Public Allies Apprenticeship in Pittsburgh

Posted on December 29, 2011 by The RIC Team

Public Allies is a national movement grounded in the conviction that everyone leads. This AmeriCorps program has been in Pittsburgh since 2006, developing young leaders in partnership with Coro Center for Civic Leadership. In its first year, the Public Allies Pittsburgh Class included 25 AmeriCorps members serving as apprentices at 16 partner organizations. Between 2006 and 2009, the staff is proud to have received 249 applications, of which 77 were selected to serve as apprentices in nonprofit organizations across the region.

Public Allies Placements

AmeriCorps members support community projects in partnership with local nonprofit organizations in this full-time, paid apprenticeship opportunity. Participants go through intensive skills training, active community-building projects, personalized coaching, and critical reflection over 10-months.

As AmeriCorps members, Pittsburgh Public Allies have dedicated over 108,000 volunteer hours to Southwestern PA residents, communities and nonprofits. In addition, our allies have served over 74,000 people and recruited over 4,500 volunteers to help the region.

Public Allies: Requirements & Benefits

As Public Allies, you are required to:

1. Serve four days per week at your placement, and train on the fifth day.
2. Create, improve and expand services that address diverse issues such as youth development, education, healthy futures, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship.
3. Attend intensive weekly skill training and leadership development seminars.
4. Work in community building and team projects with a diverse cohort of peers.
5. Perform presentations of learning at the end of the year to demonstrate how each Ally met the learning outcomes of the program.

Public Allies receive as benefits for their service:

1. Critical feedback, reflection, and personal coaching toward individual performance and professional goals.
2. Earn a monthly stipend of $1,400.
3. Health care, child care, student loan deferment, and a post-service education award of $5,550.

The minimum requirements to be a Public Ally are:

1. U.S. citizenship or legal permanent resident status
2. Be at least 17 years of age
3. Have a high school diploma or GED

Interested in making a significant impact on your community? Public Allies Pittsburgh is seeking dedicated, service minded Allies to be part of this ten-month apprenticeship in nonprofit organizations in the Pittsburgh area. You must be passionate about social issues, interested in working with a diverse group of people, and ardent about developing your full leadership potential. Click here to apply online - applications are due April 6th!

Please contact Laura Pollanen at lpollanen@coropittsburgh.org or 412-259-3024 to find out more about Public Allies Pittsburgh.

Green Cities Sustainability Fellowship

Posted on October 26, 2011 by The RIC Team

The SCA Green Cities Corps is a ten month Sustainability Fellowship program in Pittsburgh, PA from Feb-Dec that includes intensive training in sustainability and hands-on projects in local sustainability issues and solutions.

About the Student Conservation Association

The SCA is the only national organization that develops tomorrow’s conservation leaders by providing high school and college students with conservation service opportunities in all 50 states, from urban communities to national parks and forests.

Since 1957, SCA’s hands-on practice of conservation service has helped to develop new generations of conservation leaders, inspire lifelong stewardship, and save the planet. SCA is a non-profit headquartered in Charlestown, NH and maintains regional offices in Boise, ID, Oakland, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Seattle, WA, and Washington, D.C. For more information about theStudent Conservation Association you can visit www.thesca.org

Green Cities Sustainability Fellowship

The SCA Green Cities Sustainability Fellowship aims to build capacity in the Pittsburgh region to mitigate climate change and increase sustainability, while providing meaningful professional experience to its Fellows.

Members of the Green Cities Corps fellowship program implement sustainability projects with local government and non-profit agencies.

Fellows work full time from March through mid-December, following intensive training in February. The crew meets monthly for ongoing training and collaboration. Fellows go on to professional positions in sustainability and conservation across the country.

sustainability fellows The SCA is looking for applicants with a passion for sustainability, strong project management experience, and skills specific to our placement needs.

Interested candidates can apply at www.thesca.org. You’ll need to create an application and then add the positions that you’re interested in. Available positions are listed in full here. Candidates may send questions to Miriam Parson at mparson@thesca.org, but only applications received through the website will be considered.

Tech Bridge World Internship Programs

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Ermine Teves

Tech Bridge World is a research group at Carnegie Mellon University that develops and field tests technological solutions to meet sustainable development needs around the world. Working closely with local partners who understand the needs of specific communities, we contribute our technical expertise to help realize the community’s vision of development by inventing new tools, customizing existing technology and inspiring the community’s future technologists.

What are some projects that interns have worked on at Tech Bridge World

Interns have worked on a variety projects ranging from operational to research. On the operational side, we’ve had administrative, marketing and web interns help us with things like increasing awareness, planning events, designing newsletters, as well as creating and maintaining various project websites. On the research side, interns have worked with us on our Assistive Technology program, TechCaFE program, and Education e-Village project.

We also offer a paid summer internship program for Carnegie Mellon students to conduct technology research projects in developing communities called iSTEP (innovative Student Technology ExPerience). iSTEP provides students with real-world experience in applying their knowledge and skills for creative problem-solving in unfamiliar settings.

What is the most rewarding thing for the staff at Tech Bridge World for working with interns?

It’s really rewarding to watch interns grow personally and professionally during their time with Tech Bridge World. We care a lot about our interns and we want to make sure that the work they do is somehow aligned with their career goals.

Who would make the ideal intern for Tech Bridge World?

We look for interns who show initiative, are dedicated to their work and willing to learn. It’s important for interns to be able to work well independently and also in a team. It’s a plus if the intern is passionate about technology for developing communities and has experience in this area.

What advice do you have for people looking to have an internship with a research groups or companies like Tech Bridge World?

Most interns who work with us want to make the world a better place in some way or another, which is wonderful. However, it’s equally disappointing when an intern does not want to do the small things to achieve the bigger picture. My advice to interns is to do everything with a smile and to learn as much as you can from your internship experiences, whether small or big.

Where are some of your former interns now?

Most of our interns have graduated and pursued jobs in various fields including government, consulting, engineering, trading, and healthcare to name a few. Others are pursuing their graduate studies. I used to be an intern for Tech Bridge World and now I’m working full time for the group .

What goals does Tech Bridge World have for its future, and how will interns help Tech Bridge World meet those goals?

Interns will always be a big part of Tech Bridge World because our research is mainly driven by students. In the future, we hope to scale our projects and expand to different communities. As long as we have dedicated and passionate interns working with us on our different programs and projects, Tech Bridge World can continue to utilize technology to address challenges in developing communities around the world.

The Western PA Conservancy Internship Program

Posted on June 14, 2011 by David Wilson

What does the Western PA Conservancy internship program consist of?

The School Grounds Greening (SGG) Project has employed the help of Public Allies for the past two seasons (2009/2010 and 2010/2011). The Allies have assisted with coordinating plant care-taking efforts at each school project, project documentation, and helping develop and distribute different forms of media such as newletters, brochures, and other informational and educational materials to the various groups involved with the SGG Project. The Community Gardens and Greenspace department has employed a number of interns over the years from non-profit internship placement organizations including Public Allies and PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience). Several other departments within the Conservancy use interns throughout the year as well.

What are the available career paths within the Western PA Conservancy?

There are a wide range of career paths available at the Western PA Conservancy. The Community Gardens and Greenspace field staff helps maintain the community gardens and downtown planters throughout the year. They also assist with tree plantings, school events, and coordinating the volunteers at each site. The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP), Conservation Science, Watershed Conservation, and Land Conservation and Stewardship departments’ work focuses on many different disciplines within the science and biology fields. The PNHP department alone has expertise in botany, plant and aquatic ecology, ornithology, herpetology, mammalogy, invertebrate zoology, data management, and Geographic Information Systems. Fallingwater also employs nearly 100 staff ranging from tour guides, to visitor service representatives, to ground maintenance crews.

What is the education required to work at the Western PA Conservancy? Any specific degrees?

Education requirements at the Western PA Conservancy vary from department to department. Since the work done at the organization varies from landscaping to conservation sciences, education requirements range from a high school diploma, to bachelors and masters degrees, to doctorate degrees.

Are there any positions at the Western PA Conservancy that can be considered “green jobs”?

Virtually every job within the Western PA Conservancy can be considered a “green job”. The definition of a “green job” according to the United Nations Environment Program is work “that contribute[s] substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.” The Western PA Conservancy’s mission is to protect and restore exceptional places to provide our region with clean waters and healthy forests, wildlife and natural areas for the benefit of present and future generations. The Western PA Conservancy creates green spaces and gardens, contributing to the vitality of our cities and towns, and preserves Fallingwater, a symbol of people living in harmony with nature.

Summer Internships with Carney+Co.

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Regina Anderson

Students now is the time to look for great summer internships. The RIC is in communication with employers often to learn more about them and their summer internships so we can tell you!

I saw a posting by Carney+Co. and thought their summer internships were great. I interviewed the Technical Director at Carney+Co., Jeremy Flores to learn more.

RA: Tell us about Carney+Co.

JF: So the Carney in Carney+Co. is Rob Carney. Everyone else is the Co. We use the + sign because it looks cool, however the appropriate nomenclature is “Carney And Co.” We provide amazing creative and technical solutions for a variety of clients. People interested in seeing some of work should hit our website.

The most important skill any employee at Carney+Co. possesses is creative problem solving. A close second is critical thinking. Third is either IKEA furniture construction skills or witty one-liners.

We love what we do.

RA: You guys are looking to fill two summer internships. What should an intern expect from Carney+Co?

JF: I really want to say something about making copies and running errands. Not because it’s true, but because I think it’s funny. Interns at Carney+Co. will do the same stuff the rest of us do. Developers develop and designers design and everyone takes turns making the coffee.

The goal is to provide our interns with real work, for them to experience all the different aspects of being part of a creative firm. Our interns should expect to be part of the team. They won’t be relegated to the kiddie-table.

Carney+Co. office home of great summer internships

RA: I’ve been hearing a lot about a summer project—what’s that all about?

JF: Here’s the deal. We believe that, as creative professionals and all-around awesome people, we have a responsibility to help out our community. We approached a local non-profit organization, Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley, and asked them if there’s anything we could do to help.

So now I’m walking dogs twice a week, but that’s just a small part of what we will be doing over the summer. We are in the planning phases now for some significant software and visual design work. When discussing the project possibilities, we realized that this would be an excellent opportunity to involve some interns. Our summer internships have significant visibility and community impact.

A developer intern can expect to be working on some API service integration for Animal Protector’s website. A design intern will be fleshing out an identity package based on art direction from Rob.

RA: What’s the quirkiest thing about your office that an intern should know now?

JF: Quirkiest? That’s a tough one. Are we quirky? Probably, but it’s hard to judge that kind of stuff from the inside. We use plants and bookshelves instead of walls or cubicles to delineate workspace. No one wears shoes in the office; we prefer slippers. It’s a very agile environment. A problem you’re working on might spawn a brainstorming session that evolves into a casual discussion. Yesterday, Rob and I had a lengthy conversation about the respective qualities and differences between my Rotel and his Denon turntables (while sampling records on each).

So yeah, I guess we’re kind of quirky.

Carney+Co. has two summer internships available on the RIC website for a graphic designer and a software developer. If Carney+Co. sounds like the kind of place for you, apply today!

Allegheny Conference Event Offers Students A Look into Local Corporations

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Trisha Hyatt

The Allegheny Conference on Community Development hosted a unique event for students at the new Consol Energy Center on March 30th. The event was a “Meet and Greet” with Bayer Corporation and Lanxess Corporation and was followed up by a private practice session with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Bayer is a global company with a focus on nutrition, health care and high tech materials. Their motto is “Bayer: Science for a Better Life.”

In 2004, Lanxess was created as a spin off from Bayer. Lanxess basically took over Bayer’s chemicals business and parts of its polymers business.

Both companies have excellent college graduate hire programs and internship programs. As with most companies, having an internship with either one of these companies before graduation greatly increases your chances of getting a full-time job with them in the future.

Bayer has internships in Information Technology, Business, Accounting, Engineering, Chemistry and many more fields. The coolest thing about Bayer (in my opinion) is that they have a “College New Hire Program” in which the new hires are rotated for two years in different departments which helps them figure out what other departments are responsible for, but also which part of Bayer they would most like to work. In case you are wondering, Bayer looks to see if you have internship experience as well as a demonstration in leadership, team work, and customer service when looking for new hires.

Students should check out Bayer’s website around August to see postings for their College New Hire program.

Lanxess poses a huge emphasis on internships. President and CEO Randy Dearth spoke about how his experience interning for Bayer helped lead him to his current position today. Since his internship had such a positive impact on his career, he very much believes in interns and what they can do for his company. He actually brought along a marketing intern and an accounting intern to speak to the students to talk about their experiences. Mr. Dearth also stated that they are experiencing serious growth within their company currently and plan to expand rapidly in the near future.

In order to find out more information about Bayer internships and jobs, you can visit their Facebook page or visit their website.

You can visit Lanxess’ website here.

Don’t forget to check out Allegheny Conference website, Imagine Pittsburgh, to search for full and part-time jobs in the Pittsburgh region. Imagine Pittsburgh is one of many local job board listings!

And here are some pictures from the Penguins practice!

Pittsburgh Penguins Practice

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