Is The Recycling Partnership’s fellowship program right for you?

Kevin Goolsby is passionate about urban America.

With a heart for helping low-income communities, it’s no surprise he found his place as a fellow in the Center for Sustainable Behavior and Impact at The Recycling Partnership, a mission-driven non-profit committed to advancing a circular economy by building a better recycling system. The year-long, paid fellowship program for BIPOC recent college graduates allows Kevin to focus on recycling efforts that improve some of the health hazards facing low-income neighborhoods.

“Every single person here is committed to advancing recycling and improving the system nationwide,” he says. “We’re advancing the circular economy, and every day it rings true in our work.”

We sat down with Kevin to hear more about the impact he’s creating as a fellow with The Recycling Partnership — and get his take on why other recent college graduates should consider joining the program.

A budding passion for sustainability

Kevin got his start in sustainability at a young age, thanks to his sixth-grade teacher.

“I was actually the recycling captain for our school,” he says. “I didn’t necessarily have any real connection to recycling, but I’ve always had a caring heart. So, when my teacher asked me to do it, I said yes.”

Getting an early start in sustainability helped Kevin see the many benefits that recycling can bring — when done right.

“I really wanted to help the disenfranchised and historically disadvantaged communities, which often experience waste, air pollution, and other health hazards. I learned young how advanced recycling could improve air quality, water quality, and minimize water pollution. Which is where my passion for sustainability stems from,” he shares.

Finding The Recycling Partnership

Kevin’s discovery of The Recycling Partnership came at a timely moment. While searching for an internship in Washington D.C., he received an email from Ohio State University, where he recently completed his master’s degree, with details on the fellowship. He was immediately struck by the skills he knew he could gain by working with this mission-driven non-profit.

Kevin explains, “I went to their website and saw their values and could see that what they stood for was somewhere I wanted to be. I could tell they were a people-focused organization that would pour knowledge into you. They were remote and gave you autonomy over your work, which I wanted. I wanted to learn my way around the workforce and take risks.”

Closing the intention-action gap within recycling

Kevin’s work at the Center for Sustainable Behavior and Impact aims to close the gaps that communities often experience with their recycling efforts.

He explains, “We’re losing a lot of recyclables each year because of many people who aren’t necessarily against recycling but don’t know how to truly recycle. We’re stepping in to fill this gap to retrieve the roughly 15 million tons of recyclables lost each year.”

The Center for Sustainable Behavior and Impact aims to improve recycling for all while empowering recycling leaders to bolster programs and advance circularity. From meetings across teams to attending funder presentation calls, Kevin has his hands on many projects aiming to advance the recycling system nationwide.

How the fellowship gets him to the next level

Kevin is about halfway through his work in the fellowship program, and he’s already seeing how the acquired skills are setting him up for success in his next career steps.

“This partnership is helping me to grow and preparing me for my career by teaching me how to take risks, make mistakes, be bold, and ultimately be confident in myself,” Kevin explains.

He also highlights the strong leadership at The Recycling Partnership. “All of the leaders here are amazing,” he says. “Plus, really everyone is a manager in some capacity. And it’s so cool to see everyone harness such great leadership skills. We’re trusted to handle our work autonomously. The skills you learn here you can apply anywhere.”

3 reasons to join The Recycling Partnership’s fellowship program

Interested in The Recycling Partnership’s fellowship program? Kevin encourages you to consider joining! Here are his top three reasons:

1. You’ll get valuable professional development opportunities. Kevin appreciates that the fellowship program offers recent graduates a way to acclimate to the workforce while having complete autonomy over their work. “That’s pretty unheard of, at least for me,” he says. “Being trusted over a body of work allows me to make mistakes and grow.”
2. You’ll make a positive impact on sustainability. “Each day here, you’re working toward the goal of advancing a circular economy and thus improving the recycling system. And you truly feel like you’re making an impact towards that shared purpose and mission,” Kevin shares.
3. You’ll join a people-focused organization. Throughout his time as a fellow, Kevin has always felt taken care of. “We have Friday off every other week, which is one of the ways they show us that they value the time we put in, but they also want us to take time back for ourselves.”

Kevin tells us that no matter where he ends up after his time as a fellow, he knows he’ll continue finding avenues to influence environmental justice. “Being a fellow has helped me understand how to set myself up for success, envision where I want to be, and be an advocate for the environment.”