Washington Trails Association
Position Available: Communications intern
Salary Range: $15.00/hour
Priority Application Date: May 20th, 2019
Washington is home to extraordinary hiking destinations, including desert dunes, wild beaches, tranquil mountain tops and raging rivers. Washington is also home to a community of people who are passionate about exploring and protecting these places. This constituency—our members and supporters—is key to the future of trails in Washington.
Washington Trails Association (WTA) is the nation’s largest state-based hiking and trail maintenance organization, with 15,000-member households, an online community of more than 100,000, and strong public and private partnerships. Every day, we engage our community as public lands advocates, as trail stewards, and as on-the-ground experts sharing knowledge with fellow hikers. Each year, our volunteers contribute more than 160,000 hours to improve hundreds of trails around Washington.
To better tell the story of trails in Washington, WTA is seeking a communications intern who will assist staff in writing and collecting diverse stories for WTA’s print and digital channels. The position’s primary responsibility is to help write news and stories for WTA about the varied members of the trail community and issues related to trails in the state. The Washington Trails magazine editor will supervise and support the intern.
This internship is a great opportunity to learn more about nonprofit organizations, communications and hiking in Washington. The work will help you strengthen your skills for telling compelling stories in digital and print formats. Our aim is to provide an environment for you to grow and feel accomplished.
You’ll come away with a good understanding of how nonprofits use various media channels to engage with their audiences. You’ll see how production of a magazine happens, start to finish. You’ll learn the importance of fact-checking and the structure of a good feature story. You will learn content strategy and practice speaking and writing using the voice of an organization. WTA seeks a strong writer who is proactive, solutions- oriented candidates who have a flexible, self-motivated work style.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Written communications
This internship will encompass a mix of writing assignments for WTA’s print and digital platforms. We’ll strive for a balance between projects of most interest to the intern and those with pressing deadlines.
∙Profiles: Interview personalities involved with trails, such as leaders of hiking groups, park and forest managers, wilderness first responders or first-generation hikers.
∙Write weekly update of news relevant to hikers.
∙Hike research and fact checking: Research the details for the trails and trips in stories.
∙Reporting for web and/or magazine. Research and write brief news articles, assist with researching and compiling news reports for magazine and website.
∙Research/write longer form articles: Write a 1,000-word feature article on a hiking or public-landsrelated topic. Articles may be featured in Washington Trails magazine or on the website. The intern may also write web features that supplement and correspond to magazine articles.
In person communications
Part of this internship will be spent helping hikers to better understand their connection to public lands — and how they can help protect the places they love. This includes representing WTA at environmental fairs, local events and trail work parties.
∙Talk with members of the public about hiking and opportunities to engage with WTA at local festivals and events, including making presentations at local outdoor clubs.
∙Identify and develop handouts and other outreach and event materials as needed.
∙Assist in coordinating volunteers to assist with outreach.
∙Assist in event promotional activities including creating invitations, submitting events to local newspapers and social-media marketing.
∙Help manage event registrations and newsletter signups by working in WTA’s Salesforce database.
Photography and image cataloging
∙Help maintain the cataloging system for incoming photos from various sources.
∙Take photos and edit images on a variety of topics. Learn what makes a compelling visual story in relation to WTA’s work. Assist on video shoots as necessary.
SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND PERSONAL TRAITS PREFERRED
∙At least one year of writing experience
∙Positive attitude and the ability to carry yourself in a professional manner
∙Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite and Photoshop helpful. Salesforce a plus.
∙Ability to work independently and contribute to a team effort
∙Demonstrated ability to work with people of diverse races, ages, genders, abilities and economic backgrounds
∙Ability to work occasional evening and weekend events
∙A strong commitment to WTA’s mission and values
SCHEDULE & COMPENSATION
The communications intern is a temporary position starting in June and continuing through September 2018. This timing is flexible. The expected schedule is 3-4 days and 20 hours each week, during the day Monday to Friday. The majority of the work will take place in the WTA office in Seattle, but some hours may be spent at events in Seattle and surrounding areas, including occasional evening or weekend work. Days and specific hours of work can be flexible. This is a paid internship position at $15.00 per hour. WTA provides the Intern with an ORCA card to support travel during the internship.
DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION
WTA is committed to advancing equity through our work and to becoming a more inclusive organization. People of color and others with underrepresented identities (including but not limited to: gender identity, class, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, age, ability, and background) are strongly encouraged to apply.
TO APPLY
Please apply online at www.wta.org/jobs. This position is open until filled, with priority given to applications received by May 20th, 2019. You must submit a resume and a brief cover letter describing your experience and qualifications that translate to the requirements of the role. In addition, please include a writing sample that you are most proud of and represents you as a writer to your cover letter. If you have any questions, please contact jobs@wta.org.
WTA does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of age, color, gender identity, marital status, military status, national origin, political ideology, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.