Course Assistant Internship

Conservation Strategy Fund is seeking a Course Assistant to join our dynamic training team and play a key role in facilitating our 2024  annual international course, Economics and Finance for Environmental Leadership. This is a great opportunity for an undergraduate student seeking a paid summer internship that will provide hands-on experience both in working at the intersection of conservation and sustainable development and in facilitating virtual capacity building programs. At the end of the four month internship, the intern will have gained valuable knowledge about conservation economics and finance, skills in project management and course facilitation, as well as access to a network of environmental professionals from all over the world. 

The Course Assistant will work directly with CSF’s global training team to support Conservation Strategy Fund’s capacity-building effort, particularly through our global Numbers for Nature Training Institute (N4N), the global training arm of CSF. The intern will primarily assist with administering CSF’s annual international course, Economics and Finance for Environmental Leadership. They will also have the opportunity to audit this course to build their own understanding of conservation economics and finance. 

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Assist with course preparation, including developing course materials and building the course structure on the N4N learning platform.
• Draft marketing materials, including social media and blog posts.
• Assist with communications to course participants.
• Help facilitate weekly live sessions on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons (ET) from July 8-August 13, including providing live technical support, administering activities and exercises, and moderating presentations and discussions.
• Plan and execute virtual social events for course participants.
• Assist with course closing tasks, which can include opportunities to organize data and analyze participant feedback.
• Other communications and administrative tasks, such as proofreading and editing articles, may be expected.

Important Skills 

• Academic background or interest in environmental conservation, environmental economics, sustainable development, or related field.
• Basic understanding of microeconomic and/or finance principles.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.
• Quick learning ability with new platforms and online applications.
• Experience with website and platform development, management, and technical support.
• Proficient with both Microsoft Office and Google Drive.
• Comfort with facilitating activities and discussions, especially over Zoom 
• Independent work ethic and ability to manage time effectively to meet deadlines.

Additional Desired Skills

• Video editing or graphic design skills
• Teaching and/or curriculum development experience.
• Intercultural competence and comfort with communicating with international audiences.

Internship Dates: May 20- September 20, 2024

Expected Time Commitment: 20 hours per week

CSF will provide a stipend of $1000 per month. This is a remote internship which can be done from anywhere in the world, however, overlap with US East Coast working hours is required. 

About CSF

Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) is an international non-profit organization that uses economics to support environmental conservation and sustainable development. We conduct rigorous economic analyses of infrastructure, protected areas, conservation incentive programs, and related issues, deliver a world-class capacity building program, and work closely with governments, NGOs, and other stakeholders to support well-informed decision making. We focus on Latin America and Indonesia with an evolving body of work in Africa, and have offices in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Peru, South Africa, and the United States. For more information, visit our website at www.conservation-strategy.org.