Philadelphia Public School Notebook Internships

A list of internships at the Philadelphia Public School Notebook follows.  At least some are particularly well suited to English majors.

Internships at the Philadelphia Public School Notebook

The Philadelphia Public School Notebook is a small, independent/nonprofit located in Center City. We are a news service that publishes six print editions per year that provide coverage of the city’s public schools and related topics in public education: administration, teaching, funding, politics, etc. We also maintain a website on which we have fresh content daily and breaking nes stories. We are fact-based advocates for high quality, equitable education for all public school students.

Below is a list of all available internships at the Notebook. We maintain interns throughout the entire year, and next will be interviewing candidates for our Winter/Spring 2014 cycle of internships, which will be from January-April/May 2014.

Interns are expected to work a minimum of 8 hours per week. All internships are unpaid.

The Notebook is located at 699 Ranstead St., 3rd floor, (at the corner of 7th and Ranstead Sts. inside the PhillyCam building).

Marketing Assistant:

The Notebook is working to expand its revenue from advertising, memberships, and bulk order subscriptions. The business/marketing assistant works alongside the business/operations manager and related staff to support the marketing and sales work of the organization. Duties include the following, according to organizational need and priority: * identifying prospective advertisers and subscribers * implementing and maintaining improved systems for tracking sales work and invoicing customers * working to expand the newspaper's readership and print circulation * providing support for the annual spring fundraising event * assisting with the development of new marketing materials The assistant will gain valuable, hands-on experience in newspaper advertising sales, circulation, and business management. Candidates should have experience/interest in sales or marketing and be willing and eager to contribute to the Notebook sales/marketing team. Qualifications: Strong -Communications skills, verbal and written -Computer skills (web search savvy and basic spreadsheet manipulation is a must). Attention to detail -Ability to work independently and engage in creative problem-solving. Ability to organize, prioritize and work efficiently in a deadline-oriented setting. An interest in the education sector, non-profit income streams/organizational sustainability, and/or community-oriented advocacy journalism is a plus. Most hours must be worked during the normal business day. Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Shawn Phillips, advertising sales/business manager, at shawnp@thenotebook.org.

Website Assistant:

The website assistant will gain experience in the fields of independent journalism, multimedia, non-profit management, and educational activism. The website assistant will work with staff members to maintain and update the Notebook website: www.thenotebook.org. Projects will include expanding our online archives and assisting with production of a monthly e-newsletter. The website assistant will have the opportunity to contribute original content and design concepts.

Qualifications: Applicant should possess strong communications skills and an interest in community-oriented, advocacy journalism. Experience with web design is required, with Dreamweaver MX is preferred. While hours are flexible, applicants must have some availability during normal weekday business hours.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Shawn Phillips, advertising sales/business manager, at shawnp@thenotebook.org.

Staff Writer:

The staff writer will gain experience as a reporter covering issues facing the Philadelphia public school system. The staff writer will develop several articles for print editions and website. Tasks include conducting interviews, attending and covering meetings and events, library research and internet research as well as writing and editing own articles and proofreading others.

Qualifications: Applicant should possess strong written communications skills and an interest in K-12 public education issues, as well as community-oriented, advocacy journalism. Journalism experience is highly desired.

Hours are flexible, but applicants must be primarily available during normal weekday business hours.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Wendy Harris, managing editor, at wendyh@thenotebook.org.

Editorial Assistant:

The editorial assistant will gain experience in the fields of independent journalism, multimedia, non-profit management, and educational activism. The editorial assistant will support the completion of the print editions and assist with providing coverage of events for the website. Tasks will include internet research, editing, and office work.

Qualifications: Applicant should possess strong written communications skills and an interest in K-12 public education issues, as well as community-oriented, advocacy journalism.

Hours are flexible, but applicants must be primarily available during normal weekday business hours.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Wendy Harris, managing editor, at wendyh@thenotebook.org.

Graphic Designer:

The graphic designer will gain experience in the fields of independent journalism, multimedia, non- profit management, and educational activism. The graphic designer would develop and implement design concepts. Possible projects include redesigning print edition content for the website, designing pages to package site content in new ways, improving overall site design, and styling new components for the site. The student would also be involved in discussions of site design and planning. If interested, the student can also assist with print design projects.

The intern must be able to develop a design concept and code it using CSS. The Notebook site uses Drupal, and projects are developed with the Adobe Creative Suite.

Qualifications: Applicant should possess strong communications skills and an interest in community- oriented, advocacy journalism. Experience with web design is required. While hours are flexible, applicants must have some availability during normal weekday business hours.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Shawn Phillips, advertising sales manager, at shawnp@thenotebook.org

Event/Marketing:

Each year the Notebook holds an event in June to celebrate the school year and as a fundraiser for the organization. This position would assist with the planning and execution of the event, which covers everything from publicity and advertising to ticketing and donation tracking to the nitty gritty of event planning and all of the day of details. The exact tasks this position would involve would depend on the student's interests and skills and the needs of the organization.

After the event the focus of the position would turn to marketing for the organization overall. Marketing outreach can include contacting distribution sites for newspaper, tabling at events, working with stakeholders, creating marketing materials, and other tasks.

Qualifications: Strong communications skills and computer skills, and an interest in the nonprofit sector and community-oriented, advocacy journalism. A high degree of attention to detail is required. Most hours must be worked during the normal business day.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Tim Cravens, development director, at timc@thenotebook.org.

Development Assistant:

The Development Assistant will help with all aspects of the fundraising process:

• Production and mailing of appeals

• Acknowledgment of donations

• Planning and implementation of events

• Solicitation of corporate sponsorships

• Planning and implementation of June event

• Staffing of June event and all other special events.

Qualifications: Applicants should have strong communications skills and computer skills, and an interest in the nonprofit sector and community-oriented, advocacy journalism. A high degree of attention to detail is required. Most hours must be worked during the normal business day, except for events that may occur on evenings and weekends.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to: Tim Cravens, development director, at timc@thenotebook.org.