SECU Public Fellows Internship - Forest Keeper
The State Employees Credit Union Public Fellows Internship program offers current UNC Asheville students internships with high quality nonprofit and government organizations focused on improving life in rural North Carolina for a diverse array of residents. SECU Public Fellows interns will work full-time (38-40 hours per week) from June 6th to August 1, 2022 at their internship site while being paid $15.50/hour by UNC Asheville (up to $4,960 per internship), funded by a grant from the SECU Foundation.
If offered a SECU Public Fellows Internship from a SECU site, students must enroll in IST 325 for the summer, a remote 3-credit hour course that will provide professional development for students to make the most of their internship experience.
To be eligible for the SECU Public Fellows Internship at UNC Asheville, students must:
- be residents of North Carolina
- be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at UNC Asheville
- submit a resume to include leadership and volunteer service
- submit a cover letter to include career goals and explain how they are uniquely qualified for the SECU Public Fellows Internship program.
Students who intend to remain in North Carolina after graduation and serve North Carolinians through government or nonprofit work are strongly preferred. We are seeking students who demonstrate leadership ability, a commitment to volunteer service, a commitment to serving rural North Carolina as the start to their careers, with strong writing ability.
The due date for the SECU Public Fellows Internship application is March 7th. Those who meet the criteria listed above will be forwarded to ABCCM for an interview for the specific internship listed below. The site will determine their preferred candidate.
Forest Keeper
I Heart Pisgah/I heart Craggy Campaigns
The Forest Keeper intern will help lead the I HEART PISGAH campaign to protect the 36 most important conservation and recreation areas in the 1.1-million-acre Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest. The Pisgah-Nantahala National Forest is the second-most-visited national forest in the country. Nearly 7 million people visited the forest last year, and most of them came to hike, camp, and enjoy its scenic wonders. The U.S. Forest Service is finalizing a 30-year forest management plan for the Pisgah-Nantahala this year, and over 92 percent of the 22,000 public comments on the plan support protected areas in Pisgah. The internship is remote.
Regular daily duties will include:
· Reaching out via phone and email to businesses and organizations across the region to build support for more protected areas in the Pisgah National Forest. We currently have over 120 businesses and organizations in the I HEART PISGAH coalition. Joining the coalition is free, and it is helping to build a diverse, widely supported alliance of organizations, businesses, and individuals who support strong, lasting protections for Pisgah.
· Social media posts: The intern will provide regular social media posts about forest-related and community news and updates.
· Content creation: The intern will create video and photo content for social media with the help of Forest Keeper staff.
· Trailhead outreach: The intern will collect signatures for petitions at local forest trailheads. The petitions will be submitted to the Forest Service and political leaders.
· Help organize events: Public meetings and events in rural communities will be scheduled to provide accessible information about forest planning and how the public can get involved.
· Media outreach: the intern will help write and distribute op-eds and letters to the editors to local, regional, and national publications.
· Grant writing: the intern will help write grants to support the Craggy National Scenic Area.
Intern Project: Help Create the Craggy National Scenic Area
The intern will help lead a grassroots effort to generate broad public support for a 16,000-acre Craggy Wilderness and National Scenic Area in rural North Carolina. The Craggy National Scenic Area will attract tourism, jobs, and revenue to underserved rural areas in western North Carolina. It will also attract more federal funds for trails, trout streams, and recreational opportunities in the area.
The Craggy Mountain Wilderness and National Scenic Area will permanently protect the panoramic viewsheds from Craggy Gardens, the most popular and most photographed spot along the entire Blue Ridge Parkway. It also will protect one of the largest old-growth forests in the East, home to over 44 rare and endangered species. Its pristine headwaters are home to native trout and part of the protected watershed of the Ivy River, an important tributary of the French Broad and the drinking water source for the city of Weaverville and Mars Hill. Rural communities surrounding the national scenic area will benefit from the jobs, revenue, and economic opportunities that a national scenic area will bring.
The intern will write grants with the help of the executive director to support the Craggy National Scenic Area. The intern will also help plan public events, including a hike series in the proposed Craggy National Scenic Area. The intern can also plan trailhead petition drives, photo contests, and social media initiatives to build support for creating the Craggy National Scenic Area.
The intern will also attend political meetings, prepare slideshow presentations, and gain rare and unique insights into the political process and participate in meetings with key regional politicians and Congressional leaders who may sponsor or endorse a Craggy National Scenic area bill.