Communications Internship

Timeline

2024

This internship ran from August 2024 to May 2025.

Description

Affiliated programs: Green Devils Intern Program

Summary

Student interns worked to develop engaging content series throughout the academic year to support Duke sustainability and climate related communication efforts through social media and newsletters. The purpose of this internship is aimed at supporting the communications efforts of the Office of Climate and Sustainability (OCS) by amplifying climate and sustainability (C&S) related events/programs on campus and growing our audience on Instagram. From core-OCS programming, to partner programming such as Duke Campus Farm, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, Duke Forest, etc., to student-run clubs/initiatives, the internship was charged with helping support a range of sustainability engagement opportunities. To accomplish this, interns generated weekly Instagram content, including carousel posts, reels, and Instagram collaborations.

Goals

1. Develop engaging, human-centered content to support climate and sustainability-based events around the community

2. Highlight C&S engagement opportunities (both core-OCS programming and partner
programming) throughout the year

3. Use engagement metrics to tailor content toward what resonates most with social media audiences

Experience and Learning Outcomes

This project was part of the year-long paid Green Devils internship managed by the Office of Climate and Sustainability. Students honed skills around climate and sustainability communication, including storytelling and framing as a tool for connecting with more users, resulting in demonstrated growth in reach and engagement on accounts across platforms.

Recommendations

Communications is a major tool to grow audience and enhance engagement in this field of work. Students recommend continuing to amplify and think creatively about the "unexpected" connections to climate and sustainability work in order to achieve the goals and opportunities of this sect of work.

Student Intern: Dev Shah, Julia Zhu

Intern Supervisor: Sophia Masciarelli, Sustainability Engagement Coordinator