Last spring, while finishing my third year at Western University, I decided
to participate in an Internship as an extension of my academic program. While
sorting through the different placements available to the Media, Information and
Technoculture students, one in particular jumped out at me. The Thames Region
Ecological Association (TREA) was offering to hire a Media Intern for the summer.
Having lived in London for three years I had fallen in love with the Thames Region
biking paths and the surrounding areas. It was this love that influenced me to apply
for the position at TREA.
After landing the job, it dawned on me that I really didn’t know what to
expect. Of course, I loved the Thames Region and wanted to help protect it – but
where and how could a Media Intern help?
On my first day I was given a task that involved promoting and advertising
TREA’s annual London Bicycle Festival. I quickly learned that my set of skills and
talents could actually be of value to TREA. As a media intern my job is to help the
organization connect with the community. The media helps TREA to advertise and
promote the events, gain acknowledgement and support from the community,
as well as recruit members and volunteers. For without the support from our
community, TREA would not be able to run many of the practical programs it does.
Since then I have lent my hand in launching the organization’s new website
(yes, this one you’re looking at right now!), bringing input to TREA’s social
media platforms, as well as creating a teachers guide based around the issue of
consumption. Due to the small size of the organization, I was allowed a lot of
autonomy in my work. I felt that what I had to offer was actually beneficial to the
organization. This meant that although some of the work has been challenging, it
has been very rewarding.
Through working with TREA I have gained valuable work experience,
increased my confidence in the workplace and met some incredible people. So, if
you are considering getting involved with environmental improvements, I would
advise you to do so with TREA, for no matter what your skill set is they will find an
area for you to shine.