By Ariya Lee, OEEC Summer 2026 High School Intern

Before my internship at the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC), I only saw climate action from the outside: speaking at public comment sessions, reporting for my school newspaper, or proposing solutions to my school district leadership. Spending a summer inside Fairfax County’s environmental office showed me how much work happens behind the scenes to turn climate goals into real-world policies and programs. It also helped me see a future for myself in environmental work that combines science, policy and community engagement. 

My name is Ariya Lee, and I was an intern at OEEC through the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program the summer before my senior year of high school. The hours I spent in elementary school immersed in United Nation reports on global warming evolved into starting climate literacy campaigns, organizing demonstrations with grassroots movements, and expanding my involvement in journalism during middle and high school. In that time, I realized integrating policy, civic engagement and community awareness with environmental science was important not just to me, but for environmental and social progress in general. Fortunately, OEEC was established in 2019 to lead the implementation of Fairfax Couty’s environmental, energy, and climate plans and policies across departments and programs. 

Learning from a Diverse Team of Experts

From my first day, I saw that everyone in the office had unique and diverse experiences and roles, collectively encompassing the valuable skillset needed to tackle issues that are as extensive as climate change. I primarily had the opportunity to contribute to OEEC outreach efforts in the office, by creating educational activities for younger audiences, completing an inventory of outreach materials, and writing newsletters. I also was able to research and work on the development of a volunteer training program. I became familiar with the three major climate plans the office implements: the Operational Energy Strategy, Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan and Resilient Fairfax, and I met with staff who worked with each of them. I made a point to speak with everyone in the office at least once, and it was through these discussions that I learned so much about all the ongoing efforts for environmental action, as well as about the existing challenges and initiatives for county sustainability.

Connecting School Projects to Local Climate Policy

After being involved in the world of solar power purchase agreements, carbon neutrality targets and electric bus fleet efforts in my school district, being able to learn more from the experts in the office was enlightening and left me a list of topics to research in the near future. Whether it was speaking with the OEEC director for a couple hours about energy management and data centers, observing a Board of Supervisors meeting, or talking with the energy specialist about her career path, the knowledge and insights from everyone at OEEC have been invaluable. 

Discovering a New Side of Climate Action

I’m so grateful that I had this opportunity and was able to meet so many people who have dedicated their time to protecting the planet and all the people who live on it. This internship has shown me there are countless mediums for climate action, and I look forward to taking everything I’ve learned from it into the future.

Ariya Lee is a rising senior at Chantilly High School and served as OEEC's summer 2026 high school intern with the Fairfax County Youth Leadership Program. She is involved in climate activism in her community through leading environmental and civic literacy efforts, organizing with grassroots movements, and advocating for climate policy. Additionally, she is editor-in-chief of her student-run school newspaper.

Climate Matters is the blog of Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, where we share stories, insights and information related to climate change and environmental sustainability. Posts are written by knowledgeable and passionate OEEC staff members and guest authors. To read all blog posts, visit Climate Matters.