Galveston Bay Summer Projects Intern - Galveston Bay Foundation Position Title: Galveston Bay Summer Projects Intern Employer Name: Galveston Bay Foundation Paid Position: Address 1: 17330 Highway 3 Address 2: City: Webster State: TX Zip: 77598 Phone: 281-332-3381 Fax: 281-332-3153 Email: jmintzer@galvbay.org WebAddress: www.galvbay.org Contact/Supervisor: Julie Mintzer Supervisor e-mail (if different): jmintzer@galvbay.org Alternate Contact/Supervisor: Courtney Smith Alternate Contact's e-mail: csmith@galvbay.org Student from previous year (if applicable) : Student from previous year's email (if applicable): Brief Description of Agency or Firm's Mission: The mission of the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) is to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity. Its programs in advocacy, conservation, education, and research strive to ensure that Galveston Bay remains a beautiful and productive place for generations to come. Describe the value of the proposed Internship to the Agency/Firm: GBF is a relatively small organization (10 full-time and 3 part-time staff) with a rather large list of projects and programs that we undertake. Spring and summers are particularly busy for us, as most of our community-based education and restoration events occur during this time. Our summer intern(s) is/are always highly valued for the work they produce for us and the accomplishments they make toward helping us achieve our mission. This year's summer intern will allow us to make significant progress on one very important research project and will assist many GBF staff in key tasks associated with running the organization. Describe the value of the proposed Internship to the Intern: GBF wants any potential intern to walk away with skills that he or she thinks will be an asset to him or her for a future career path. If the intern comes into the organization with a specific goal, GBF will try to give that intern as much experience as possible in that specific direction in order to help the intern reach his or her goal. In general, the intern will have the opportunity to acquire or fine tune a variety of technical skills, professional/communication skills, and management/administrative skills. The intern will conduct statistical analysis for a research project GBF will be presenting at a conference in the fall. The intern will also be introduced to conservation lands management and wetland restoration. Not only will that consist of an introduction to techniques and equipment used in the field, but also the coordination of all aspects of conservation field work including the process to prepare land for restoration, communication with partners, data entry and statistical extrapolation, and grant reporting and technical writing. The intern will get experience communicating with different constituents in the non-profit field. From volunteers to board members, local governments, to agency partners, and funding agencies to for-profit organizations, the intern will be exposed to different communication techniques including professional communication through email, phone, and in-person. By the end of internship, the intern will be given the opportunity to manage and lead volunteers and will understand how an event is managed administratively. Job Description (should include: hours of work, job responsibilities, reporting structure -- chain of command, a description of the intern's "typical" day): GBF is seeking a summer projects intern for summer 2012. The days/hours of work are Monday through Friday from roughly 9am-5pm, though the hours are somewhat flexible. The position will introduce the intern to a variety of aspects of an environmental non-profit organization. The intern will conduct statistical analysis for a research project GBF will be presenting at a conference in the fall. In addition, however, the intern will also work in fields of marketing and membership coordination, volunteer coordination and community outreach, education, event planning, habitat conservation, and general administrative duties. The following is a brief description of the projects with which the intern may be assisting staff members: -Primary research project: GBF is currently completing a research project on the effectiveness of different types of volunteer events. The intern will performing statistical analysis for the data collected at events in the spring. The intern, under the direction of GBF's Director of Community Programs, will input, analyze, and create visuals for a presentation GBF staff will give in the fall. -Marketing and membership coordination: GBF has a number of events and campaigns that use media outlets to advertise. The intern would assist the Marketing and Membership Director with the GBF's Bike Around the Bay campaign, the Boater Waste Education Campaign (BWEC), and any communication with GBF's members. Tasks include contacting companies and organizations to place advertisements; online research to find media outlets; and data input and tracking. -Volunteer coordination and community outreach: A large part of GBF's success with projects can be directly associated to the help and hard work of GBF's volunteers. Tasks include communication with volunteers; designing event flyers; assisting with preparation for volunteer events; and participation and leadership at volunteer events. -Education: The education programs coordinated by GBF provide science-based environmental education focused on Galveston Bay in order to develop a knowledgeable constituency, ranging from school children to public officials. Tasks include researching Galveston Bay species to update teachers handouts; preparing teacher-packets for the upcoming school year; research municipalities that have boater sewage policies and ordinances; outreach to local business for support for BWEC; communication with local municipalities and organizations to disperse education material; and assisting the Director of Community Programs with BWEC material development. -Event planning: Annually, GBF hosts Bike Around the Bay, a two-day, 150-mile bike ride around Galveston Bay showcasing the natural beauty of Galveston Bay and benefiting GBF. The purpose of the event is to bring attention to educate riders and volunteers on the diverse ecosystems that make up Galveston Bay estuarine system. The tasks include assisting GBF's Marketing and Membership Director with presentations; contacting potential sponsors; assisting with rider registration; and contacting media outlets to place articles in print and electronic media. -Habitat restoration: The Texas Gulf Coast is a sub-tropical environment that contains diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats that support abundant and equally diverse fish and wildlife populations. Aquatic habitats range from Gulf saline waters to freshwater rivers and lakes. Terrestrial habitats include southern deciduous forest, bottomland forests, coastal tallgrass prairies, and coastal island barrier habitats. This internship will present the opportunity to work on a variety of coastal ecosystem issues, including marsh restoration and oyster restoration. Tasks include work with staff on habitat restoration projects; provide clerical and data compilation support for projects; and field work. Management Goals: (should include: role of supervisor, frequency of intermediate reviews, expectations of intern, and an explanation of how the intern fits into the organization's goals -- please indicate whether supervisor works full-time or part-time): The supervisor to the summer projects intern is a full-time staff person of the Galveston Bay Foundation. The supervisor will provide to the intern specific tasks and assignments to complete and an explanation of expectations and goals, and then ask the intern to work independently towards accomplishing those goals and completing the tasks. The supervisor will be available at all times for additional questions or to offer further direction. At the start and end of each day, the intern will meet with the supervisor to discuss progress made and plans for the following day. Not only will the supervisor be available, but if the intern is assisting another GBF staff member, that staffer will also be available for questions. Special Job Requirements (i.e. transportation, language, technical or other skills): The candidate should be a currently enrolled, full-time, undergraduate student who will be returning to college as a full-time sophomore, junior, or senior student for at least the fall semester after the internship. Full-time enrollment is defined as 12 or more credits in one semester. The ideal candidate should have excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal skills; and the ability to work with a variety of partners, staff, and community volunteers; knowledge of social media sites; research experience; and strong typing skills. Familiarity with outdoor work and knowledge of Galveston Bay ecosystems is helpful but not required. Also required: a valid driver's license; ability to provide own transportation to/from GBF office in Webster, TX; ability to undergo a required criminal history background check; competent with Internet research and reference material; competency with Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop; ability to be accurate with basic data entry; ability to tolerate outdoor conditions in the Houston-Galveston, TX climate; ability to work independently once trained. Additional Information: Payroll is processed every two weeks. Transportation: Students are responsible for coordinating their own transportation to and from the workplace. International Students: You will need to apply for permission from immigration to work off campus (Optional Practical Training) to engage in a BAA internship. OPT applications can take up to three months for immigration to process, so advance planning is required. These applications must be submitted through the Office of International Students and Scholars. For full information on the OPT application process go to http://www.yale.edu/oiss/l or contact monica.weeks@yale.edu.