Thank you for your interest in an internship with the City of Hartford’s Office of Sustainability! The Office of Sustainability is in the Office of Mayor Luke Bronin; our team works closely with City staff and partnering organizations such as Keney Park Sustainability Project and KNOX, just to name a few. Our team is excited to implement projects framed by the Climate Action Plan, which was drafted by the Climate Stewardship Council in partnership with the Sustainability Office, approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission in September 2017, and adopted by the City Council in January 2018.
Presently, an update to the aforementioned Climate Action Plan is underway and, our Office is ramping up community engagement efforts. As a result, this internship will feature in-depth outreach and communications work requiring field visits, meetings with resident groups, and an active social media and blogging presence. Additionally, we are working to maintain the City’s Silver level Sustainable CT certification and ACEEE ranking, and will heavily focus on the collection of information for submission of these applications.
INTERN RESPONSIBILITIES: As an intern for the Office of Sustainability, you will learn about – and have an opportunity to engage in – a broad range of issues related to community development, urban planning, and sustainability. You will be working directly with the City’s Sustainability Office, including the Director of Sustainability and Sustainability Assistant, as well as members within other City departments.
Among other related activities, you will attend meetings with decision makers in Hartford. You will be expected to collaborate across departments around new initiatives and apply to grants and assistance programs, and you will gain experience in project management. This internship requires strong skills in writing, research, organization and time management. This internship is a great opportunity for someone who is flexible and hard-working, is a good problem solver, can work well with others, and is committed to community development and sustainability in Hartford.
An intern’s most likely allocation of time is: research – 25%; writing – 40%; field visits – 15%; community engagement – 15%; clerical – 5%. However, this allocation will be adjusted depending on the intern’s skills, expertise, and goals for the internship.
Sample issues past interns and volunteers have worked on include:
· Researching information to support all six areas of the draft Climate Action Plan
· Coordinating and submitting a successful Sustainable CT and ACEEE applications
· Drafting an ordinances and resolutions to support sustainability initiatives
· Working with the City Forester to create maps showing where public trees can be planted
· Developing an interactive map highlighting sites of recent climate initiatives
· Designing and developing workforce development initiatives
· Reviewing best practices for community outreach strategies in other cities
· Handling social media, including drafting blog entries for the website, Facebook, and Twitter posts
· Collaborating with various parties on grant applications
· Making public presentations at conferences
· Taking meeting minutes of Sustainability Working Group meetings
· Surveying stakeholders in other cities and towns which have participated in sustainable materials management pilots
· Planning public events (e.g., Earth Day)
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Interns should have a particular interest in sustainability, urban studies, data analysis, graphic design, GIS, planning, law, architecture, engineering, business, economic development, environmental science, LEAN processes, or environmental policy. High school and undergraduates in their freshmen/sophomore years with strong academic backgrounds may also be eligible for shorter or less intensive internships focused on discrete projects, when co-supervised by a faculty member or externship supervisor at the student’s home institution.
PHYSICAL LOCATION OF INTERNSHIP: The location of the internship is at the City Hall building, 550 Main Street in Hartford, CT.
APPLICATION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED: A resume and cover letter (providing proposed dates and hours of availability), writing sample, and current copy of transcripts is required. A transcript and writing sample may also be requested. Please send this information or any questions to Cecelia.Drayton@Hartford.gov.
MINIMUM HOURS PER WEEK: It is important that interns are able to devote sufficient time to the internship that it is useful both for them and for the Office of Sustainability. During the spring, fall, and winter semesters, we expect an average of 10-12 hours/week. During the summer, we expect an average of 35 hours per week, but are flexible to accommodate an individual on a case by case basis throughout the year.
AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: The City of Hartford is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, veterans and persons with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be made in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
