Intern (Environment and Public Policy (EPP) Section)

Jul 25, 2020 | Environment and Public Policy
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The Environment and Public Policy (EPP) Section of the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR), a professional organization dedicated to enhancing the practice and public understanding of conflict resolution, in partnership with the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, is seeking a fall intern. The purpose of the EPP Section is to support and enhance the field of alternative dispute resolution as a whole and to create opportunities to improve the skills of its members. Their cases range from small group to large multiparty cases, from site-specific to regulatory negotiations. The Meadows Center works to inspire research, innovation and leadership that ensures clean, abundant water for the environment and all humanity. We fulfill our mission by integrating activities across four pillars of action: Research, Leadership, Education, and Stewardship. As a leader in water and environmental management topics in Texas, the U.S. and internationally, we support responsible water and natural resource policy in Texas and convene stakeholders to address the grand challenges that we will face in the decades to come.

This is a paid or for-credit remote internship from September 1, 2020 to December 12, 2020 (with some flexibility in the dates). Applications will be accepted until August 15, 2020 or until the position is filled.

The EPP Section and Meadows Center are looking for current or recent graduate students with a strong interest in pursuing a career in environmental conflict resolution and public policy. The intern will mainly work on efforts relevant to the EPP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee and the Meadows Center, we also seek to offer opportunities to the intern to immerse themselves in the field of alternative conflict resolution, environment, and/or public policy.

Overview of Intern Responsibilities and Expectations:

The intern will work approximately 10 hours per week on ACR EPP activities and 10 hours per week on Meadows Center activities, for a total of 20 hours per week over a period of approximately 10 weeks. We acknowledge these hours will vary each week and will allow for a certain degree of flexibility. Some of the tasks required of the intern for the DE&I Committee include:

  • Research organizations and opportunities for dissemination of the Resource Handbook of Opportunities for Students and Early Career Practitioners of Color in the Field of Environmental Conflict Resolution.
  • Develop a series of creative communications materials (such as, podcasts, blogs, videos, infographics, etc.) on the experience of practitioners of color in the field.
  • Create an alumni network of EPP Diversity & Equity interns and scholarship recipients.
  • Develop a white paper on current status of diversity in the EPP field.
  • Support planning and facilitating a series of DE&I related webinars.
  • Other activities as needed to carry out the work of the D&E Committee.

Some of the task required of the intern for the Meadows Center may include:

  • Support facilitation of the Water Grand Challenges Working Group, an impressive group of policy makers, NGO executives, thought leaders and water advocates from across Texas.
  • Assist with the develop of the Meadows Center Advisory Board, utilizing process design skills and incorporating DE&I recommendations.
  • Assist in the development of an independent science process to advise the Meadows Center on initiatives for the Texas Hill Country.
  • Provide DE&I education opportunities to the Meadows Center and our partners.
  • Other activities as needed to carry out the work of the Meadows Center.

We are therefore looking for a graduate student who has an interest in pursuing a career in environmental conflict resolution. The ideal candidate would also have knowledge and experience in the following areas:

  • Environmental, natural resource and/or public policy issues
  • Experience working with diverse and historically underrepresented communities

Intern Qualifications

We expect the successful applicant to possess the following qualities, skills, and abilities:

  • Excels at communicating both in writing and verbally (virtually – e.g. on the phone, videoconference, etc. – and in-person).
  • Multitasks effectively and tracks diverse deadlines and projects.
  • Organizes work projects and completes tasks within assigned time frames.
  • Works effectively independently as well as within a team to achieve high quality outputs.
  • Establishes effective working relationships, particularly with diverse groups.
  • Possess attention to detail and high level of accuracy for deliverables.
  • Command of English language and grammar (full working proficiency).
  • Strong interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.
  • Robust written and oral communication skills and strong editing skills.
  • Competency in Microsoft Office, particularly Word.
  • Work or volunteer experience working with diverse and historically underrepresented communities and/or environmental, natural resource and/or public policy issues (preferred)

Credit and Stipend

If needed, the intern’s supervisors will work with the intern’s university to fill out any required forms and will evaluate the intern at the end of the semester. We will also work with each student’s school to ensure that a student has fulfilled the required hours for the internship.

There is a $3,000 stipend available for this internship. The final amount depends on available funds.

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and two references to Marielena Octavio at moctavio@merid.org. Please do not call staff or inquire about opportunities by phone.