Mississippi River Network
Protecting the Land, Water and People of America’s Greatest River
14 N. Peoria St., Suite 4F | Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 754-0407 | www.1mississippi.org
The Mississippi River flows through the heart of America, nourishes our farms and families, is a home
for wildlife and provides jobs that sustain our nation’s hardworking families. But today, our great
River is in trouble. Pollution from farms, untreated sewage and factories along with weak enforcement
of water laws has caused our once mighty Mississippi to decline. The 1 Mississippi Outreach Assistant
will work to protect the Mississippi River by assisting with the planning and implementation of the
national 1 Mississippi campaign on a local level.
1 Mississippi is a campaign of the Mississippi River Network: Headwaters to Gulf (MRN), a coalition
of 47 nonprofit organizations and businesses working together from the River’s headwaters in
Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico in Louisiana to protect America’s land, water and people. MRN seeks
Outreach Assistants for three regions—Minnesota/Wisconsin, based in St. Paul, MN; Iowa in
Dubuque, IA and Illinois/Missouri based in Alton, IL.
The campaign’s main goal is to educate people face-to-face at festivals and events about the
importance of protecting and restoring the Mississippi River. Outreach Assistants will encourage
people to join the campaign by becoming River Citizens—people who pledge to help protect the River
by taking simple actions. Each regional Outreach Assistant will aim to recruit 1,000 River Citizens
during 2014. In addition to attending recruitment events, Assistants will track the River Citizens
recruited, recruit and train volunteers, write one blog post per month and submit 2-4 press releases
regarding the campaign in their region.
This is a part-time seasonal position with the possibility to grow into a full-time position. 1 Mississippi
Outreach Assistants will develop skills in outreach, community organizing, public speaking and
volunteer coordination. They will also gain a comprehensive understanding of the variety of issues the
River faces, values-based communications and the ins and outs of a national environmental campaign.
The Outreach Assistant reports directly to the 1 Mississippi Outreach Coordinator. On average, the
Assistant will work 20 hours a week during the summer, beginning with training in March and ending
in early October.
The campaign Outreach Assistant will:
 Attend training in March (2-3 days plus travel time) to attain knowledge of the campaign and
skills for recruiting River Citizens
 Work to implement regional campaign strategies to recruit, educate and engage River Citizens
 Research, plan and/or attend: recruitment events, education events and engagement events,
including setup and takedown
 For all 1 Mississippi campaign events the Assistant will:
o Contact event management, arrange payments for the events when necessary
o Organize outreach to advertise events (via Facebook and web-based outlets)
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o Recruit and train volunteers to work at events
o Enter data upon completion of event
o Manage all campaign materials
Create content for websites, with guidance from the Outreach Coordinator
Draft one blog post per month
Send out 2 - 4 press releases for events in the region
Track and record media hits on the 1 Mississippi campaign in the region
Work in a professional manner with all Mississippi River Network member organizations
Qualifications
Applicants for the campaign intern position should meet the following qualifications:
 Be at least 18 years old
 Believe in the power of regular Americans to impact national policy
 Able to work independently and be comfortable with a flexible schedule
 Available for one day a week plus events which are often evenings or weekends
 Extremely well-organized with ability to consistently update tracking systems
 Genuine interest in the Mississippi River, wetlands and environmental protection
 Able to set and meet deadlines within a complex team
 Comfortable communicating with a wide variety of people with an outgoing personality
 Excellent written and oral communication skills
 Experience with Microsoft Office (Excel)
 Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, personal vehicle
 Available for 2-3 night training in March
Preferred, but not required:
 Previous canvassing experience
 Second language
 Knowledge of issues facing the Mississippi River and the surrounding areas
 Community organizing experience
Physical Requirements:
 Must be able to lift 25 pounds
 Must be able to work weekends and evenings
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to
aanderson@bluestemcommunications.org by January 27, 2014.
Visit www.1mississippi.org for more information on the 1 Mississippi campaign.