Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is the nation's leading advocate for trails and the only national organization devoted to converting unused railroad lines to multi-use trails. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is dedicated to connecting people and communities by creating a nationwide network of public trails. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., with regional offices in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts, RTC is a nonprofit public charity carrying out a program of technical assistance and public education.
Summary: RTC is looking for interns interested in working on environmental and public policy issues. Interns will provide assistance to the program, development, communications and the administrative department. Job assignments will consist of professional and administrative support. Interns will participate as full-time staff members including attending staff meetings, retreats and social gatherings. Hours are flexible to accommodate class schedule(s) or other commitments. Generally hours are four days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Internship Duties: The Program Department's Trail Development/Policy Team has one to two full or part-time internship positions available for the Fall/Spring/Summer semesters. Interns will be assisting staff members as follows:
- Trail Development, Manager, Trail Development and the Director of Trail Development with the creation and maintenance of technical assistance related documents, reports, and web content.
- Trail Development, Manager, Trail Development and the Director of Trail Development with the maintenance of RTC's trail database. Specific duties may include updating the database with rail-trail news and reviewing/updating trail and rail corridor information within the database.
- Assist the Manager, Trail Development with national trail-building projects. Specific duties may include GIS mapping of trail projects and project related research.
- And assist with trail related administrative duties as required. (Trails projects may check with each semester).
Qualifications: Qualified interns will be a senior in undergraduate or graduate programs seeking on-the-job experience, or professionals looking to hone their skill set. In all internships, excellent writing and communication skills are necessary. RTC operates off a Microsoft Office platform, and experience in Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook is expected. Applicants should be task-oriented, highly organized and possess a strong interest in environmental issues or related studies including trail development.
Benefits: Internships are unpaid, though interns will enjoy the benefits of working in downtown Washington, D.C., in the casual but professional RTC National Office. Easily accessible by metro's red, orange and blue lines, the office is located in the heart of the West End, nearly equidistant between the Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle stations. Nearby cultural attractions include the Smithsonian, historical monuments, and the trendy Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods.
