Community Engagement Intern

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTERN

Boston Harbor Now envisions a vibrant, welcoming, and resilient Boston Harbor, Waterfront, and Islands for the benefit of everyone. Our mission is to ensure that these unique regional resources are accessible, inclusive, and properly adapted to the risks of climate change. This is an exciting opportunity to join a diverse team of talented individuals who work closely with public agencies, communities, and private and non-profit partners.

As a member of the program team, the COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT INTERN will assist with recreational programs, community engagement and special events at Moakley Park and the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park and on the Boston Harborwalk.

Organizational Overview

Boston Harbor Now believes that these blue and green spaces contribute to our individual and community, environmental, and economic health and well-being

BHN focuses on Coastal Resilience, Access, and Equity. BHN works with public and private partners to increase people’s awareness of and access to parks and public spaces on Boston Harbor through programming, communications, and engagement. The organization serves as the legislated non-profit partner of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park and the city's partner for the Boston Harborwalk and Moakley Park.

Current priority projects include the Stone Living Lab, focused on finding nature-based approaches to sea-level rise, and Harborwalk 2.0, a framework for improving waterfront development on Boston Harbor as well as imagining a bolder vision for the waterfront and islands. Harborwalk 2.0 goes beyond existing regulations in anticipation of building a more equitably and accessible waterfront that is prepared for the coastal impacts of climate change. Finally, BHN is focused on improving Community Engagement at Moakley Park and projects around Boston Harbor to create a more resilient, welcoming and inclusive Harbor.

For more information about Boston Harbor Now, please visit: www.bostonharbornow.org

About the Position

This summer, Boston Harbor Now seeks a motivated and energetic intern to assist with recreational programs, community engagement, and special events at Moakley Park, the Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, and on the Boston Harborwalk, including volunteer cleanups, live concerts, and after hours events and cruises! Taking direction from the Community Engagement Manager, this intern will help plan and facilitate a series of weekly programming at Moakley Park and Carson Beach, as well as staff a series of community cruises. The intern will also assist in additional projects and meetings with community partners. This is a hybrid role that focuses mostly on outdoor events but also includes a weekly in-person day at South Boston En Accion and occasional days at the BHN office in Charlestown.

Responsibilities

• Working outdoors at Moakley Park, Carson Beach and occasionally on the Islands with a diverse audience of families and community groups visiting the park
  • Welcoming people
  • Encouraging belonging and place-making
  • Conducting work with professionalism and compassion for everyone encountered
• Helping facilitate and staff Southie Summer Nights (7/16, 7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, 8/20) and the Community Cruise program (6/24, 7/15, 7/22, 7/31, 8/7, 8/14, 8/17, 8/21)
• Leading games, arts and crafts, and other play activities for children and families
• Ability to articulate Boston Harbor Now’s mission and primary partnerships during interactions with vendors, partner staff, and the public
• Other duties in the office and in the park as needed, such as:
  • Supporting the improvement of program or event management tools
  • Supporting programs with a focus on data collection and analysis
  • Supporting partners and providing customer service by connecting via email and phone
  • Assisting in administrative duties as needed

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience and willingness to learn Google Suite (including Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Drive, and Calendar) for appointment managing, document sharing, and digital collaboration
• Problem-solving skills and ability to present possible solutions to supervisor
• Credentials and both formal and informal experience will be considered
• Is comfortable lifting equipment (up to 30 pounds) and is willing to work outdoors in various weather conditions, including heat and rain

The ideal candidate:

• Enjoys interacting with members of the public
• Is organized and on time consistently
• Is good at taking direction and asking follow-up questions
• Is a proactive problem solver and takes initiative to come up with solutions
• Has a demonstrated interest in public parks and/or community programming and events
• Has experience working with children and families and other groups, particularly in an event setting
• Is comfortable making telephone phone calls and talking with vendors, external partners, and community members
• Preferably, speaks Spanish, Portuguese or Mandarin
• Believes in the mission of Boston Harbor Now

Research has shown that people of color and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every one of the qualifications described in a job description. At Boston Harbor Now, we recognize that experience can be gained in various ways: lived, professional, volunteer, and other experiences. We encourage Black, Indigenous, people of color, people with disabilities, women, and people with non-dominant gender identities to consider what they can contribute to Boston Harbor Now and to apply.

Hours

Part-time intern position from June through August (13 weeks). The work schedule is typically Tuesday through Saturday (some Sundays) and will include 1 to 2 evening shifts (1pm – 9pm) a week.

Benefits and Salary

Hourly, non-exempt employee; $18/hour working an average of 20 hours/week for 13 weeks

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Boston Harbor Now is an intentionally diverse workplace. We are intentional about hiring, developing, and retaining diverse people at all levels. We don’t just accept differences - we celebrate them, we value them, we promote them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our employees, volunteers, supporters, partners, and community. We recognize that people bring their personal histories to work and that we make better decisions when we include a wide range of experiences and opinions. Diversity refers not only to race and gender but also to an array of human differences including: culture, ethnicity, geography, socio-economic position, ability, sexual orientation, background, perspective, and more that exist in the community and are reflected in the workforce. We value using an equity lens to manage the organization and create spaces for conversations on equity and belonging, and ongoing staff and board engagement and empowerment to redesign policies, practices, services and programs. Boston Harbor Now strongly believes that diversity plays an essential role in our mission, fostering innovation and creativity, attracting the best candidates to our team, and enhancing our ability to serve.

We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and either a cover letter or a 90-second audio recording describing your interest in the position to employment@bostonharbornow.org for consideration. Please use the Subject line “ENGAGEMENT INTERN Application (your last name)” in your email.