Internship- Clarksdale, MI

Organization: 1 Mississippi Campaign

Job Title: Intern

Location: Clarksdale, MI

Hours and Compensation: 20 hrs/wk, 6 months (March -Oct), $2,000-$3,000

Application Deadline: Feb 17th

Posted on: Jan 24th

Organization Overview

The Mississippi River flows through the heart of America. It nourishes our farms and families, is a home for wildlife and provides jobs to sustain our nation’s hardworking families. But today, our great River is in trouble. Pollution from farms, untreated sewage and factories along with weak enforcement of water laws has caused our once mighty Mississippi to decline. We can help by making simple changes in our lives and standing up for the River. The 1 Mississippi campaign intern will work to protect the Mississippi River by assisting with the planning and implementation of the national 1 Mississippi campaign on a local level.

The 1 Mississippi campaign works to connect people throughout the ten-state Mississippi River region. The campaign’s main method to protect the River is to talk to people face-to-face at River festivals, events and workdays. The campaign encourages people to become River Citizens—people who pledge to help protect the River by taking simple actions. Nationally, the campaign hopes to double our numbers by recruiting 5,000 River Citizens in 2012. For the campaign, the Mississippi River basin has been divided into five regions—Minnesota/Wisconsin; Iowa; Illinois/Missouri; Tennessee/Kentucky; Arkansas/Mississippi/Louisiana. Each region has a Regional Coordinator, a small budget and a list of regional campaign goals. Each region aims to recruit 1,000 River Citizens in 2012.

Description

Campaign interns will be part of a larger 1 Mississippi internship program. This program will include training opportunities and at least one in-person meeting with other campaign interns from around the country. Through this experience 1 Mississippi campaign interns will develop organizing skills, a unique understanding of values-based communications campaigns, public speaking and teaching experience and the ins and outs of a national environmental campaign.

To assist with the campaign’s goals, we are hiring a campaign intern for 20 hours a week for the duration of the summer, beginning at our training in mid-March until early October.

Responsibilities

• Attend a training event the second weekend in March to attain knowledge of the campaign and skills for recruiting River Citizens
• Work with Regional Coordinators and the National Campaign Manager to implement campaign tactics and to evolve the region’s strategy
• Identify potential recruiting sites (fairs, festivals) and register the campaign at the events
• Prepare and gather campaign materials for campaign events
• Recruit and train volunteers to work at events and collect volunteer evaluation forms
• Enter event and River Citizen data into spreadsheets
• Coordinate FedEx shipments with regional interns and the Campaign Manager
• Ensure proper set-up and take-down of campaign booth
• Staff events, as necessary
• Assist Regional Coordinators with additional organizational responsibilities

Qualifications/Skills

Applicants for the campaign intern position should meet the following qualifications:

• Must be at least 18 years old
• Believe in the power of regular Americans to impact national policy
• Able to work independently
• Extremely well-organized with ability to create and implement tracking systems
• Genuine interest in the Mississippi River, wetlands and environmental protection
• Able to set and meet deadlines within a complex team
• Comfortable communicating with a wide variety of people with an outgoing personality
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Experience with Microsoft Office (Excel)
• Able and comfortable speaking in front of groups of people
• Able to travel around the region and to at least one meeting in a different region during the campaign season
• Valid driver’s license and clean driving record
• Available for overnight training in River town in March

Preferred, but not required:

• Previous canvassing experience (Note: This position is NOT canvassing, but similar skills are used.)
• Personal vehicle
• Knowledge of issues facing the Mississippi River and the surrounding areas
• Community organizing experience

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to lift 25 pounds
• Must be able to work weekends

How to Apply

Send cover letter and resume to Miss Nancy Paraskevopoulos: [email protected]

Visit www.1mississippi.org for more information on the 1 Mississippi campaign.