What are the responsibilities and job description for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Intern - Community Engagement & Grant Research position at City of Minnetonka?
The DEI Community Engagement & Grant Research Intern will support the City’s equity initiatives by strengthening outreach efforts, elevating resident voices, and identifying funding opportunities that advance inclusive programs and services. This role blends community engagement, research, writing, and project coordination. The ideal candidate is passionate about reducing disparities, developing accessible engagement strategies, and using data and storytelling to improve municipal decision-making.
This is a full-time, seasonal position for Summer 2026.Community Engagement Support
Desired Qualifications
Learning Opportunities
This is a full-time, seasonal position for Summer 2026.Community Engagement Support
- Assist with planning, coordinating, and staffing community engagement events, listening sessions, and cultural celebrations.
- Help build accessible outreach materials (flyers, surveys, social media posts, translations).
- Support efforts to engage historically underrepresented communities through culturally responsive methods.
- Track engagement outcomes and prepare summaries for internal teams and the DEI Commission.
- Conduct resident interviews or focus groups (with supervision) to gather feedback on city programs.
- Research local, state, federal, and philanthropic grant opportunities aligned with DEI goals.
- Prepare summaries of potential funding sources, including eligibility requirements and deadlines.
- Draft components of grant applications (narratives, needs statements, demographic data, impact measures).
- Assist in building a grant-tracking system for DEI and cross-departmental use.
- Support data gathering for reporting and evaluation.
- Conduct literature and best-practice reviews on equitable engagement, inclusive policy design, and culturally responsive programming.
- Help gather and analyze demographic, community feedback, and program participation data to inform DEI strategies.
- Assist in preparing materials for DEI team meetings, the DEI Commission, and City Council updates.
- Currently enrolled in or recently completed a college or university program in Public Policy, Sociology, Ethnic Studies, Communications, Urban Studies, Nonprofit Management, Political Science, or related fields. Or equivalent experience through community work, volunteering, grassroots organizing, or lived experience.
- Experience, coursework, or demonstrated interest in community engagement, equity, public administration, or research.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience designing surveys, facilitating discussions, or conducting outreach.
- Familiarity with grant-writing, fundraising, or nonprofit resource development.
- Knowledge of DEI frameworks, community engagement strategies, or multilingual abilities (any language).
- Strong research and writing skills, especially for summarizing findings clearly.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication abilities with a culturally responsive lens.
- Ability to build trust with diverse communities and work professionally with residents, staff, and partners.
- Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethical community engagement.
Learning Opportunities
- Hands-on experience conducting DEI-centered engagement in municipal government.
- Training in grant research, grant writing, and project evaluation.
- Opportunities to present findings to DEI leadership or the DEI Commission.
- Exposure to city operations, cross-departmental collaboration, and equity planning.
Salary : $21 - $23