North Carolina Rail-Trails is seeking a special event planning intern. The intern will work a total of 400 hours between July and the end of the Fall Semester.
Reporting to the executive director, the special events intern will be responsible for the planning and execution of the 5K Poker Run event held on the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, NC. A Poker run is a 5K walk or run where participants are given a poker card at every kilometer of the 5 kilometer route. The participant at the end with the best poker hand wins. Full Steam Brewery, of Durham, has already agreed to be a partner in this event and will be brewing a special beer called Rail-Trail Pale Ale for the event. The race will end at their brewery and the beer will be debuted at the end of the race, with a portion of the proceeds for the sale of Rail-Trail Pale Ale being donated to NCRT. All race participants will be given a commemorative Full Steam/Rail-Trail Pale Ale pint glass as a participation prize. The winner of the Poker Run will win a bike, donated by a local partner. This event will have a special emphasis on community involvement and will also be a fundraiser for NCRT. The intern will gain valuable skills in relationship building, marketing, planning and organizing events, budget management and volunteer coordination. We hope that this will be an event that will bring together a representative group of the diverse population that uses the American Tobacco Trail on a daily basis. The special events intern must be in good academic standing with a special interest in working with the diverse populations of Durham.
Term of employment
The intern will work a total of 400 hours between July and the end of the Fall Semester. The exact term of employment is somewhat flexible. Ideally, the intern would begin in July and work full-time until the fall semester starts. At that time, the intern will become part-time, working an average of 10 hours/week. The event will take place in early October and at that time, the intern will be expected to work as many hours as necessary to prepare for and execute the event. Preference is given to rising juniors, seniors and graduate/professional students.
Qualifications (necessary skills and experience required)
Applicants must have above-average communication and organizational skills. He or she must also be able to multitask, think outside the box, think on their feet and troubleshoot problems. The planner must have the ability to work with all types of people and be able to visualize an event not only from start to finish, but also the necessary steps in the middle. The planner also needs a friendly & outgoing personality, the ability to work independently, problem-solve and multi-task, a willingness to supervise volunteers, and have a very strong attention to detail.
Responsibilities
Responsibilities include obtaining event permits, setting up an online registration system, pricing and ordering event t-shirts, advertising, inviting attendees, ordering food, arranging activities, working with vendors and any other logistics that may arise in relation to the event. He or she must work within a very tight budget and may need to solicit sponsorships from major donors. The intern will manage the planning, set up, breakdown of the event and work to ensure that the event runs smoothly. On the day of the event, the intern will have volunteers available to help, but they will need to be given tasks by the intern. Once the event has concluded the intern will be responsible for writing thank you notes and a short report about lessons learned and recommendations for the next event.
Compensation
This is a paid internship. A stipend of up to $4,000 is offered based on qualifications and experience of the applicant. The intern will work a total of 400 hours between July and the end of the Fall Semester. Preference is given to rising juniors, seniors and graduate/professional students.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume to Carrie Banks, executive director at North Carolina Rail-Trails, by email at execdirector@ncrailtrails.org. Please email or call 919-428-7119 with any questions.
This diversity internship program is funded by the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and private individuals. Minority students are strongly encouraged to apply. The application deadline is Tuesday, June 28th.
