UNPAID - Southern Illinois Duck Derby Internship

Position Summary: Special Olympics Illinois is currently seeking an Intern for the Southern Illinois Duck Derby.

This internship is a part-time, unpaid position for school credit. Primarily responsible for providing support to the Southern Illinois Duck Derby fundraising campaign and event operations for Special Olympics Illinois. The Duck Derby Intern will assist with donor and sponsor outreach, duck adoption campaigns, volunteer coordination, event promotion, social media content, community engagement, and day-of-event logistics for the Southern Illinois Duck Derby in Du Quoin. This role will help strengthen community partnerships, increase fundraising participation, and support a high-quality event experience that benefits athletes across Southern Illinois.

Duration: June - Sept

Compensation: Unpaid, school credit

Location: Marion, IL

Report to Jaedyn Beers, Assistant Director of Development

Primary Responsibilities

• Assist with planning, promotion, and execution of the Southern Illinois Duck Derby fundraising event in Du Quoin.
• Support sponsorship outreach efforts by helping communicate with local businesses, donors, and community partners.
• Create and schedule social media posts, promotional materials, and community engagement content to increase duck adoptions and event awareness.
• Coordinate volunteer recruitment, registration, and event-day assignments to ensure smooth event operations.
• Provide administrative and logistical support including data entry, prize tracking, event setup/teardown, and participant communication for Special Olympics Illinois fundraising initiatives.

Qualifications

• Students pursuing degrees in Sports Management, Event Management, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Nonprofit Management, Recreation Administration, Business Administration, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Candidates with an interest in fundraising, community engagement, event operations, or nonprofit organizations such as Special Olympics Illinois are preferred.
• Passion for the mission of Special Olympics Illinois and enthusiasm for community engagement.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable learning new digital tools.

Requirements

• Must be actively enrolled in an educational program seeking school credit for internship
• Internship offer contingent upon successful completion of a background check
• Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance is required
• Ability to assist in sorting, moving, and inventory for program equipment as needed; able to lift 25 pounds

Pay Range: unpaid internship opportunity (school credit)

Special Olympics Illinois is committed to building a diverse, creative, engaged, collaborative, and hard-working team that is dedicated to our athletes, our communities, and each other. Our employees are our most valuable asset, and we aim to create a positive atmosphere where employees feel valued and fulfilled. We truly want people to love working here, and we strive to create a culture that allows for growth, opportunity, and fun.

Special Olympics Illinois is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction, and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.