The South Orange & Maplewood School District (SOMSD) Office of Communications leads internal and external communications for building staff and school-age families in Maplewood Township and South Orange Village, NJ, consisting of 7,000 students across ten schools. The Communications Office is responsible for media relations, public relations, digital communications, storytelling, internal communications, and district-wide branding. The department works closely with school leaders, staff, and district leadership to ensure transparent, timely, and engaging two-way communication with students, families, staff, and the broader community.
SOMSD is seeking passionate, creative, and reliable college students with an interest in photojournalism and public service for a summer internship with administrators from the district's Senior Leadership Team. This is an opportunity to gain real-world experience supporting public education through strategic storytelling, multimedia content creation, and community engagement.
This is an unpaid internship for students pursuing communications and media studies.
What this internship entails:
Interns will work closely with the communications team and the Superintendent's Office on a range of projects, including:
- Writing/editing news releases, web content, and social media copy to help highlight the achievements of SOMSD students and staff
- Assisting in the planning and promotion of district events and campaigns
- Supporting updates to the district website and social media channels
- Helping to organize media opportunities and event coverage
- Designing flyers, graphics, e-newsletters, and promotional materials
- Maintaining a content calendar for social media and digital outreach
- Supporting the District’s student and staff recognition efforts
- Performing other communications-related duties as assigned
The ideal intern has:
- Strong writing, editing, and communication skills
- Familiarity with digital tools including Google Workspace, Flickr, Adobe Creative Cloud, or equivalent
- A keen interest in public education, copywriting/storytelling, and community engagement
- Attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple projects at once
- Proactive, reliable, and self-motivated with a positive attitude
- Awareness of current events and evolving social media trends and an understanding of content scheduling systems
Eligibility & Schedule:
Students pursuing a degree in journalism, public relations, or similar field. Successful candidates will be available for approximately 12–16 virtual hours during the week, with occasional weekends and evenings onsite for community events in Essex County, NJ.
Office Location: South Orange & Maplewood School District Administrative Offices
Office of Communications
525 Academy Street
Maplewood, NJ 07040
Internship duration will run from June 2025 to September 2025. We will work with student candidate's weekly schedules.
Email resume and cover letter:
If you are a student interested in gaining real-world experience on public information, technology, and digital communications,
email your letter of interest and resume to the district's Director of Communications at information@somsd.k12.nj.us
Applications close June 6, 2025.