|
City Department |
Intern Role Description |
| 311 |
An intern placed in 311 will be working with the City's ChatBot and Survey Monkey. They should have a strong interest in communications, and will be working to expand the social media presence of both 311, municipal services, and 211, social services. |
| City Court |
The City of Knoxville Municipal Court handles cases involving city ordinance violations including traffic infractions, property maintenance, animal control, and other community matters within the City’s jurisdiction. Our Court is committed to providing fair, accessible, and efficient judicial processes while serving the public and upholding the law.
As a Summer in the City intern, you will gain experience in court administration, case processing, and the role of the judiciary in municipal government. An intern will work closely with court staff to support daily operations, assist with special projects, and develop a deeper understanding of the Municipal Court system. Key responsibilities will include assisting with administrative tasks, supporting customer service efforts, observing and assisting with courtroom proceedings, and participating in projects aimed at community engagement.
|
| Communications |
An intern interested in working with the Communications department should have strong writing and communications skills, experience with videography or photography and social media tools. The Comms’ intern will be writing blog and social media posts about City projects, including the Summer in the City internship program and the weekly Kid A' Riffic Fun in the Park event for Knoxville youth, which the Comm's intern will assist with on Wednesdays.
|
| Community Safety |
An Intern placed with the Office of Community Safety would need to help with community surveys and assessments related to safety and available resources and services. They would also assist with gathering information from the community, reviewing and compiling data, and assisting in writing reports. Intern might also provide support in collecting and compiling data around street outreach and other violence interruption strategies, and assist with site visits for Summer Opportunity Youth Grant partners. Entry-level research skills are highly desired but not required. Intern should be a strong critical thinker, have strong communication skills, and an interest in community safety. |
| Disability Services |
The Disability Services Intern will gather and compile a current inventory of Parks and Rec's accessible parks, playgrounds, pools, fishing piers, kayak launches and swing sets—both accessible and "regular" at each site
o Include timeline or dates of when accessibility improvements are/were made
o Include unique amenities at each park (Example, not many parks have fishing piers or kayak launches...or accessible swings)
· Inputting Information and Referral (I&R) requests into database
· Gathering information for I&R's
· Organizing/filing of historic files
· Other related responsibilities as needed
Our ideal Intern would be familiar with, or want to learn more, about the disability community in Knoxville, and/or interested in advocating for others but not necessary. |
| Empower Knox |
Empower Knox is the City of Knoxville's youth-focused initiative. An intern with EK will work on developing meeting agendas, social media content, flyer design, and help inform youth programs like Mayor's Youth Council, Mayor's Emerging Leaders, and Empower Knox Grant Funding. |
| Engineering - Transportation |
The Transportation Engineering Division strives to provide safe and efficient roadways which balance the needs of all modes of transportation for all ages and abilities supporting the City’s Vision Zero Strategy. Our team serves the needs of the citizens of the City of Knoxville by combining technical knowledge and creative thinking skills to plan, design, operate, and maintain transportation systems to help build smart, safe, and livable communities. These systems include key elements like traffic signals, street signs, pavement markings, parking, and street lights. Our Summer in the City intern will support the Signal and Sign Shops by engaging in field work that enhances your ability to apply concepts learned in the classroom to real-world settings. Interns must be willing to work outside each day. |
| Fire Department |
An intern placed with the Knoxville Fire Department would rotate through their Admin Office, EMS Division, Fire Marshal’s Office, and possibly their training division. They would most likely be doing clerical duties and other office and administrative tasks. |
| Fleet Services |
An intern placed with Fleet Services may assist with administrative support and tasks related to city vehicles. The Fleet Service Department maintains the city's fleet of more than 1,400 vehicles and equipment (from squad cars to fire trucks and snow plows) which city employees use to deliver many essential public services. |
| Human Resources |
The Human Resources Department aims to build capacity by offering supportive resources for managers and employees to understand policies, develop professionally and provide a safe and secure workplace that retains and treats our employees with dignity and respect. Based on an intern’s strengths and interests, an intern placed with the HR department may assist with the following: creating social media and newsletter content, analyzing complex datasets, developing surveys, compiling data and file maintenance. Ideally, the HR intern should enjoy working with a diverse group of people, have close attention to detail and an interest in working in an office environment. The ideal intern should be familiar with, or want to learn more about employee relations and culture, complex excel functions, job analysis and legal compliance. |
| KAT |
Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) is looking for someone who is outgoing, social media savvy, and a good communicator. KAT's intern will participate in their community outreach activities, create a social media campaign, and support their KAT Reimagined marketing and communication launch goals. |
| Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC) |
KCDC is the public housing authority for Knoxville and Knox County and is recognized by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as a high-performing public housing authority. KCDC also serves as the redevelopment agency for the City of Knoxville and fosters economic development through approving tax credits and incentives for new businesses looking to locate in the area. |
| Neighborhood Empowerment |
An intern placed with the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment would be helping by answering the phones, and creating their weekly newsletter. This entails writing articles, assembling their Mail Chimp version, printing paper copies, keeping their calendar up to date, and posting to social media. They could also help with other projects as needed, like updating their webpages.
If the intern wants to learn how local government works with the community, there will be many opportunities to be a part of public and neighborhood meetings. |
| Parks and Recreation |
The Parks and Recreation Department offers a wide variety of activities for each member of the family to enjoy. One of the main goals for the department is to improve recreation opportunities for all Knoxvillians through recreation centers, greenway trails, and parks. An intern placed with Parks and Rec will assist with administrative duties and programming support. |
| Police Advisory and Review Committee |
The City of Knoxville Police Advisory Review Committee (PARC) is an independent body that reviews citizen complaints against the Knoxville Police Department, promotes accountability, and fosters trust between the community and law enforcement. As a summer intern with PARC, you would assist in reviewing cases, researching policing policies, engaging with community stakeholders, helping organize public meetings, and much more. This role offers hands-on experience in civilian oversight, public policy, and community advocacy, providing a unique opportunity to support transparency and justice in local policing. |
| Police Department |
The mission of the Knoxville Police Department is to safeguard the public and prevent crime. An intern placed with KPD will assist with administrative tasks as well as provide support at Safety City and have the opportunity to complete trainings including a tour of the Forensic Center. |
| Public Service |
A Public Service intern must be willing to work outside each day. They will spend time in each of their areas: Construction, Facilities, the Service Areas, Urban Forestry, Horticulture, and their Warehouse. They will supply work boots, gloves, and any other safety equipment required. The intern does not need any special skills coming in to the program as they will teach them and give them hands on experience. Some of the jobs they may be asked to do are: assist Facilities department with repairs, trimming and pruning shrubs with Horticulture crew, inventory items at the Warehouse, and help Service Area Central crew set up and assist Special Events with different events this summer, such as the weekly Kid A’Riffic program. They will also get to see heavy equipment in action and receive some basic instruction on how the equipment operates.
|
| Sustainability |
The Office of Sustainability manages Knoxville's progress towards our climate and environmental goals. Our staff monitors building energy use, manages data and global reporting requirements, researches policies and programs, and more. Our Summer in the City intern will support the Sustainability Coordinator by processing data, researching sustainability topics, generating communications content, and more. Candidates should be able to: work on a computer in an office environment all day; work extensively in Microsoft Excel/Word; use critical thinking to conduct meaningful research and resolve data problems; communicate effectively; and produce detailed, accurate work. |