Design and Policy Internship Opportunities

We're looking for a few good interns - see the add below:
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The Participatory Budgeting Project, Inc. (PBP), a non-profit organization based in New York City, is seeking part-time interns for the fall of 2012. Our mission is to empower community members to make informed, democratic, and fair decisions about public spending and revenue. We work with elected officials, government agencies, and community groups in the US and Canada to set up participatory budgeting processes that give local people real power over taxpayer money. Through our work in cities such as New York, Chicago, and Toronto, we have engaged 10,000 people and 500 organizations in deciding how to spend $10 million.

We seek to fill two internship positions: one on design and communication, and one on policy. The internships are ideal for talented individuals eager to further their skills to engage people in their communities and government. The internships are also ideal for people interested in exploring the potential of participatory democracy up close, by being part of a novel initiative.

The two interns will work out of our New York office for at least 15 hours per week, starting in September and ending in December. The design intern will work closely with other staff to develop materials and media that make complex policy issues accessible to diverse audiences. The policy intern will work closely with other staff support project implementation and research.

Responsibilities for the design intern will include:
- design publicity materials and educational materials about participatory budgeting for diverse audiences, including brochures, info sheets, powerpoint presentations, guides, and posters
- contribute to website design

Responsibilities for the policy intern will include:
- prepare content for publicity and educational materials, including brochures, powerpoint presentations, press releases, and website
- attend and assist at PB meetings in communities throughout New York City, including working with City Council Members and staff, community groups and city residents.
- compile media coverage
- maintain and further develop contact database

The ideal candidates will have:
- strong interest in social justice and participatory democracy
- strong communication, writing, and organizational skills
- experience or interest working with non-profit organizations
- strong skills working with Powerpoint, Word, GoogleDocs, Mailchimp, or other relevant software and platforms
- design intern will have design skills and experience, and good working knowledge of Photoshop and/or InDesign
-policy intern will have research experience, in or out of the classroom, on issues related to public policy, municipal finances, local politics, or participatory democracy.
- ability to work independently
- a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, and some graduate coursework

We strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, and LGBTQ individuals. To apply, send a letter of interest, resume, and work sample (e.g. a brochure, flyer, powerpoint presentation, report, info sheet) to info@participatorybudgeting.org by August 20th. The internship is unpaid, though it may lead to paid work depending on the intern’s performance and available resources.
For more information, visit our website at http://www.participatorybudgeting.org and the PBNYC website at http://pbnyc.org.