Climate Change Communication Paid Internships, Summer 2018
National Park Service (National Capital Region) &
George Mason University’s Center for Climate Change Communication
Deadline: Friday, January 26, 2018 ****
Description
The National Park Service (NPS) cares for special places saved by the American
people so that all may experience our heritage. In this capacity, NPS is in a
unique position to observe changes brought about by global warming, and to
engage park visitors in conversations about climate change. George Mason
University’s Center for Climate Change Communication (4C) conducts research
on, and teaches about, climate change public engagement strategies.
In this internship program, up to eight interns (including two multimedia
interns) will have the opportunity to work with 4C and the NPS’s Urban Ecology
Research Learning Alliance (UERLA) on climate change communication projects at
National Capital Region Parks (Greater Washington, D.C.) in the summer of
2018. Summaries of previous year’s projects can be found at:
http://climatechangecommunication.org/internship_program/
Qualifications
The 10-week internships are open to graduate students, or exceptional rising
junior, or senior undergraduate students. The internship program seeks
students with interdisciplinary backgrounds and interests in a combination of:
biology, environmental science,
sustainability, natural resources, sociology, communication, psychology, and
other disciplines. Previous interns have come from degree programs in Biology,
Zoology, Natural Resource Communications, Natural Resource Management,
Environmental Studies, and Psychology. Students must be attending a U.S.
accredited college or university and must be legally allowed to work in the
U.S. Interns may be required to pass a Federal government background check.
Please indicate in your resume and cover letter your knowledge, skills,
abilities, and interest in the following:
● Translating scientific information for non-experts
● Writing stories, narratives, and other interpretive materials to share
information about natural and cultural resources
● Public engagement or campaign development
● Interest in learning more about local climate impacts, NPS and environmental
communication
● Interdisciplinary collaboration, working with clients and meeting client
needs, and
articulate, professional demeanor
● Experience with representing organizations on social media, such as
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
Expectations include:
● Strong experience or interest in science, natural resources, or cultural
communication ****
● Ability to develop communication materials in a 10-week period and
demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
● Strong creativity skills and ability to generate new ideas
● Proven ability to develop effective communication products with minimal
editing; strong attention to detail
● Excellent written and oral communication skills
● Familiarity with cloud-based computing, collaborative document editing, and
diligence in updating task lists on productivity software
Dates, Duration, and Location
Internships are full time (40 hours per week) for ten weeks, running from
Monday, June 5th through Friday, August 11th with the possibility of extension
through Friday, August 25th. All work will take place in the Washington, DC
metro area. Housing is not provided. Interns
will meet twice a week at the GMU Arlington Campus, which is easily accessed
by the Metro. (Driving to Arlington is not recommended.) Having a personal
vehicle is ideal for traveling to National Parks but not required, as interns
are strongly encouraged to carpool to park sites.
Stipend
Interns will be paid a minimum of $290 per week on biweekly pay schedule.
How to Apply
Applicants should submit the following materials (combined as ONE PDF file
with applicant’s name as the file name) to spatzer@masonlive.gmu.edu with
“NPS4C - [Applicant Name]” as the subject line:
(1) Resume or CV
(2) Undergraduate and/or graduate transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
(3) One page cover letter discussing your specific interest in the internship
and highlighting your qualifications.
(4) TWO references with:
a) name,
b) contact information (email & phone number), and
c) nature of the relationship (e.g., professor, employer) Please Note: Only
COMPLETE applications will be reviewed.
Inquiries regarding this internship may be directed to
spatzer@masonlive.gmu.edu
Internship Application Timeline:
Deadline for completed applications: Friday, January 26, 2018
Interview selection: Week of Monday, February 12, 2018
Interviews: Week of Monday, March 5, 2018
Diversity
The NPS and 4C seek a diverse cohort of interns. Applicants with diverse
backgrounds from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.