Sierra Club Cypress Group For-Credit Student Internship
The Greenville-based Sierra Club group, called the Cypress group, is seeking a semester-long intern from the School of Communication.
The Sierra Club is the nation’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with 3 million members and supporters. It was founded by legendary conservationist John Muir in 1892. Our group has more than 500 members across 19 North Carolina counties, though we are based in Greenville.
This internship offers a student the opportunity to gain experience working on communication efforts on behalf of this well-known nonprofit. The student will work for the group’s Executive Committee. Dr. Cindy Elmore will provide oversight for class credit.
Not only is this an opportunity for a student interested in promoting environmental action and environmental justice, but we also greatly want a student’s good ideas for the future direction of our local organization. Despite a membership that tops 500, many members are not active, and we are looking for more programming and communication ideas that will reach them – particularly in reaching younger members who we know care about the environment.
Most of the intern’s duties can be accomplished remotely and on the student’s own time, though we would like for the student intern to be able to attend our monthly programs (second Monday of every month, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 131 Oakmont Drive, Greenville, just south of the intersection of Charles Boulevard and Red Banks Rd.) and our monthly executive committee meetings, (the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., the same location).
Description of Intern Responsibilities:
One-time duties:
- Work with club member database (call members who have no email address listed or for whom the email bounces back, to get an up-to-date email contact. Also correct incorrect zip codes)
- Research best (and cost-effective) new template for our monthly member newsletter
- Evaluate social media and recommend best practices (including possibly starting an Instagram account for the Cypress Group).
Recurring monthly duties:
- Call new members for the month who didn’t provide an email address
- Publish newsletter (content will be provided, but intern will design and lay out the newsletter, writing headlines, etc.)
- Attend executive committee meetings – take notes and write up minutes
- Attend monthly programs
- Arrive 30 minutes early (7 p.m.) to help with set up and to “man” the welcome table where attendees sign in and get name tags
- Provide new attendees with Interest Survey
- Take photo of speaker for newsletter and social media
- Handle “Facebook Live” recording and uploading of speaker for group Facebook page (we’ve never done this before, but are hoping you’ll be able to…)
- If possible: save a snippet of video on YouTube and post to Cypress Group website
As Needed:
- Develop conservation campaign media strategies
- Create fliers and other informational resources for conservation campaigns
- Be a liaison between Cypress group and ECU Eco-Pirates (are there things we can do jointly?) Notify Eco-Pirates of Cypress group activities and events
- Assist with regular updates to social media.
- Develop media strategies to best publicize monthly programs and speakers with local/regional media (contact info will be provided). Attempt to drum up media interest in speaker interviews or in covering speakers.
- Strategize ways to engage/recruit younger members
- Look for opportunities and ways to broaden Cypress group outreach
- Activities, outings, engagements, collaboration, allies, events, tabling
- If possible, participate in “tabling” events (where the Cypress group has a table at a festival or event to promote the Sierra Club and pro-environmental legislation or initiatives)
- If possible, participate in political campaigns
- Volunteer at voting polls to promote Cypress-endorsed local candidates
- Help endorsed candidates with administrative functions (i.e., stuffing envelopes, distributing handouts, etc.)
- Feel free to come on monthly hiking or kayaking outings! Not a requirement, but the intern is welcome (and carpools are available) ! J
Send resume, writing sample and cover letter to Dr. Cindy Elmore, elmorec@ecu.edu.