Now Hiring: Summer Intern

Location: Dubuque Forward - Downtown Dubuque
Position Type: Internship (Part-Time - 15-20 hours per week, $12/hour)
Duration: 10-12 weeks (could continue upon mutual agreement)
Reports To: Wendy Scardino, Executive Director

About Us:

Dubuque Forward is on a mission to make our city a community of choice, where everyone can thrive. We believe in fostering collaboration, driving action, and inspiring bold thought leadership to create positive change. By focusing on vibrant community engagement, we work across sectors to enhance Dubuque’s downtown neighborhoods and ensure everyone has a seat at the table. If you’re passionate about making an impact and building meaningful connections, we’d love for you to join us!

The Role:

Are you a communications or business student with a passion for action and community development? Do you enjoy creating engaging social media content, facilitating productive meetings, and collaborating with others to bring bold ideas to life? This internship is a perfect opportunity to get hands-on experience in making meaningful change while enhancing your skills in communication, outreach, and engagement.

What You'll Do:

Community Engagement: Support the development of strategies that engage community members in initiatives aimed at making Dubuque a community of choice through our mobility, housing, entrepreneurial cultivation, recreation spaces & natural areas, and culture & creativity passion teams. You'll help ensure our efforts align with the values of inclusion and connectivity that drive our mission.

Connect: Keep informed on local efforts and opportunities outside Dubuque Forward to share with members, making it easier for them to share their voice and engage in action wherever it is happening.

Social Media & Content Creation: Lead the charge in building our social media presence by creating content that resonates with our downtown community. You’ll share stories, projects, and achievements while encouraging collaboration and online engagement.

Coordinate & Facilitate: Play a key role in coordinating meetings, workshops, and events. You’ll help prepare agendas, track action items, and ensure our community discussions are organized and impactful.

Collaborate Across Teams: Work with our passion teams and project teams to help shape the future of Downtown Dubuque. Your input will contribute to the development of initiatives that drive local growth.

Reporting & Outreach: Assist with reporting on project progress, engaging stakeholders, and ensuring community involvement is meaningful and impactful.

Who You Are:

A current junior or senior-level student pursuing a degree in Communications, Business, Social Sciences, or a related field. A strong communicator with a knack for writing, storytelling, and engaging with diverse audiences. Experienced (or eager to learn) in social media management and content creation. Organized, proactive, and ready to contribute to a small team and dynamic volunteers. Passionate about community development and driven to make a real impact.

Why You’ll Love This Internship:

Action-Oriented Experience: You’ll gain practical skills while contributing to initiatives that have a direct impact on the community.

Creative Freedom: Bring your ideas to life through content creation and social media campaigns.

Collaborative Environment: Work alongside passionate, like-minded individuals who are dedicated to making Dubuque a better place.

Network & Learn: Connect with leaders in community development, public policy, and communications.

How to Apply:

Excited to take action? Submit your resume, two references, and a cover letter explaining why you’re the perfect fit for this role to director@driftlessalliance.com. We can’t wait to see how you’ll contribute to shaping the future of our community!