Living Democracy, Feeding Hope
JOIN OUR TEAM
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR TALENTED INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS TO JOIN OUR TEAM.
OUR CURRENT OPENINGS ARE LISTED BELOW.
BECOME A DEMOCRACY INTERN
THE SMALL PLANET INSTITUTE is currently seeking energetic and motivated interns to join our dynamic team. This is a unique opportunity to work directly with Frances Moore Lappé, author of 20 books, including best-selling Diet for a Small Planet, in a small organization doing groundbreaking work to inspire and empower passionate action for democracy system and environmental policy reforms in the United States.
"Working one-on-one with Frances has made me hopeful and empowered about the future of our democracy."
—Jessica S.
"At SPI I truly feel I am a part of a team that is working to make a difference in the world!"
—Jana B.
INTERN OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW
We currently have one opening for a Democracy Intern for our Spring 2023 season! APPLY now by emailing your resume and cover letter to info@smallplanet.org by FEBRUARY 6 to be considered!
We are looking to fill 2-3 volunteer positions for Summer 2023. Our paid Social Media Manager internship will be will filled by a carryover intern who extended from the previous season. The remaining volunteer interns will be working to support Small Planet Institute with research, writing, operations, and outreach.
It will be a thrilling time at Small Planet. We will be working on promoting and curating a critical website www.DemocracyMovement.US. We also will continue to support Frances’ writing of articles and possible book chapters, about the connections between the climate crisis movement and its roots in economic and political democracy. In addition, we will continue to share our message of Living Democracy via social media, academic outreach & Frances’ public speaking.
TIME COMMITMENT
Scheduling is flexible—we're willing to work around school schedules, vacations, and other commitments. We ask for a minimum commitment of 12-16 set hours per week. Applications are being accepted for Summer 2023 seasons and are considered on a rolling basis year-round. All are encouraged to apply whether student or not.
INTERNSHIP LOCATION
We hope to host in-person interns for our Summer 2023 season. This will be dependent on the health situation then. That being said, the fall selection decisions will give preference to applicants who are available to work in-person in our Cambridge office for your weekly hours. Small Planet Institute is conveniently located near the Harvard T and our office is informal and cheery.
QUALIFICATIONS
A passion for social democratic movements and the mission of the Small Planet Institute is required. The ideal candidates have excellent verbal and written communication skills. Superb research and social media content creation are needed, and a familiarity with Trello, Canva, Zotero, and/or WordPress and Wix are a plus. They are equally comfortable with teamwork and individual work. They excel even with minimal direction and supervision and are able to follow directions when given. Our interns contribute substantially to the programming of Small Planet. All majors are encouraged to apply, and all are encouraged to apply whether student or not.
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The percentage of time you might spend on each work area below will vary depending on whether or not Frances has a book deadline. Work area opportunities may include:
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Creating and posting social media and web content;
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Research and fact-checking assistance for articles, blogs, fact sheets, and other publications;
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Copy-editing print and web pieces for publication;
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Supporting academic and book outreach campaigns;
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Promotion and curation of new website DemocracyMovement.US;
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General office support.
BENEFITS
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Paid internship positions are $15/hour for 16 maximum hours/week. (NOTE: Selection preference is given for these paid positions to carryover SPI interns who extended from the previous season.)
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Academic credit available if your college requirements are met.
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Receiving a letter of recommendation from a highly recognized name in the democracy and food movement world;
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An in-office supply of fresh, healthy snacks (once office is open again);
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Occasional team outings and pie;
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Exposure to and connection with many organizations doing incredible work, currently particularly focused on food, climate, and democratic movements;
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And, of course, the chance to work one-on-one with Frances!
HOW TO APPLY
Email your resume and cover letter including your dates of availability to info@smallplanet.org. Applications are accepted and considered on a rolling basis.
ADDRESS
Small Planet Institute
12 Eliot Street (2nd floor upstairs)
Cambridge, MA 02138
VOLUNTEER
Thank you for your interest in Small Planet Institute! Our volunteer needs are primarily for researchers, therefore our need for volunteers is periodic depending on Frances' writing projects. We appreciate your willingness to donate your time and we hope to have the opportunity to work with you. Please note that our volunteer program can be remote, but we do we ask volunteers to work a minimum of 5 hours per week Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm for at least 3 months. If you are interested and available, please email info@smallplanet.org to inquire if we have any current openings.
If you are interested in volunteering to address the climate crisis you might consider the Environmental Voter Project or Mothers out Front.
If you are interested in volunteering to address the US democracy crisis, you can find organizations working in your state by visiting www.DemocracyMovement.US.
