The Alabama League of Municipalities is a nonpartisan membership association of over 450 incorporated cities and towns. Since 1935, the League has worked to strengthen municipal government through advocacy, training and the advancement of effective local leadership. As the recognized voice of Alabama’s cities and towns, ALM’s member municipalities benefit from a variety of member programs, services and activities that are impossible to accomplish alone.
The League offers a paid communications internship opportunity each semester to junior and senior undergraduates and graduate students. The internship will provide college students with insight on local government, Alabama’s legislative process and communicating the needs and issues of Alabama’s 465 cities and towns.
The communications team is responsible for creating a strategic and effective communication strategy for the organization, the executive director, the president and vice president as well as the board of directors and our affiliate programs. This is executed through verbal and written communication such as public events, meetings, interviews, magazines, newsletters, social media, videos, websites and more.
The communication intern will work directly with the League’s Communications Director Lori Jhons and Graphic Designer Karl Franklin. The communications director will supervise the intern and provide assignments and special projects to the intern based on the needs of the office and the student’s interested area of learning.
Examples of tasks an intern can expect include:
- Assisting with preparing materials for events
- Assisting with facilitating informative social media posts and newsletters
- Drafting press releases and advisories
- Drafting articles for The Alabama Municipal Journal magazine
- Assisting with events at the League and in other cities
- Assisting with video shoots and video editing
- Taking photos and editing them
- Reviewing League and affiliate programs’ websites
- Digital archiving magazines
- Crafting graphics for flyers, social media, website, magazine, etc.
- Providing general clerical support
- Field trips to state and local government offices, media outlets and partner businesses
This is a paid internship that requires at least 16 hours of work each week for a minimum of six weeks during the semester a student is selected for. If desired, the intern may work up to a maximum of 30 hours a week. The League’s hours of operation are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, with Friday being a work from home day. Therefore, the intern may be required to work anytime between Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m., based on their availability (a 1-hour lunch break will be available between 11 a.m. -1 p.m.). Friday remote work will only be allowed to make up time missed during holidays, approved vacation/appointment time off or to work special events. The communications intern will be provided with an office, a laptop and general supplies for the duration of the internship.
This internship is open to junior and senior undergraduates and graduate students that are studying:
- Public relations
- Broadcast media
- Print journalism
- Communication studies
- Marketing
- Political science
- Advertising
- Photography
- Graphic design
Students applying must have at least a 3.0 GPA. The summer application period closed on April 15, 2024. Check back to see the next deadline for the fall semester (typically two months prior to the start of the semester) or email Lori Jhons at ljhons@almonline.org.