Participatory Budgeting Intern

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Budget Office is seeking a Participatory Budgeting (PB) Intern for the summer of 2024 continuing into early fall 2024. This intern position will be focused on developing materials during the off-season of PB and assisting the City in preparation for the PB11 cycle, projected to begin in fall of 2024.

Under the direction of the Budget Director and the Participatory Budgeting / Engagement Coordinator, the PB intern will be instrumental in helping to plan and participate in conducting outreach and gathering PB ideas from community members in summer and fall of 2024. Through the Participatory Budgeting process, Cambridge residents ages 12 and older, including non-US citizens, will vote on how to spend $1,000,000 of City capital funds as part of the City's annual Budget.

This internship is an excellent opportunity to learn about and become involved in municipal government, civic engagement, and community building. Cambridge residents are especially encouraged to apply. Please visit pb.cambridgema.gov for more information about Participatory Budgeting in Cambridge.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Visiting existing PB project sites (>40) to document project status, maintenance need, and collect data to populate the PB Winning Projects GIS map.

• Assist in running idea collection workshops in community groups throughout the summer. Including collaborating with City departments in order to maximize participation by youth summer camp and program attendees.

• Attend and assist PB tabling activities, including set up and clean up, at various city events throughout the summer (e.g. Fresh Pond Day, Dragon Boat Race).

• Reach out to nonprofit and community-based organizations to form and maintain partnerships to promote PB; expand and strengthen outreach efforts to involve more underserved communities in PB; distribute PB door hangers, flyers, and posters around Cambridge; draft social media posts to promote PB events.

• Collaborate with the City Communications team to create promotional materials for Idea Collection beginning in August.

• PB idea data entry and processing

• Enter PB ideas into online mapping tool; enter PB event sign-in sheet information and survey data into Google sheets; manage multiple PB contact lists; compile notes from PB meetings.

• Photocopy and compile meeting and outreach materials; conduct inventory of PB supplies and order additional supplies as necessary.

• Assist Budget Office staff with other duties as necessary.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Undergraduate or graduate student preferred.

• Extremely organized, reliable, detail-oriented, and able to work independently

• Outgoing and friendly; very comfortable speaking to the public one-on-one and in groups

• Ability to work well with people from diverse backgrounds

• Excellent writing skills

• Knowledge of Cambridge and it's neighborhoods

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Drive required; proficiency with Zoom, Teams, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or InDesign is a plus

• Fluency in Spanish, Chinese/Mandarin, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, or Amharic is a plus (to assist with translation of outreach materials)

• The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• General office environment with air conditioning and fluorescent lighting
• 15 to 20 hours per week (hours are flexible, may need to work evenings and weekends); temporary position; July 2024 through August 2024 (with potential extension into fall)
• This position may be eligible for hybrid work under the City's Telework Policy depending on operational needs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Ability to access, input, and retrieve information from a computer. Answer telephones and maintain multiple files. May require minimal lifting of up to 10 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

All applicants must provide the following materials when submitting their job application:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

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