Posted: April 25, 2025

Summer Internship Opening via iSEE

Prairie Rivers Network seeks a self-motivated individual that is passionate about the environment and people to serve as a summer intern for Prairie Rivers Network.

About Prairie Rivers Network

At Prairie Rivers Network (PRN) we protect water, heal land, and inspire change. Using the creative power of science, law, and collective action, we protect and restore our rivers, return healthy soils and diverse wildlife to our lands, and transform how we care for the earth and for each other. Our programs confront many of the root causes of environmental degradation in Illinois while addressing the sources and impacts of climate change and advancing just and equitable solutions.

The Opportunity

This is a short-term, paid internship provided by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) at UIUC and hosted at Prairie Rivers Network in Champaign, IL. It is understood that this summer intern position is for approximately 30-40 hours a week for 8-10 weeks with hours to be determined in consultation with PRN staff and to be performed at the PRN office in Champaign under the supervision of PRN staff. This internship will be paid $6,000, in two installments, through iSEE.

This internship will provide you an inside look at one of the most effective environmental organizations in the state. Your time at PRN will provide the opportunity to support program work across the organization, with a particular focus on supporting PRN’s expanding communications and outreach efforts. Bring your skills and we’ll help you grow them.

Potential Tasks

• Create educational and outreach materials for the public, community leaders, and decision-makers about clean water, agricultural pollution, ecosystem health, and climate solutions.
• Represent PRN at Urbana’s farmer’s market and other community opportunities through tabling, etc.
• GIS to support program staff develop and visualize impacted landscapes across Illinois, story-mapping and creation of other visual materials.
• Content creation to reach and engage younger audiences
• Other tasks as assigned

Skill Requirements

Basic skills

• Great team player with excellent communications skills
• Meet deadlines as assigned and accepts responsibility to carry out assigned tasks
• Has basic knowledge of how to operate Google docs and sheets
• Conscientiousness to attendance and punctuality
• Can effectively manage workload and self-administrative tasks
• An understanding and respect for advancing equity, justice and diversity

Preferred Skills

• Basic knowledge of GIS and/or story-mapping

Self-Management

• Perform effectively in environments with frequent workload changes and competing demands.
• Ask appropriate questions of supervisors to supplement onboarding
• Set priorities that accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities and complete work in a timely manner
• Work independently and follow through on assignments with minimal direction

Communication

• Support the needs of the communications team through attending weekly meetings and following through on tasks assigned.
• Return communications on all platforms in a timely manner
• Write concise, logical, grammatically correct routine business correspondence
• Speak on a one-to-one basis using appropriate vocabulary and grammar to obtain information and explain policies, procedures, etc
• Speak with persons of various social, cultural, economic and educational backgrounds.
• Discuss job-related topics on short or no notice to a large variety of audiences while handling rapid changes or difficult questions in conversation
• Listen perceptively and convey awareness

Collaboration

• Work as part of a team and collaborate with colleagues
• Establish work relationships with co-workers, community council and affiliate members, and other stakeholders

To Apply

We want to get to know you. We value great writers with creativity and inspiration. Tell us why you really want to join our team.

Interested candidates should email their cover letter and resume to: jobs@prairierivers.org.

Subject line of your email should be “Summer Intern Application” and attach your cover letter and resume with the file name consisting of “Last name, First name Resume/Cover Letter.”

Please: no phone calls, drop-ins, or paper applications.

Hiring Process

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. We will acknowledge, by e-mail, receipt of each application.

Prairie Rivers Network is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice in all aspects of our work and organization. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job, therefore our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules. Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.

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