Animal Care Internship
Reports to: Environmental Exhibit Specialist/Director of Animal Care and Facilities
Compensation: College Credit (This is an unpaid internship)
Description: This internship is specifically for students who wish to earn academic credit from their college/institution for their time at ECHO. Animal Care Academic Interns assist and support staff in a professional, state of the art animal care environment, as is provided in
Association of Zoo and Aquarium accredited institutions throughout the US, for native fish and reptiles, as well as native and exotic amphibians. After initial hands-on training, Interns will be required to accomplish husbandry tasks independently and must complete assigned individual project work. Responsibilities include but not limited to: feeding animals, cleaning animal enclosures, medicating animals, creating and installing naturalistic habitats, animal handling, animal collecting, record keeping, researching natural history and captive husbandry.
Animal Care Academic Interns arrange for internship credit with their college/institution. Any requirements (paperwork, contracts) must be presented before start of internship to ensure Intern and ECHO staff can and will meet all requirements.
Qualifications: Three months prior experience as volunteer or intern in professional animal care facility. Applicants should be enthusiastic, detail-oriented, reliable, and willing to get wet and/or dirty! Occasional heavy lifting (up to 60 pounds) may be required. Majors in animal science, wildlife biology, pre-vet, aquaculture, environmental science, or related fields preferred. Desire to continue learning about the sustainability challenges facing the Lake Champlain Basin and the way individual actions can affect change.
Time Commitment: Internships require a full semester or summer commitment. Fall (September-December) Spring (January-April) Summer (May-August). Fifteen week commitment with a minimum of 12-15 hours a week.
Guest Services & Events Internship
Reports to: Director of Guest Service/Event Managers
Compensation: College Credit
Description: Guest Service/Event Interns will assist at our front desk, in our gift shop and help with some events at ECHO. Interns will get a complete understanding of our front of the house operations including daily admission sales, gift shop sales and merchandise, group check in and event management. Interns will be able to develop customer service and hospitality skills, work with point of sale computer programs, and assist with event execution.
Qualifications: We are seeking a person with good written and verbal communications skills, a customer service background, a pleasant telephone manner, a bubbly personality and a flexible schedule. Computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with using database applications are desired. Hours vary and some evening work is necessary. Some heavy lifting may be required. Interns seeking careers in hospitality, customer service, or non-profit-specific positions will find the most direct benefit from this Internship.
Time Commitment: Internships are a semester commitment. Fall (September-December) Spring (January-April) Summer (May-August) Fifteen week commitment with a minimum of 15-20 hours a week. Must be able to work weekends and some evenings.
Development Internship
Reports to: Development & Communications Staff
Compensation: College Credit
Description:ECHO’s Development Internship offers a challenging and highly rewarding experience for anyone considering a career in communications, fundraising or non-profit management. Interns work with ECHO’s development staff to broaden community understanding of ECHO’s charitable mission, particularly via non-traditional and multi-media platforms; evaluate and build understanding of ECHO’s Open Door community access program; and provide outreach support to ECHO’s donor and member constituents.
Responsibilities may include:
- Assist with creating outreach material to existing donors/members.
- Support mission marketing and fundraising efforts via direct mail and e-mail.
- Work with Open Door program partners to increase availability to underserved communities.
- Assist with the planning and execution of recognition and fundraising events.
- Support community outreach efforts including in-kind giving program.
- Support departmental record keeping and database management.
- Additional duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- Strong communication skills
- Experience with or desire to learn about non-profit business
- Experience with or desire to learn interactive/social web platforms and databases
- Ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative information to draw informed conclusions
- Desire to continue learning about the sustainability challenges facing the Lake Champlain Basin and the way individual actions can affect change
Time commitment: Internships are a semester commitment: Fall (September-December), Spring (January-April) or Summer (May-August). Fifteen week commitment with a minimum of 12-15 hours a week. You must be available to work occasional weekend and/or evening shifts.
Design & Communications Internship
Reports to: Brand Curator & Multimedia Designer
Compensation: College Credit
Description: ECHO’s communications & design intern will help tell the story of this incredible non-profit science center dedicated to the ecology, culture, history, and opportunity for stewardship in the Lake Champlain Basin. With a growing social media audience and endless ways to communicate, the role is exciting and allows students to enhance the skills they have and create a portfolio to get the job they want.
Responsibilities may include:
- Assisting Brand Curator/Designer with design projects such as marketing materials, flyers, advertisements, social media graphics, logos, exhibit signage within ECHO brand standards
- Representing ECHO’s brand by creating unique, thoughtful content using various media such as photography, videography, writing
- Sharing with social media followers up-to-date information and engaging content
- Analyzing social media performance and finding new creative ways to take the brand forward
- Planning and documenting ECHO events (some nights and weekends may be required)
Essential skills:
- Design & Typography classes/skills
- Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign(Knowledge of Premiere & editing skills a plus)
- Photography
- Writing
- Videography
- Understanding of social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc)
- Using PC computer
- A passion for museums, science education, early childhood learning, animals, and the environment and a desire to manage the brand
Time Commitment: Internships are a semester commitment. Fall (September-December) Spring (January-April) Summer (May-August). Fifteen week commitment with a minimum of 12-15 hours a week - some weekends required.
Clean Water Communications Internship
Reports to: Voices for the Lake Project Manager
Compensation: $11/hr
Description: We are looking for an enthusiastic individual to help propel a culture of clean water by cultivating and supporting the Vermont Clean Water Network - a growing network of 65+ organization network dedicated to creating a culture of clean water.
Responsibilities may include:
- Coordinate Network meetings
- Manage network online communication, including Wix website, social media and Google Groups
- Identify and plan shared learning opportunities, such as webinars
Qualifications:
- Ability to analyze and solve problems
- Ability to create, compose, and edit written materials
- Ability to understand and follow specific instructions and procedures
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
- Word processing and data entry skills
- Proven ability to multitask and prioritize workload independently in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstration of attention to detail and task oriented
- Confidence to interact with conference attendees, presenters, vendors, external clients and all levels of management
- Interest and understanding of ECHO’s stewardship mission
Time commitment: Fifteen week commitment of 10 hours a week from September 1 - December 1 during the Fall of 2017. Occasional weekend & evening shifts may be required.