Position Description
Ipswich River Watershed Association (IRWA) is seeking applications for an intern to join the Resiliency and Education team in Fall 2023. As an intern, you will gain on-the-ground experience in leadership, environmental stewardship and education while making a lasting contribution with a community driven environmental non-profit organization. You will assist with community watershed education programming like public hikes and paddles, lectures, and weekend events. This role is open to any individuals with an interest in environmental education.
Job Responsibilities
• Assist the Environmental Educator in delivering ongoing community education programming to K-12 youth and adults across the Ipswich River watershed.
• Provide assistance with program development, including: pitching ideas, testing curriculum, and developing an assessment tool to gauge participants’ knowledge about their water resource, the Ipswich River, before and after programming.
• Document activities through photography and notetaking, with the opportunity to write and publish blog posts on the IRWA website.
• Represent IRWA at networking and professional development events as they arise;
• Assist staff with additional outreach, restoration or monitoring tasks based on needs and interests.
• Be available for onsite programming on Saturdays and occasional weekdays and evenings as your schedule and interests align. Some hours may be remote.
Minimum Qualifications
This position requires a person with a strong interest in the environment and a passion for community education. You must have completed 24 college credits.
The ideal candidate will have a mix of relevant education and experience, including:
• Willingness to work outdoors in a variety of conditions;
• A commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access, incorporating JEDIA into all programming and the workplace;
• A passion for educating people of all ages, backgrounds, and identities about their local environment;
• Enthusiasm for IRWA’s mission to protect nature and ensure this is enough clean, safe water for people, fish, and wildlife.
Reliable transportation is required for onsite programming. Access to a car is useful, but not required.
We recognize that experience can be gained in various ways: lived, professional, volunteer, and other experience. We encourage people of all backgrounds and abilities including those who may not believe they meet all of the described qualifications to consider what they can contribute to IRWA and apply.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a part-time, seasonal position with a pay rate of $18/hr. The internship will be a maximum of 12 weeks. You may work up to 20 hours in one week.
Work related mileage will be reimbursed.
To apply, please send cover letter and resume as email attachments by September 5th to:
Emma Hughen, Environmental Educator
ehughen@ipswichriver.org
About the Ipswich River Watershed Association
Founded in 1977, we serve as the Voice of the River and work to ensure there is enough clean water for people and nature and to provide opportunities for people to have fun outdoors. We are a small but nationally known organization with a big record of accomplishments. Increasingly, we seek to position our work under the lens of building resiliency for the watershed and the communities we serve. Our team consists of eight, year round and several seasonal staff who are supported by an engaged board, several committees and hundreds of volunteers. We work in 28 communities throughout the Ipswich, Parker and Essex River Watershed and are based at Riverbend, our beautiful 23-acre headquarters on the bank of the River in Ipswich. For more information, go to www.ipswichriver.org.