Internship- Communications

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling is looking for a Communications Student Intern for the Fall 2026 semester!

Time Commitment:
Work a minimum of 12 hours per week and 4 hours per scheduled workday through the stated specific end date; maximum of 30 hours per week; varied days and hours of Monday-Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with some weekends and evenings; maximum total of 240 hours over the course of the semester; non-exempt; part-time; no-benefits

Frederick County Government supports more than 300,000 people across the largest county by land area in Maryland. As the fastest-growing county in the entire state, we rely on a diverse workforce spanning skilled trades, technical roles, professional positions, public safety, and more. Every division and office plays an essential role in keeping Frederick County running smoothly and helping the community thrive.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact, explore the many career paths available in local government. Your work can help shape the future of Frederick County.

By offering hands‑on career exploration designed to bridge academic learning with real‑world experience, our internships allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a professional setting, gain valuable insight into the operations of local government, and explore public service career paths. Participants build meaningful professional connections, contribute to impactful projects, and discover how local government plays a vital role in serving the community.

Individuals seeking to earn academic credit through this internship are responsible for coordinating with their academic institution to ensure the experience meets all required criteria.

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling is offering an internship that places you at the forefront of improving Frederick County’s curbside recycling program and advancing environmental stewardship across the community. In this role, you’ll gain firsthand insight into how the program operates and play a key part in transforming that data into strategic communication efforts. Your work will help strengthen community outreach, deepen public understanding of environmental impacts, and support the Division’s efforts to expand programs and achieve the County’s waste‑diversion and sustainability goals.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

• Conduct curbside bin audits to assess recycling habits, identify contamination types, and analyze trends across different neighborhoods
• Collaborate with the Communications Manager to develop targeted, data‑driven outreach strategies based on data from bin audits
• Attend and represent the Division of Solid Waste and Recycling at community events, engaging residents and answering questions about recycling and waste reduction
• Create compelling social media content and posts to promote recycling education, waste reduction tips, and division initiatives
• Work with the Communications Manager to enhance curriculum materials and develop new tools for school‑based recycling and waste‑education programs
• Develop creative outreach strategies and identify meaningful opportunities within the community to more effectively reach and educate residents about the importance of recycling and waste reduction for both the environment and the community
• Attend workshops, meetings and learning opportunities
• Perform other related duties as assigned

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or…