Green Dining Internship Opportunities: Fall 2012
Are you passionate about composting? Waste reduction? Food? Gardening? Conservation? Working with your fellow UMD students? Then, we are looking for you! The green industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy with many exciting career opportunities for college graduates. Get your foot in the "green jobs" door by working on Green Dining initiatives at UMD’s Dining Services.
UMD Dining Services Green Dining is seeking interns for the following positions: Green Dining Sustainable Food Interns, Green Dining Communications Intern, Green Dining Peer Education Intern, and Green Dining Program Support Intern for Rooftop Gardens.
Green Dining Sustainable Food Intern(s)
Description: Sustainable Food Interns (2-4 total) are needed to continue work on the Real Food Calculator in support of the Dining Services Sustainable Food Working Group. Interns will work with the Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator to review Dining Services purchasing records and learn more about where the food served on campus comes from. These data will be compiled and presented to the Sustainable Food Working Group. The internship will also include education and outreach responsibilities about program activities.
Qualifications: The Sustainable Food Interns must have strong analytical skills and attention to detail. Verbal communication and organizational skills are also essential. Familiarity with Excel and Microsoft Office are required.
The intern will work a minimum of 10 hours per week (or as determined by their academic department) throughout the Fall semester. The intern will be required to track activities with bi-weekly status reports.
Green Dining Communications Intern
Description: A Sustainability Communications Intern is needed to help promote and educate the UMD community about UMD Dining Services’ sustainability efforts. Responsibilities include developing graphics, layouts, fliers, logos, brochures and content for Dining Services Green Dining website, Green Dining programs, and initiatives. The intern will also help launch and maintain Dining Services’ Green Dining social media presence. The intern will also help the Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator with general outreach at campus events and perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: The Sustainability Communications Intern must have strong writing skills as well as the ability to succinctly and clearly convey messages with a combination of graphic and written content. Experience with web content and social media is preferred. Photography skills preferred to help document events and projects. Familiarity with HTML, PHP, Dreamweaver, WordPress, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop is a bonus.
The intern will work a minimum of 10 hours per week (or as determined by their academic department) throughout the Fall semester. The intern will be required to track activities with bi-weekly status reports.
Green Dining Peer Education Intern
Description: A Peer Education Intern is needed to help educate the campus community about UMD Dining Services’ sustainability efforts and how students, staff and faculty can help do their part to reduce the University’s environmental footprint. The intern will work with Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator to create and implement a Green Dining Peer Educators Team. Responsibilities will include recruitment of the Green Dining Peer Educators Team, scheduling and tracking of activities, and management of the team’s activities. The intern will also help the Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator with general outreach at campus events and perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: The Peer Education Intern must have strong verbal communication skills and experience organizing and coordinating volunteers. The intern should be able to demonstrate knowledge about waste reduction, recycling, composting, conservation, and other cornerstones of sustainability programs. Experience as a peer educator is preferred. Photography skills preferred to help document events and projects.
The intern will work a minimum of 10 hours per week (or as determined by their academic department) throughout the Fall semester. The intern will be required to track activities with bi-weekly status reports.
Green Dining Program Support Intern: Rooftop Gardens
Descriptions: A Program Support Intern is needed to assist in the coordination of Dining Services’ support of the UMD Rooftop Gardens. The intern will work with Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator, Assistant Director for Facilities, and the Rooftop Garden Club to identify program priorities, timelines, and benchmarks. The intern will identify and apply for grants and other sources of funding to help support the Rooftop Garden Program. The intern will also help the Dining Services’ Sustainability Coordinator with general outreach at campus events and perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: The Program Support Intern for the Rooftop Gardens must have strong writing skills. The intern should be able to demonstrate knowledge about urban agriculture and environmentalism. Experience researching and applying for grant funding is strongly preferred. Experience with web content, social media, and photography is preferred to help document campus events and projects.
The intern will work a minimum of 10 hours per week (or as determined by their academic department) throughout the Fall semester. The intern will be required to track activities with bi-weekly status reports.
Other Information - All Internships
Prerequisites: Interns must be a current University of Maryland graduate or undergraduate student with at least sophomore standing. A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is recommended. Interns are expected to have a strong interest in sustainability, a professional work ethic, and a desire to make the campus more sustainable. In addition, interns must be disciplined and self-motivated as they will take the lead on their own projects. Students in all majors are encouraged to apply.
Internship Credit: Academic credit is available for internships. Students must talk with their academic advisor to see if internship credit is available through their academic department for this internship. If credit is not available through the student’s home department, internship credit may be available through other departments. Students must satisfy the specific internship requirements of the supporting academic department to earn credit, which typically involve 120 hours of work and a significant writing assignment, in addition to an Activities Log and a Letter of Evaluation from the on-site supervisor. Students are responsible for covering the tuition-related implications of accepting the internship. The Department of Dining Services will not pay for course credits.
To Apply: Please send a cover letter, resume (including two references), and two writing samples to alilly@umd.edu. The one-page cover letter should address the following questions: Why do you want to be a Dining Services Green Dining intern? What are your qualifications for the position? What specific ideas and goals do you bring to this position? What are your plans for after graduation? Please write "Dining Services Internship" in the subject of your email.
Applications are due Friday, August 31.