Arlie Schardt Memorial Fellowship
Arlie Schardt Memorial Fellowship
Our Fellowship program is designed to increase the long-term effectiveness of FOE and the environmental movement by operating an inspiring and fulfilling fellowship program that builds skills and relevant job experience for people of color and members of underrepresented communities.
Arlie W. Schardt was a pioneering voice for the environment and witness to some of the most seminal events in American history as a Time magazine correspondent traveling with Martin Luther King while covering the civil rights movement. Throughout his peripatetic 50-year career, Schardt reported on and acted on behalf of social justice. Al Gore states, “Through his remarkably diverse career, Arlie Schardt lived a life of purpose and impact,” said the former Vice President. “He was a champion for civil rights and an early pioneer of the environmental movement. I valued greatly his commitment to public service and will always be grateful for the invaluable roles he played on my Presidential campaign.” Schardt joined Friends of the Earth (FOE), serving as Chairman of the Board from 2009 until June 2019 when he was named chair emeritus in honor of his service. According to Erich Pica, president of FOE, “Arlie was instrumental in tripling the size of the organization and broadening its mandate to combine his concerns for social and racial justice with environmentalism.”
Friends of the Earth is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of our staff and our movement.
Meet our 2023 Fellows
Colin Bogle • Food and Agriculture Fellow
Colin Bogle is the 2023 Food and Agriculture Fellow at Friends of the Earth. He supports Friends of the Earth’s ongoing and emerging campaigns in the American food and agriculture space through advocacy, research, policy design, and writing. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth he was employed at Washington D.C. based think tank Collaborating for Resilience as a Research Analyst where he facilitated collaborative approaches to natural resource management. He has worked to empower communities on the frontline of the climate crisis to participate in alternative economic models through the development of a locally-owned art district in Downtown Jamaica, the implementation of a gender-conscious coffee agribusiness model in the Blue Mountain Region of Jamaica, and the design of worker’s rights campaigns in the Denver Metropolitan Area. Currently based between Portmore, Jamaica and Houston, Texas, he holds a Masters in International Affairs with a concentration in Global Environmental Change and Adaptation from the Josef Korbel School of International Affairs, and a dual bachelor’s degree in French Language and Literature and International Relations from the University of the West Indies. When not working, he enjoys gardening, reading, and listening to music.
Natasha Frazier • Economic Policy Fellow
Natasha Frazier graduated from Pepperdine University with a degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies. Natasha spent over a year as a legal worker and organizer during the Dakota Access Pipeline resistance efforts in North Dakota. In addition, Natasha has been an investigator working in a public defender’s office, participated in three summers of intensive Lakota language studies, and backpacked over 50 miles through the Canyonlands in Utah.
Grace Romo • Communications Fellow
The Comms team is excited to welcome Grace Romo as the 2023 Communications Fellow. Grace graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida, where she studied journalism and African American studies. They have experience in journalism, copyediting, photography, graphic design, marketing, and was recently admitted to graduate school in Berlin, Germany. She aspires to become a professor of race and media studies after earning their doctorate. Grace will support the Comms team’s Press and Digital “pods” by assisting with press statements and releases, press pitching and strategy, tracking journalists and news, and drafting social media content. Born and raised in Miami to a Nicaraguan mother, they are fluent in both English and Spanish. She loves reading, listening to Nina Simone, and eating nacatamales. With a strong background in writing and communications and a passion for environmental justice, Grace will be a wonderful addition to our team!
Camryn Smith • Democracy Fellow
Camryn Smith is a Fellow at Friends of the Earth, where she collaborates to strengthen the connection between democracy and the environment around us. Prior to joining Friends of the Earth, Camryn interned for Brady as their Team Enough intern and most recently worked as a technical recruiter. She is ready to get back to doing what she loves the most which is protecting democracy. Born and raised right outside of Philadelphia, Camryn holds a B.A., in Women’s and Gender Studies and possesses a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies as well as Media and Culture Communications from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. When not devoting her time to FOE you can find her hiking or thrift shopping.
Video from 2021 Arlie Schardt Memorial Fellows discussing their experience with the fellowship and working at Friends of the Earth.