Role: Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) Support Intern
Location: Remote with opportunities for travel to conferences/events
Reports to: Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) Program Coordinator
Job Type: Unpaid Internship
Duration: 1 year
Hours: 2 hrs per day (Mon–Fri, between 6am and 4pm PDT)
Vacation days: interns are entitled to 4 weeks of vacation time (20 work days) per 1-year term
Contract Renewal: If onboarded for this internship position, there is possibility for contract renewal after the dates of the internship have ended
WHO WE ARE:
The Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization co-founded by Brazilian anthropologist Dr. Bia Labate and American psychologist Dr. Clancy Cavnar, based in Northern California and with strong ties to Brazil and Mexico. We promote reciprocity in the psychedelic community, and support the protection of sacred plants and cultural traditions. We advance psychedelic justice through curating critical conversations and uplifting the voices of women, queer people, Indigenous peoples, people of color, and the Global South in the field of psychedelic science.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
We are currently seeking a creative and motivated individual to join our team and support our Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative (IRI) Program Coordinator with various tasks essential to supporting the growth of resources for our Indigenous partners in the global North and South. Our IRI Program Coordinator is responsible for advancing its network of grassroots biocultural conservation advocacy and reciprocity campaigns by raising unconditional funding, providing a platform for education, and providing support through research and audio-visual services for our Indigenous partners. As an intern, you would be responsible for supporting these various tasks as determined by the IRI Program Coordinator.
COMPETENCIES:
- Excitement for the mission, vision and values of the organization
- General understanding of the contemporary psychedelic landscape
- Proven experience of management of offerings similar to academic and popular courses
- Relevant work experience is a plus
- Excellent organizational and self-management skills
- Strong and consistent communication skills
- Competency in Slack, Google Drive, Google Forms, Excel, YouTube etc.
- Basic knowledge of graphic design principles and tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite)
- Cultural sensitivity and awareness of Indigenous issues, with a commitment to respectful and informed representation of diverse cultures and traditions
- Positive attitude, attention to detail with good multitasking and organizational ability
- Ability to approach work with a culturally responsive and inclusive mindset
- Graphic design skills and a keen eye for visual composition
DUTIES:
Coordination
• Supporting communications with organizations participating in the IRI Program
• Investigating how Chacruna can support their projects, while maintaining strict ethical standards
• Supporting in collecting and writing yearly reports
• Scheduling meetings between the Program Coordinator and donors and business leaders around the topic of Indigenous reciprocity
• Supporting the maintenance of the IRI website, online materials, and IRI social media
• Assist designers in developing graphics, including editing existing assets to align with brand guidelines and project objectives
Communications
- Researching topics relevant to IRI
- Supporting the production of articles
- Monitoring the IRI email account
- Supporting creation of newsletters
- Sending receipts, thank yous, and acknowledgements/invoices to selected IRI donors via email
- Supporting the creation of audiovisual materials and publications for the continued development of IRI’s online presence, including social media content for the Indigenous Reciprocity Thursday’s series
EDUCATION/YEARS EXPERIENCE
Minimum:
- Preferred high school diploma or GED
- Preferred Portuguese or Spanish speaking
- Preferred 3 years of demonstrated experience working in communications and project management roles on a cross-functional team
- Experience working in cause-related issue areas, nonprofit organizations and/or charitable causes, either on staff or in a volunteer role
Expectations:
- Applicant must be currently enrolled in school or participate in a similar educational program
- This internship is educational in nature and there is no guarantee or expectation that the internship will result in employment
- The education received by the Intern from the internship is for the express benefit of the Intern
- A certificate of completion will be awarded at the end given that all parameters are met
Opportunities for professional and personal growth:
- Inspirational Talks from Psychedelic Experts – this is a program offered internally for the Chacruna staff which would be accessible to Chacruna interns
- One-on-one mentoring with a Chacruna board member or another expert in Chacruna’s network – this mentor would be someone whose work is relevant to the career path/goals of the intern and would provide guidance and advice for professional growth
- Hosting of a Chacruna Community Forum – this would be an opportunity for the intern to open and introduce forums, which would provide visibility and an opportunity for a speaking engagement which can be added to the intern’s CV
- Support curation and production processes of Chacruna’s annual conference
- Creation of a special newsletter
TO APPLY:
We encourage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and folks of other minority communities to apply for our internship positions.
Please send your CV and a short statement of interest (max 300 words) explaining why you would like to join Chacruna and support the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative to:
Subject line: “IRI Internship Application – [Your Name]”
You can read testimonials from our previous interns here.