Coca Cola Foundation supports three new interns at The Freshwater Trust

A $36,000 award from the Coca Cola Foundation will allow The Freshwater Trust (TFT) to establish an internship program to support its work of protecting & restoring freshwater ecosystems.

Established in 1984, the Coca Cola Foundation is Coca Cola’s 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Responsible for giving more than $820 million to nonprofits across the globe. its top giving priorities include water stewardship, community well-being and women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Beyond providing TFT with additional capacity, paid internships provide opportunities for young leaders from diverse backgrounds to contribute their ideas and perspectives to shape the work of the organization. TFT will utilize local networks and academic institutions to encourage women and candidates of color to apply for these positions.

“We are always looking for ways to support young, enthusiastic leaders as they explore careers in river restoration,” said Kimberlee Myers, operations director with TFT. “Several of our full-time staff members got their start as interns at the organization.”

Interns in TFT’s legal, science and communications departments will be hired for tenures of three to six months. Their work will primarily focus on TFT’s efforts to increase awareness and understanding of agricultural impacts on freshwater sources, and promote collaborative solutions to reduce these impacts.

The legal intern will support legal and policy staff through research into regulatory requirements, legal precedents and conservation programs, as well as develop written memos and provide document overviews to inform program development and management.

The communications intern will help to implement TFT’s outreach strategy by generating powerful online and print content for the website, social media, newsletters and more.

The science intern will research land practices and conservations actions that will help inform future restoration projects.

At the close of each internship, TFT will conduct an exit interview to determine the depth of learning as well as the organization’s success in providing an enriching experience.

This is the largest grant TFT has received from the Coca Cola Foundation. The company has also previously sponsored fundraising events.

“It’s important for us to report back on what our interns have learned as well as taught us,” said Myers. “We’re confident the partnership will be mutually beneficial.”