| The Southface Internship Program
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about Southface internships
Southface
– Internship Program The
Southface Energy Institute is a non-profit organization
that promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities
through education, research, advocacy and technical assistance.
Since the inception of Southface in 1978, our staff has
helped thousands of building and energy professionals, consumers
and neighborhoods save energy, money and natural resources
through a variety of projects, workshops, seminars, free
publications, and services.
The
Southface Energy and Environmental Resource Center , located
in downtown Atlanta , has been our organizational headquarters
since July 1996. It is a professional work environment.
The resource center is also a demonstration home for alternative
energy technologies and building systems that are practical
for buildings in the Southeast region and beyond. The features
include, but are not limited to, a photovoltaic (PV) shingle
roof, geothermal heating and cooling, structural insulated
panel (SIP) construction, a range of energy-efficient appliances,
green products (non-toxic, reused, recycled and/or recyclable),
water-efficient landscaping and alternative transportation
options.
The
Southface Internship Program As part
of its ongoing education activities, Southface offers a
limited number of internships to qualified applicants as
training for the benefit of each intern. The internships
are intended to provide meaningful and challenging learning
in a fast-paced organizational environment. Academic credit
is available when applicable to curriculum.
Qualifications
The
strength of our internship program is in part related to
the wide diversity of people who have added their strengths
to our organization and its mission. Southface accepts undergraduates,
college graduates, or those who have an equivalent level
of work and educational experience. We have a special need
for self-motivated people who have knowledge in and a willingness
to learn about the following areas:
- Sustainable building construction, design,
and research
- Building Science
- Mechanical and Civil Engineering
- Architecture
- City and Urban Planning
- LEED™ - a national standard for green commercial
buildings
- EarthCraft House – the residential green
building program in Georgia
- Environmental and economic issues in relation
to the use of energy and resources, particularly in conjunction
with building technology and development
- Atlanta regional sustainability issues
- Nonprofit management and program development
in the environmental sector
- Outreach to promote our mission: public
relations, marketing, graphic design, event planning
Time
Commitment Internships
in the Southface Internship Program usually last a minimum
of six months and can be prearranged for up to a year. A
longer duration may be arranged through the internship coordinator
and will depend on performance during initial months. Applications
are accepted at all times of the year. Interns work and
train 40 hours per week based on a five-day working week.
Schedules are generally centered around business hours,
9AM to 5 PM. Weekend and evening work will be scheduled
occasionally.
Financial
Compensation and Accommodation The
internship package includes:
- Financial stipend
- Shared housing (when available)
- Free mass transit passes
Southface
offers stipends to help interns meet their personal financial
needs. The stipend is $100 per
week, paid every two weeks as determined by the regular
Southface pay schedule.
In addition,
when available, we provide shared, co-ed housing for interns.
Housing is limited, so Southface is constrained by the number
of interns accepted with housing needs.
Southface
provides transportation for interns traveling to and from
work by the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority),
Atlanta 's commuter rail network.
Projects and Responsibilities
The Southface
Internship program is divided into two tracks –Southface and
EarthCraft House. All interns spend approximately one
half or more of their time assisting staff with on-going activities.
This may include helping with the Southface "hotline,"
answering questions about Southface activities, conducting
research, maintaining membership databases, preparing mailings,
managing the in-house recycling program, coordinating events
and participating in meetings and planning. Interns participate
in giving tours to local groups, explaining energy and building
technologies to these groups and to the public. Interns are
also expected to greet and assist visitors to the Resource
Center on a daily basis. Interns provide assistance to staff
and visitors at other educational programs (such as the monthly
roundtable) and with facility maintenance. EarthCraft House
interns assist in technical services (such as energy audits).
Some of these activities also involve physical work,
related to light construction, landscaping and building maintenance.
Once
an intern demonstrates reliability and capability, more of
their time will be spent on special project work directly
with project managers. Some examples are setting up and staffing
exhibits at trade shows, conducting research or writing articles
for our quarterly journal and other magazines, participating
in industry and government-sponsored projects, policy research,
assisting with hands-on workshops, participating in speaking
engagements to promote Southface's mission and interfacing
directly with builders in our EarthCraft House program.
As part
of the educational experience, interns may participate in
classes and seminars in a support role as time or space allows.
Educational programs at Southface offer a unique opportunity
to learn about the practical applications of sustainability
and building science.
Southface
internships are offered to benefit the training of future
environmental leaders.
The
Southface Energy Institute is committed to a policy of non-discrimination.
For more information contact:
Internship Coordinator
Southface
241 Pine Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30308
internships
[at] southface.org
404/604-3595 | 
