Department:
UF/IFAS Extension and SustainabilityAbout Our JobThis internship is a unique opportunity for an inquisitive, self-motivated, and creative individual to make a positive impact on Sarasota County. Sarasota County Government is seeking an intern in the UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Department. The Energy Program Intern will implement a grant-funded education and outreach program aimed at achieving cost savings through energy and water conservation in the built environment. Resident, staff and volunteer training and engagement, partnership development, and program recruitment will be involved to maximize the impact of the program on building efficiency and housing affordability. The program ultimately aims to reduce utility bills for low-income residents through efficiency improvements, rebates, and education.Job Description:
Are you interested in getting hands-on experience in your chosen field? Do you want to make a difference in your community?
Intern Sarasota County is dedicated to providing students with an unsurpassed learning experience and insight into the dynamic world of public sector employment.
Develop new skills you can apply in the workplace. Gain skills that will enhance your resume and increase your career options while exploring public service! Observe and participate in tasks and responsibilities performed daily by skilled professionals. Experience workplace culture, office dynamics, and business etiquette.
Your internship will include impactful hands-on work within a department, networking, professional development, and building long-lasting connections with other interns, mentors, and Sarasota County team members.
What You'll Do:Help create fun, engaging educational content for the Energy Upgrade program, including lesson plans, presentations, videos, fact sheets, blogs, and interactive learning tools.
Support and deliver sustainability programs focused on water and energy conservation, especially for underserved communities, through workshops, events, webinars, outreach tables, and trainings.
Assist with marketing and community outreach by creating flyers, social media content, newsletters, emails, and other materials that help promote programs and share success stories.
Build relationships with community partners, volunteers, residents, and stakeholders while helping answer questions and connect people with valuable sustainability resources.
Support program operations through research, data entry, reporting, survey analysis, and tracking program success metrics to help identify areas for growth and improvement.
Gain hands-on experience with grant-related work, including application processing, reporting, budget support, and maintaining important program records and documentation.
Help plan and coordinate meetings, events, and projects by preparing agendas, organizing logistics, and contributing ideas to improve processes and program effectiveness.
Location: Twin Lakes Park, 6600 Clark Rd, Sarasota, FL 34241
About You:Minimum Qualifications:
Ages 16-17 with parental consent, or 18 and above.
Eligible to work in the United States – we love local, national, and international students!
Active, enrolled student.
Preferred Qualifications:
Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, Environmental Education, Biology, Soil and Water Sciences, Communications, or a related field.
Coursework or experience in both environmental topics and communications is a plus.
Bilingual skills are a plus and highly valued.
Interest or experience in sustainability, environmental education, communications, marketing, or related areas, with exposure to research, content creation, writing, or multimedia projects.
Comfortable speaking with and presenting to groups, with the ability to help create and deliver educational content in both in-person and virtual settings.
Strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks, analyze information, and work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
Subject to Passing Substance Screening: This position is subject to passing a pre-employment substance screening. An applicant who fails to pass a required drug screening test shall be disqualified from employment for a period of five (5) years.
Fingerprint Screening Requirement: This position requires a fingerprint-based background check, as required by law. The screening reviews criminal history and other legally permitted information. Applicants who do not meet the screening requirements will not be eligible for employment. Learn more: https://info.flclearinghouse.com
About Everything Else:Internship Hours: 30-40 hours/week. Must be flexible and willing to work irregular hours, including evening and weekend events.
This is a grant-funded, temporary intern position, not to exceed 6 months.
Pay Range: $15 per hour (high school student) up to $20 per hour (Grad/Masters student), based on your credit hours earned.
Our interview process could include phone interview(s), Microsoft Teams video interview(s), and/or in-person interview(s).
If you are selected to join our team, please click on this link to review the Required First Day Documents. You will need to present the following items on your first day:
1. I-9 Acceptable Documents to show your identity and authorization to work. Use this link to learn more and review the different document options: https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents
- If your position requires a Florida Driver’s License, this must be one of your documents. (Your Florida Driver’s License can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List B Documents.)
2. U.S. Social Security Card (signed, physical card). This is a requirement of our Payroll Department and failure to provide this document could jeopardize timely compensation. (Your U.S. Social Security Card can serve as one of your documents listed in link above – List C Documents.)
Benefits:Employee benefits and Florida Retirement System contributions are not available for seasonal and temporary positions. Positions marked Full Time and Regular (Budgeted) are eligible for benefits, for more information about employee benefits, please click this link or visit SCGov.net.
A different blend of voices prompt better conversations, choices and results for everyone. Sarasota County – Many Voices, One Team.
We celebrate and value the experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, talents and strengths that make us different.
Our vision is to attract, develop, retain and engage a talented workforce broadly representative of the citizens and communities we serve. To further value creativity, innovation, collaboration and great customer service – internally and externally.
A job applicant with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to participate in the application/selection process is requested to make known the need for an accommodation to Human Resources or appropriate county staff members. For assistance with the application, please call 941-861-5353.
Sarasota County prohibits discrimination in all services, programs or activities. View the complete policy at scgov.net (keywords: ADA Compliance).
Sarasota County Government is a Tobacco-Free/Drug-Free Workplace.
Skills Required
- Ages 16-17 with parental consent, or 18 and above.
- Eligible to work in the United States.
- Active, enrolled student.
- Must pass pre-employment substance screening.
- Fingerprint-based background check required.
- Availability to work 30-40 hours/week, including flexible, irregular hours, evenings and weekends.
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, Environmental Education, Biology, Soil and Water Sciences, Communications, or related field.
- Coursework or experience in environmental topics and communications.
- Bilingual skills.
- Interest or experience in sustainability, environmental education, communications, marketing, or related areas; experience with research, content creation, writing, or multimedia projects.
- Comfortable speaking with and presenting to groups, creating and delivering educational content in-person and virtually.
- Strong organizational, communication, and customer service skills; ability to manage multiple tasks and work independently or on a team.
What We Do
Sarasota County Government is a high-performance local government organization dedicated to providing exceptional quality, customer-focused services to its community. Acting as a financially responsible steward, it works in collaboration with cities to manage natural assets, provide world-class amenities, and create robust, diverse business opportunities, ensuring Sarasota County remains a beautiful and vibrant place to live and work.
