Internship Title: Communicating Climate Solutions Intern
Name of organization: Ecotrust
About Ecotrust: Ecotrust creates and accelerates triple-bottom-line innovations to benefit our
region and inspire the world. On the farm, at the coast, in the forest, and across our cities, we
work in partnership towards an equitable, prosperous, climate-smart future. Our home is
Salmon Nation, the region from California to Alaska that holds productive lands and determined
people. We recognize the legacy of colonialism and the deep inequities of this place, and we
believe that radical, practical change is possible and necessary. Since 1991, we have created
durable change and sparked ideas across the globe. Join us: Ecotrust.org.
Internship location: Portland, OR
Ecotrust’s Natural Capital Center
721 NW 9th Ave, Ste. 200
Portland, OR 97209
Reports To: Communications Director
Internship Description: This internship will be housed within Ecotrust’s Engage team with a
heavy focus on supporting our storytelling capacity, specifically around our work as it relates to
climate change and equitable climate-smart solutions.
The role of the intern is to provide research, writing, design, and dissemination research,
strategy, and execution on climate-related communications, including project briefs, blogs,
social media posts, and targeted media outreach. Focusing on our organizational imperative to
address climate change the intern will work across the organization’s program areas – food &
farms, fisheries, forest and ecosystems services, indigenous affairs, and knowledge systems –
developing compelling stories about equitable climate-smart solutions. Additionally, the intern
will support general engage team functions, learning about and contributing to the basic
functions that sustain our community engagement efforts.
Ecotrust holds a deep commitment to equity and inclusion as core principles integral to the
work we do related to climate-solutions and beyond. In our hiring and in our work, we seek
diverse perspectives that will help focus our priorities and further our practices of inclusion. The
Communicating Climate Solutions Intern will share the team’s commitment to strive for racial
equity outcomes and take responsibility for helping to create and maintain a safe and welcoming
community by making room for people of color, trans and gender-non-conforming folks, and
other populations who routinely encounter systemic oppression.
A successful candidate will have strong and versatile communication skills and a passion for
using communications to shift opinion and behaviors as related to climate change. They will be
interested in using their tone and style to fit Ecotrust’s brand and the organization’s pursuit of
triple-bottom-line innovations. The selected candidate will have many opportunities to engage
with dynamic climate change work happening in our region from connecting farms to
institutions, to addressing jobs equity in urban forestry, and building economic resilience in
small-boat fishing communities. They will work closely with teams and independently, enjoying
a deep integration with staff and our work.
We seek to mentor someone who is passionate about addressing the pressing issues of social
inequity and climate change, and we are committed to providing you with clear project
ownership, tangible growth opportunities, and networking connections.
Primary responsibilities, duties, and special projects:
Media and social media:
● Update and maintain media database, focusing on climate change reporting
● Monitor news and create a weekly organization-wide report of relevant news stories
● Research social influencers and make recommendations to optimize Ecotrust social feeds
as related to climate issues
● Help maintain press archive and events calendar on ecotrust.org
● Support social media channel management including contributing posts and assisting in
monitoring and reporting
Storytelling:
● Work closely with the team to identify opportunities for storytelling in our work
● Compose blog posts as directed
● Assist in gathering digital assets including original photography, audio, and video
Research and strategy:
● Research and report back to the engage team on how current trends in communications
are related to climate change and Ecotrust’s Theory of Change; report findings back to
the Engage Team and perhaps broader audiences
Engage Team support
● Support Engage Team’s daily activities, readily taking direction and communicating with
colleagues on prioritization and workload.
● Proofread printed and online publications, as well as web copy
● Assist in maintenance of metrics spreadsheets (Google Analytics, Social Media, Blog)
and help provide with monthly updates
● Assist in knowledge management of photos and other multimedia; depending on
experience, digital design and layout assistance, and photo editing
Engage Team membership:
● Participate in training and site visits as available and appropriate
● Participate in EDI activities, including Courageous Conversations, as interested and
available
● Participate in weekly communications team and editorial meetings
● Coordinate weekly with manager on project-specific deliverables for programs
Learning outcomes:
● Strategic communications, specifically climate-related communications
● Public relations
● Strategic social media and community engagement
● Project management
● Working with a team in a collaborative process
● Disciplinary knowledge across multiple sectors
Required skills and experience:
● Strong, versatile writer
● Enthusiasm for the mission of Ecotrust and commitment to addressing climate change
and placing equity at the center of work
● Aware of disparities faced by communities of color and First Nations, Alaska Natives,
and American Indian communities, and using your unique skills and voice to promote
equity
● Strong organizational and collaborative skills
● Ability to work independently and in a support role
● Excellent interpersonal skills with a flexible work style
● High level of professionalism
● Proficiency with social media networks
● Proficiency with office products including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Additional preferred (but not required) qualifications:
● Proficiency or familiarity with online publishing (preferably via WordPress)
● Proficiency or familiarity with online document sharing and collaboration tools including
Google Docs, Dropbox, and Basecamp
● Adobe Creative Suite familiarity
Preferred student level and/or major: Candidates with a variety of majors are encouraged
to apply, with a strong preference for those who have an interest or previous experience with
multi-media storytelling, journalism, or communications.
First-generation college students and students of color are encouraged to apply.
Duration of internship: June- August 2019. Exact duration is negotiable.
Desired start date: June 10, 2019. Exact date is negotiable.
Time Commitment per week/per term: ~20hrs/week
Compensation: Compensation is through the Williams College Internship Program
Application Deadline: Friday, April 5, 2019
How to Apply: Please follow these directions closely. Complete and submit a cover letter (1-
page maximum) and your resume to our Intern Coordinator, Katherine Wiley, at
[email protected] with “Williams Internship” in the subject line.
Your cover letter should also include why you are interested in climate communications at
Ecotrust
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