself into the community beyond UVA, branching out into experiences like interning at C3, research, and trying new clubs and organizations, I am slowly learning to love my little college town.
Working at C3 has been as much about professional growth as it has been about personal growth. In times like these, when the state of the government is hyperpartisan, fractured, and it feels like everyday is a new fight or doomsday premonition, local non-profits like C3, who are committed to equity and justice are critical to strengthen our sense of solidarity in the community. The climate and environmental causes impact every facet of our lives and can exacerbate longstanding inequality, even ones that might not seem obvious. It is easy to get wrapped up in the articles about state and federal politics while forgetting the importance of turning inwards to the people around us each day and that these big decisions are the result of everyday actions at the local level.
Of course this article would not be complete without mentioning the people who have made this experience so great. To Leah, who I have been working with directly during this internship, Sarah, who first got me acclimated to C3, and every single C3 team member who I get the privilege to work with, the Board, the other interns, each person who makes C3’s work possible. I could not have asked for a better place to have my first real internship.
How can you get involved?:
Moreover, if you want to support the mission of C3 and help us continue our fight each day for stronger communities that are resilient to climate change and can overcome systemic inequity, connect with us! Donations are always welcome to help financially support us and we would love to see you at events and as a part of our campaigns. Your voice matters to us, so come get involved and have some fun while you do!
Finally, if you are a fellow student or community member looking to get involved with C3 or just talk about anything mentioned above, feel free to reach out to me at my LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/spoorthi-nadkarni
Thank you for reading and have a lovely day!
