Sustainability Communications and Events Intern

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How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address the specific skills that make you a strong candidate for this position.

Summary

The student selected for this position will help support communications campaigns and event planning associated with the Planet Blue Ambassador (PBA) program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. The PBA program is the entry point to sustainability at UM-Dearborn and beyond. The goal is to empower individuals with the information and resources needed to live, work, and learn sustainably at the UM-Dearborn. The term for this position is January 2024 - April 2024, with the potential for extension.
The selected candidate is expected to be reliable, enthusiastic about environmental stewardship, and have strong communications skills (verbal, written, digital, development of visual graphics).

Who We Are

The Planet Blue Ambassador program was established at the Ann Arbor campus back in 2011 and now, as a result of our university-wide commitment to carbon neutrality, the program was expanded to the Dearborn and Flint campuses.. The PBA program is the entry point to sustainability at UM-Dearborn and beyond. The goal is to empower individuals with the information and resources needed to live, work, and learn sustainably at the UM-Dearborn.
This position is part of the UM-Dearborn Facilities Operations team, reporting to the Sustainability Programs Coordinator and collaborating with sustainability staff from the University of Michigan?s two other campuses in Flint and Ann Arbor.

Responsibilities*

The position requires a 10-20 hour per week commitment, with flexibility during final exams. The list below highlights the responsibilities for this position. 

• Develop creative content for our e-newsletter, social media, blog, and website.
• Help maintain an engagement calendar and strategic engagement plan.
• Identify and implement improvements to the Planet Blue Ambassador online training.  
• Create posters, advertisements, and infographics for the PBA program and its events.
• Recruit new program participants via information tabling events and other outreach opportunities.
• Present the PBA group training to student groups when requested.
• Co-lead events and implement creative promotional tactics for increasing event participation.
• Support program and communication evaluations and improvements.
• Organize, develop, and implement sustainability-focused communication campaigns.
• Assist in reporting on program progress and impact.
• Formulate creative techniques to engage and inform the campus community about various practices surrounding reduce, reuse, recycle.
• Help facilitate relationships with student groups and support partnered projects.
• Attend weekly Sustainability Intern Team meetings.
• Other duties outside of this list as necessary for the successful implementation of the PBA program.
  

Required Qualifications*

• Current UM-Dearborn student.
• Familiarity with Canva and other graphic design tools (e.g. Mailchimp, Adobe, etc.)
  

Desired Qualifications*

• Enthusiastic and outgoing - experience giving presentations and meeting with new people.
• Excellent communication skills - experience with communicating complex scientific topics in a way that is understandable to the general public.
• Strong computer skills including Google applications (docs, sheets, slides), Canvas, and Zoom.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the links between sustainability, well-being, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Dedicated work ethic with the initiative to lead a project and see it through to completion.
• Collaborative spirit - experience working successfully in a team environment.
• Demonstrate passion for and knowledge about sustainability and carbon neutrality. 
• Consistently professional with regard to communication, punctuality, and reliability.
  

How You'll Grow

The chosen candidate will have the opportunity to work on university sustainability issues and gain experience with project management, communications, community engagement, behavior change, organization, and interdepartmental collaboration.

Additional Information

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement: 

At UM-Dearborn, we embody a meaningful commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), which requires an intentional and concurrent focus on both individual behavior and university systems/structures. This means we not only listen, hear and learn from and address the concerns of our community but also ensure that our established policies, practices and decisions reflect our commitment to DEI.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.