Internship

American Rivers offers a three-month internship to college students and college graduates interested in environmental protection, conservation policy, citizen correspondence, legislative issues, development, public policy, fundraising, public relations or communications, and archives. We are seeking applicants with a commitment to the environment, who are energetic, creative, and enthusiastic about river conservation. We strive to give our interns an experience that will prepare them for employment in the environmental or non-profit field.

American Rivers is a national conservation organization, which, since 1973, has addressed river protection issues across the country. Our mission is to preserve and restore America's river systems and to foster a river stewardship ethic. Our policy work covers nationally significant rivers, hydropower policy reform, Wild and Scenic Rivers, and floodplain restoration.

Types of Internships
Communications Program
Internet Strategies
Conservation Program
Hydropower Program
Floodplain Program
Wild and Scenic Rivers Program
Development Program
Finance and Administration
Accounting
Archives
Legislative/Public Policy

• Communications Program: This program focuses on working to promote the protection of America's rivers through national and local media coverage. The media intern will work closely with the communications staff on the overall implementation of the media strategy. Specific duties will include: assisting with editing and proofreading press releases and media correspondence, helping to organize press conferences, monitoring the news, maintaining clipping files, managing the media database, developing educational and promotional materials, assisting with the production of American Rivers' publications, distributing press packets, and providing support for all phases of our communications program.

• Internet Strategies The communications department also offers an internship as a web assistant. The intern will assist the Director of Internet Strategies with daily maintenance of the American Rivers webpage (www.amrivers.org), including basic html coding, graphics design, content development, and brainstorming about new and innovative ways to use the internet to communicate American Rivers' message. This position is within the Communications department, therefore, additional duties will include researching/tracking daily river-related news stories and keeping staff and members aware of news across the nation.

• Conservation Program:
  This program allows interns to work with several members of the conservation staff in one or more of the following program areas. Various projects include: legislative research, grassroots organizing through contact with national environmental and river groups, responding to requests from river activists, researching American Rivers' issues in preparation of written materials, and various long-term projects.
  There are three specialized programs within the conservation department:
  + Wild and Scenic River Program Working to protect Wild and Scenic Rivers from inappropriate uses, seek new designations, and educate on the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and the benefits of designation.
  + Hydropower Program Working to protect and restore fish and wildlife as well as recreation opportunities at the hundreds of non-federal hydropower dams across the country presently being relicensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
  + Floodplain Program Working to change the way we approach flood control in the United States by reducing the channelization of rivers and construction of levees, reducing development in floodplains, and increasing nonstructural flood control alternatives. Working to change the way the Army Corps of Engineers manages the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.

• Development Program: Interns will work with development staff on the following projects: researching and organizing information regarding philanthropic foundations, using membership drives to assist in increasing the size, strength, and diversity of our funding base, coordinating mailings to donors, organizing and preparing for special events, and gaining experience in the foundation grant proposal process. The intern will be exposed to many techniques used for developing resources at a non-profit organization.

• Finance & Administration: The finance and administration department offers the following internships: Accounting This program will provide an intern with valuable financial experience in a non-profit setting. The intern will assist the Staff Accountant with various duties that are carried out to maintain the organization's financial records and execute daily accounting tasks.

• Archives: The intern will assist with the donation of our archival records and related materials to the Denver Public Library Conservation Collection. Duties include: gathering documents, publications, and other materials; review materials with assigned staff for appropriateness for donation; cataloging the materials, and preparing them for delivery to the Denver Public Library.

• Legislative/Public Policy: Work directly with our Associate Director of Public Policy to develop resource conservation legislation, craft strategies for working with Congress and the Administration to protect rivers and to educate key members of Congress and their staffs. This internship will give you the opportunity to research specific river conservation issues and legislation, help develop strategies for protecting and restoring rivers, write position papers and create briefing materials to be used on Capitol Hill Each intern will have the opportunity to interact with staff members involved with conservation policy and legislative work, and to learn about these areas.

This program provides an excellent opportunity for interns to gain direct experience with the workings of a national nonprofit environmental organization, develop expertise in the area of river conservation, and gain valuable office skills and experience. The open environment at American Rivers will insure that interns have an opportunity to interact with other staff members at all levels. Our office is a hard-working yet friendly place. Interns will also find excellent opportunities for networking within the environmental community at large.