Hampton Roads Outreach Intern (Fall 2022) – THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation seeks a Hampton Roads Outreach Intern (Fall 2022) to be based in Virginia Beach, VA.

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION
Established over 50 years ago, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is the nation’s leading conservation organization dedicated solely to restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay, our nation’s largest estuary. With 300,000 members, an annual operating budget of $26 million, and a $55 million endowment, CBF’s 190 full time staff work in offices in Annapolis and Easton, MD; Richmond and Virginia Beach, VA; Harrisburg, PA; Washington, DC; and in 15 field education program locations across the Bay watershed.
CBF’s headquarters – the Philip Merrill Environmental Center – in Annapolis is the world’s first USGBC LEED platinum building. In 2014, CBF opened the Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach; the Brock Center is the tenth certified Living Building and one of the most energy efficient, environmentally smart buildings in the world.
DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION

Environmental Protection and Restoration
CBF’s Environmental Protection and Restoration department defends and restores the Chesapeake Bay by protecting the Bay’s natural resources from pollution and other harmful activities by fighting for strong and effective laws and regulations; restoring the Bay’s essential habitats and filtering mechanisms; and involving citizens in CBF’s environmental efforts by recruiting, training, and incorporating them as effective partners and leaders.

CONTEXT OF THE POSITION

The Hampton Roads Outreach Intern assists in engaging and building support among CBF members, college and university students, community and conservation organizations, state officials, local decision makers, the media, and the general public to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay.

Essential functions include:

1. Assist CBF staff with managing volunteers at restoration events such as our tree plantings. These events will require adherence to CBF Covid policies.
2. Assist CBF staff with cleaning, organizing, and inventorying equipment for restoration projects and planting events.
3. Assist CBF staff in developing messaging to target our volunteer programs to more economically and racially diverse audiences.
4. Support the Clean Water Captains program and the VoiCeS program by surveying participants and updating program materials.
5. Assist CBF in performing targeted outreach to economically and racially diverse communities to ensure CBF’s volunteers and advocates reflect the diverse and vibrant communities found throughout Hampton Roads. This could include connecting with student organizations and presenting information (potentially virtually) about CBF to local community organizations such as the NAACP, Urban League, etc.
6. Assist with planning Clean the Bay Day by researching advertising placement.

PREFERRED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

CBF is looking for a Hampton Roads Outreach Intern with excellent communication skills, a passion for the Bay and its tributaries, an interest in advocacy efforts, and the desire to take action. Interns must have transportation to reach restoration events as needed. The intern should have some experience using web-based meetings software. We anticipate that the intern will work between 15 and 20 hours per week. Eligible candidates must be actively enrolled in a college or university. Experience using GIS software is preferred, but not required. The Hampton Roads Outreach Internship is an unpaid internship.

WE ARE COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND JUSTICE

Just as biodiversity is the key to a thriving ecosystem, human diversity is the key to saving the Bay. Success depends on people from widely diverse backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, identities, and races taking collective action. Clean water, clean air, and a safe environment are rights we all share.

To increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will:

* Recruit and retain a staff, board, and membership that reflect the diversity of people living within the Chesapeake Bay region;
* Strengthen and broaden the diversity of our partnerships;
* Celebrate and value the diversity of staff; and
* Fight to ensure that everyone has equal access to clean water, clean air, and a safe environment.

CBF requires that all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The successful candidate will need to submit verification of vaccination or have a valid religious or medical reason not to be vaccinated.

CBF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.