The Cuyahoga River is one of the Great Lakes Areas of Concern – waters in the U.S. and Canada that have experienced environmental degradation, fail to meet the objectives of the U.S.- Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and are impaired in their ability to support aquatic life or beneficial uses. The Cuyahoga River AOC includes the lower 46.5 miles of the river, its tributaries, and the adjacent Lake Erie shoreline. It begins in Akron/Cuyahoga Falls, ends at Lake Erie, and includes the shoreline from the western Cleveland border to Euclid Creek on the east.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the Ohio Lake Erie Commission are the state agencies in charge of delisting Ohio’s three remaining AOCs (Cuyahoga, Black, and Maumee). Each AOC has a local stakeholder committee. The Cuyahoga AOC Advisory Committee serves that purpose. The committee includes dozens of stakeholders – agencies, park systems, watershed groups, businesses, and residents – involved in implementing a comprehensive restoration plan.
The Ohio Sea Grant – Cuyahoga River AOC intern will support the Advisory Committee and focus on environmental communications and public engagement. The scope of work includes:
- Committee support: Assist the Advisory Committee and its subcommittees with meetings and general tasks.
- Digital communications: Manage and enhance the AOC’s digital presence by updating website content and executing a consistent social media strategy, including the creation of graphics and a digital content calendar.
- Multimedia content creation: Produce engaging visual storytelling materials, such as a summer recap video and a summer quarterly e-newsletter.
- Public outreach and event support: Represent the AOC at community events, maintaining outreach materials and identifying new opportunities for public engagement.
- Publicity and awareness campaigns: Collaborate with the Media Working Subgroup to research and design public awareness signage, such as billboards or library exhibits.
- Strategic planning: Assist in developing a draft public engagement plan with a specific focus on Environmental Justice.
Time commitment
The intern will work 40 hours per week for approximately 3 months. At least one day per week will be spent in the office of the Cuyahoga Soil and Water Conservation District and potentially another day on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. There will be additional opportunities for flexible attendance as necessary at alternate locations, including the Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Stewardship Center.
The intern will also be expected to attend all public engagement events prioritized by the Advisory Committee. Examples include environmental festivals and symposiums, community open houses, and educational workshops. Oftentimes these events will take place during evenings and weekends, so the weekly work schedule will be flexible as needed.
Preferred skills
- Coursework in environmental science and/or communications
- Experience with website design, social marketing, and/or public engagement
- Self-motivated and able to work independently and with others
- Has access to personal transportation
Shadowing opportunities
Throughout the duration of the internship, the intern will have the opportunity to shadow members of the AOC Advisory Committee. This will introduce the intern to a diversity of job responsibilities in the environmental field. Career education will be emphasized by including the intern in scheduled workshops, lectures, and professional meetings with academic, government, and industry professionals. There will be built-in opportunities for additional meetings with “near-peers” and others associated with the mentoring team.
This listing was financed in part through a grant [Ohio EPA Lake Erie Management Assistance Agreement] from the United States Environmental Protection Agency through an assistance agreement with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The contents and views, including any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations, contained in this product or publication are those of the authors and have not been subject to any Ohio Environmental Protection Agency or United States Environmental Protection Agency peer or administrative review and may not necessarily reflect the views of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency or the United States Environmental Protection Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.
