Internships

Our internship positions offer an exciting opportunity to match your skill set with specific project needs to create a rewarding and unique experience in southern West Virginia. Interns have the opportunity to work with team leaders and community members on a variety of issues related to coal slurry, and learn lobbying, organizing and advocacy skills in the process. Through the first-hand experience of working with communities, volunteers can gain valuable skills, establish meaningful connections, and experience working with a non-hierarchal community-led grassroots organizing and lobbying project. Housing is available for on-site volunteers at Coal River Mountain Watch's Volunteer House.

CURRENT INTERNSHIP POSITIONS

GIS Analyst:

Conducting a GIS analysis of where new or existing surface mines lie on top of and/or near mines that have received slurry injection for the purpose of developing a map of areas with elevated risk of contamination from slurry injection.  Further tasks include assisting with watershed specific analyses of water quality change over time in relation to mining.  Minimum one month work possibly open-ended.  To start at any time.

Outreach Intern:

Help conduct outreach and public education campaigns in communities near dangerous impoundments and injection sites including flyering, setting up speaking engagements and tabling opportunities, phone banking and more.  Minimum one month possibly open-ended. To start any time.

Technical Writer and Researcher:

Work to produce a comprehensive "Case Against Coal Slurry" report.  Work will include summarizing and editing existing material as well as original research in several areas. Scientific or public health background a plus.  Experience researching and access to university library resources a huge plus.  Month-long project to start ASAP.

Archival Intern:

This position will entail detail-oriented research to compile, organize, and present a complete archival history of the Sludge Safety Project, with an end result of creating a Project Timeline for the Sludge Safety Project website. Dependent on the length of time an Archival  intern(s) works with the project, they may conduct interviews with community members and individuals with a variety of experiences relating to slurry. The goal of these interviews will be to co-create community stories. Skills in video, journalism, and/or website work encouraged. Minimum of 1 month commitment.