Tribal Partnerships Intern

Tribal Partnerships Fellow

As part of King County's commitment to regional partnership on climate action, the County serves as organizational host and co-chair of the Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative (the Collaborative), a network of more than 30 local and county governments, Tribes, regional agencies, and other organizations working to build community, economic, and environmental resilience to climate change.

The Tribal Partnerships Fellow will support the development and implementation of a new Tribal Partnership Learning Series (TPLS) hosted by the Collaborative. The TPLS is a Puget Sound–focused effort to strengthen understanding and collaboration between local and regional partners and Coast Salish Tribes in advancing climate action. Rooted in place and partnership, the series seeks to build shared understanding of history, responsibility, and opportunities for co-created solutions.

The TPLS, developed and hosted across approximately 12 months, will provide education on the legal and historical foundations of Tribal sovereignty and treaty rights; the impacts of climate change on Tribes, treaty-reserved resources, and traditional ways of life; and best practices for building respectful, enduring partnerships. The TPLS will include a multi-part webinar series, one or more story maps, and other products to be determined as part of series development

Beyond leading the TPLS, this internship will also provide the opportunity to assist and advise on Tribal engagement and inclusion across other Collaborative programming, including regional alignment workshops and convenings focused on climate resilience topics. Working closely with Collaborative staff, the TPLS Advisory Group, and Tribal partners, the Fellow will help elevate Tribal priorities and perspectives throughout all aspects of the project.

The Tribal Partnerships Fellow will work with a TPLS Advisory Group and Collaborative staff to develop the content, format, and schedule for the TPLS. The Fellow will coordinate with speakers and partners, manage logistics for learning sessions, and support grant reporting related to the series. Developing the TPLS will also include developing a companion resource library, which the Fellow will help curate by compiling existing (or where needed developing new) guidance, training materials, and case studies.

This internship is part of a broader effort to build regional climate resilience in the Puget Sound Basin that is grounded in equity, partnership, and Indigenous leadership. The Fellow's work will support enduring change by strengthening relationships, deepening understanding, and expanding regional capacity to center Tribal priorities in climate preparedness efforts.

This internship seeks to be full-time during summer months and part-time during school months with flexibility for the Fellow's academic schedule. The position is currently funded through December 2027 and will report to Collaborative staff within the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Director's Office.

The Collaborative is a network of local and county governments, Tribes, and organizations in the Puget Sound basin working together to advance climate preparedness. In 2024, the Collaborative was awarded a NOAA Climate Resilience Regional Challenge (CRRC) grant to expand climate adaptation learning, collaboration, and technical support opportunities for Puget Sound jurisdictions and Tribes.

The TPLS Fellow position is based in the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Director's Office and is a member of the County's Climate Preparedness Team. The Climate Preparedness Team works across agency, jurisdictional, and subject matter boundaries to reduce climate impacts and increase community and organizational resilience. In addition to running the Collaborative, the team is actively working on issues related sea level rise, wildfire risk reduction, extreme heat mitigation, flooding, and integrating climate change into county policies and practices.

King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the…