The North River Commission is the nonprofit community and economic development corporation for the Northwest Side of Chicago that is seeking interns for the year. Founded in 1962 by concerned residents and neighborhood institutions (NEIU was one of the founders) NRC brings together over 100 civic associations, businesses, schools, institutions and places of worship. (full disclosure I sit on the Board of NRC)
Interns are able to work in any of the main program areas for NRC including a) community development, b) economic development, c) planning, d) affordable housing, e) education, f) environment, and g) arts & culture.
Though these positions are unpaid they typically offer rich learning experiences. Students can serve as either a semester intern where they agree on a weekly
work schedule working with a staff lead or serve as a project intern where they work with a NRC staff member to establish a plan including duration and deliverables for that project. One of our recent alums in Justice Studies and Psychology was hired as a full time staff member at NRC in part because of the great work she did as an intern. Below are some brief descriptions for current intern positions
Communications: Media Relations
- assistance in crafting North River Commission's story of community work and stakeholders
- acquiring media coverage for our stories
- strategizing on how best to utilize communication tools
Communications: Social Media
- publish to website, facebook, twitter, and email updates to communicate with stakeholders and the public
- building out and maintaining the NRC website on NeonCRM
- strategizing on how best to utilize communication tools and crafting our story
Communications: Video Storytelling
- produce video stories about NRC impact in the community and stakeholders
- strategize on how best to utilize video stories for different audiences and purposes
- consultations with business owners regarding growth and assistance
- research development projects including outreach to elected officials, city departments, and developers
- outreach and research on retail rental availability and rates, pre-development for specific parcels
- assist community organizer with research, outreach, meeting facilitation, and follow-up to community groups, government agencies, and local institutions involved in environmental work
- research ongoing and upcoming environmental initiatives that overlap with NRC’s mission and service area
- assist with facilitating local volunteer stewardship and recreation opportunities
- assist organizer with research, outreach, meeting facilitation, and follow-up to local artists, community groups, organizations, and institutions involved in arts and culturalwork
- assist with publishing a monthly arts and cultural newsletter
- assist with creating and managing arts and cultural events with local partners
- Assist Education Coordination in supporting youth council, including recruiting, facilitating meetings, and project development and implementation
- Organize to empower Local School Councils in improving education at local CPS schools
- Assist Education Committee with promotion of neighborhood schools
- assist Executive Director with all aspects of community engagement
- strategize meetings large and small on areas of interest
- conduct visioning and planning with staff, volunteers and community stakeholders
- outreach to area landlords to inform them of energy efficiency programs to help preserve existing affordable units
- update apartment vacancy database and research other affordable housing programs for local landlords
- tenant relations with low-income seniors at Mayfair Commons and building staff
Students interested in internships with the North River Commission should complete a copy of their Internship Interest Form here and then send a copy of their current resume to Thomas Applegate, Executive Director: thomasapplegate@
