GIS Internship, Washington, D.C.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) is the nation's leading advocate for trails and the only national organization devoted to converting unused railroad corridors into multi-use trails. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is dedicated to connecting people and communities by creating a nationwide network of public trails. RTC is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with regional offices in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

Summary

RTC has openings for several interns interested in working on our GIS initiative. The GIS Initiative is a multi-year effort to collect and digitize rail-trail information for open trails, projects in development and abandoned corridors. Interns will assist in collection of GIS data for open and project rail-trails, apply quality control procedures to the data and update RTCs ArcSDE database.

The data collection effort for open and project trails are being led by the Finance and Administration Department and Program Department respectively. Interns working on open trails will report to the Director of Information Technology and those working on projects in development will report to the Manager of Trail Development. All interns will be working with RTCs GIS Specialist. RTC offers full-time or part-time internship opportunities on a year round basis. Interns receive hands-on experience with the suite of ESRI software products, conduct research, and may travel to conduct on the ground GPS data collection.

Interns will participate as RTC staff members including attending staff meetings, retreats and social gatherings. Hours are flexible to accommodate class schedule(s) or other commitments. RTCs official business hours are five days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Benefits

Positions are unpaid though interns will enjoy the benefits of working in downtown Washington, D.C., in the casual but professional RTC National Office. Easily accessible by metros red, orange and blue lines, the office is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle District, just four blocks from the White House and near a variety of restaurants and shops. Nearby cultural attractions include the Smithsonian, historical monuments, and the trendy Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan neighborhoods. (In March 2008, we will be moving to our new location at 2121 Wards Pl, NW, Foggy Bottom/West End).

Qualifications

Qualified interns will be students in undergraduate or graduate programs seeking on-the-job experience in GIS. Due to the initial training investment required for this internship, we request at minimum 3 month commitment. Ideal candidates will have some experience using GIS and working knowledge of ESRIs ArcGIS product family. RTC operates off a Microsoft Office platform, and experience in Word, Excel, and Outlook is expected. Applicants should be task-oriented, highly organized and possess a strong interest in GIS.