SoULInc - Stewards of Our Urban Lakes – Restoration Communications Intern

Employer

University of South Florida (USF) - Mellon Humanities Internship Program

Mellon Humanities Internship Program
Title: SoULInc - Stewards of Our Urban Lakes – Restoration Communications Intern
Internship Site: St. Petersburg, FL 
Field: Environmental Sciences
Total Internship Hours: 50
Location: Hybrid – St. Petersburg, FL 

If an internship requires out of pocket costs, students may apply for reimbursement for expenses including background checks, qualifying travel, or equipment. All applications will be reviewed and processed for eligibility. Please contact your departments internship coordinator for more details.

The $1000 scholarship offered for this position is intended to provide financial assistance for the pursuit of your education; it is not compensation for the performance of any services and does not create an employment relationship between the you and the Site.

This position is an experiential learning opportunity and receipt of the scholarship is tied to an academic course (IDS 3947). If you do not complete your registration for the course in a timely manner, your internship offer may be withdrawn, and your department’s Internship Coordinator may notify the host organization that the position has reopened.

Job Description:                                                                                                      

Responsibilities:

Stewards of Our Urban Lakes (SoUL) is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to apply our ecological expertise to improve the environment of urban lakes in St. Petersburg. SoUL is led by skilled, retired ecologists and the board of directors is staffed with specialists ranging from finance to information technology to construction. SoUL accomplishes debris removal, native plant removal, water quality improvement, and native species restoration at ten lakes in St. Pete. While this work is enabled by a growing community of members and interested volunteers, we want to improve the educational component of our outreach significantly.

You will:

Lead outreach initiatives: Take ownership of developing, creating, and implementing digital content to inform the public about our restoration activities.

Develop compelling narratives: Translate technical restoration work into engaging and accessible stories, focusing on the "why" and the positive impact of our projects.

Collaborate with leadership: Work directly with the company president, vice president, and board members to ensure all communication aligns with strategic goals and messaging.

Gain hands-on experience: Participate in field restoration activities as needed to better understand our work and create more authentic content.

Benefit from mentorship: Receive direct guidance and professional development from senior leadership and board members with diverse expertise.

Qualifications:

• Experience and strong interest in creating and posting innovative social media content (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, websites). 
• An interest in environmental restoration would be beneficial but not a key requirement. 
• Willingness to work with a team is important. 
• Technical skills desired include knowledge or experience with developing content and graphic design on Canva, Constant Contact, or other media platforms. 
• Experience with website design using Squarespace or Wix would be helpful but not required.