Research & Writing Intern for “Next Stop: Democracy!”

  • Intern

Company Description

Here’s My Chance (HMC) is an award-winning creative agency that builds good brands by design. Our mission is to create impactful, engaging designs that motivate people and lead to organizational success. 

Proudly headquartered in Philadelphia PA, our clients span the globe and include nonprofits and socially responsible companies that work to create positive change. We specialize in branding, graphic design, videos, websites and infographics. Our creative solutions and talented team guide organizations in effectively communicating their message. 

Job Description

Project Description:

HMC was recently selected as one of 32 Knight Cities Challenge winners, supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Our project is called "Next Stop: Democracy!" and aims to use creative placemaking and wayfinding to increase civic engagement during the upcoming 2015 Mayoral Election in Philadelphia. 

“Next Stop: Democracy!” (NSD) seeks to improve civic spaces in two ways: by creating and distributing signage made by local artists across the city that clearly shows voters where their polling places are located, and commissioning site-specific performances to keep spirits high when lines at the polling places are long. 

With these creative interventions, the project seeks to infuse the voting process with an energy of excitement and joy. This project will require a huge amount of cross-sector collaboration between government agencies, public, private, and nonprofit organizations. 

Job Description:

The Project Intern for NSD must be passionate about democracy, knowledgeable about local elections, and motivated to create positive change in Philadelphia. You must be ready to jump straight into a fast-moving project at a leading creative agency with great clients and great staff. Applicants must be knowledgeable in the basics of local government and Philadelphia politics – particularly with regard to elections and voting.

Responsibilities:

• Conducting research in the project’s core areas of elections and voting, nonpartisanship and transparency, and public art.

• Assisting artists and project collaborators who call with questions or submit inquiries via email.

• Assisting in the administration of the Open Call for Artists during the Summer of 2015. Responsibilities may include communicating with partner groups, coordinating the artist network, and managing program materials. 

• Leading the coordination of 20+ polling places and their associated volunteers, ward leaders, and election officials 

• Preparing materials and supporting logistics of content creation and interviews with 60+ local artists. 

• Conducting research or preparing drafts for the NSD blog and communication materials for explaining the project’s objectives, challenges, and successes.  

• Developing and editing NSD website content and social media presence in coordination with other team members. 

• Assisting in marketing, fundraising, and communications projects, as assigned by the Project Director. 

• Attending meetings or forums with representatives of government, art organizations, and community groups, as assigned.



Qualifications

 Applicants with academic backgrounds in government, public policy, political science, and community organizing are encouraged to apply; however, we consider strong interest in the project’s mission and a demonstrated ability to quickly learn new skills to be more important than matching coursework. 

At a minimum, all candidates must have excellent research and writing skills, demonstrable organization expertise, strong academic success, and experience with Philadelphia’s specific political and/or governmental issues and regulations.

Our summer internship positions are typically unpaid, but modest stipends are available for candidates commensurate with experience. Should the selected applicant excel and be interested in continuing the internship, a guaranteed stipend is available for September 1st – December 31st. 

Additional Information

We work in a beautiful creative space (Impact Hub) alongside some of the best social impact organizations Philadelphia has to offer. Join us!

The values we pride ourselves on at HMC:

• Love what you do - You should practice care and attention in every aspect of your role. You should be a dependable and loyal member of staff and a good ambassador for HMC externally.

• Look out for each other - You should aim to build on the sense of community here at HMC, taking on responsibility for your own actions as well as those of others and aiming to pull together towards a common goal.

• Think bigger - You should be able to think laterally and beyond expectations or convention. You should be able to bring new ideas to life in any size of brief and help make HMC a stimulating and inspiring place to work.

• Do the right thing - You need show a sense of responsibility to yourself, other HMC team members, and our clients. You need to be committed to getting the job done positively, even in the most pressured situations, never defaulting to the path of least resistance or leaving things half done.

• Smile - You must be approachable, and able to contribute to a positive and enjoyable working environment. You should aim to bring enjoyment and passion to the workplace.

TO APPLY:

Please fill out the Smart Recruiters application. For “Resume” please attached ONE PDF document than contains your cover letter, resume, and three writing examples. 

Within the writing samples, please include one for professional tone (ex. cold email or meeting request), one for written web content (ex. blog or online article), and one for the media (ex. press release, sponsorship request, etc.) 

Thank you! 


Find us @ http://www.heresmychance.com

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