About Houston-Galveston Area Council  

Local governments touch the lives of citizens in our region every day, in many ways. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is the regional council of local governments for our area, serving an area of 12,500 square miles and more than   7 million people. H-GAC helps local governments, and their citizens address issues that cross city limits and county lines. The work is important because our region is growing rapidly. Local governments must meet today’s needs and prepare for a better future.  

H-GAC helps local government consider issues and cooperate in solving today’s problems while also planning for the future. Total membership stands at 131 local governments – all 13 county governments, 107 cities, and 11 school districts. H-GAC is governed by a 37-member Board of Directors composed of local elected officials who serve on the governing bodies of those member local governments.  

H-GAC provides many tools to support the region’s local governments: information, region-wide plans, and services concentrated in areas such as Community and Environmental Planning, Data Services, Human Services, Public Services, and Transportation Planning  

 

The H-GAC Internship Program is designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and your future.  

H-GAC is dedicated to developing the talent of up-and-coming college students who strive for academic success and demonstrate leadership. Our Internships provide real-life work experiences that are closely related to your field of study, as well as integrating you into our H-GAC culture. In addition to challenging work and making a valuable contribution, you will have the opportunity to be coached and mentored by some of the top leaders in our agency. High-performing interns may have the opportunity for future internships or possible full-time opportunities with H-GAC.  

 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

This internship opportunity is for a college student with a major in Environmental Science, Biology, or a related degree to work with an experienced team and receive on-the-job training while gaining professional experience.   Learn directly from experienced professionals and managers with extensive knowledge in water quality monitoring, database management, and public education and outreach. Apply academic studies to contribute to the research of this project and the positive impact it will have on our regions water quality.   Participate in real, meaningful work assignments to learn how your academic experience translates to the professional environment. This position is a temporary intern position that is not benefits-eligible.

You will be part of a team that is working to conduct ambient water quality monitoring that will help determine if area water bodies are meeting State water quality standards.  In addition, you will help find illicit sources of bacteria that are making their way into local waterbodies and creating unsafe conditions for contact recreation.  In this role you will be analyzing aerial imagery for priority watersheds, working as part of a team conducting windshield surveys and walking the banks of local streams to find potential sources of bacteria and document their location with a Global Positioning System and photos.  The selected candidate must be detail-oriented and be able to organize work and files to hand off to other staff and contractors to initiate targeted bacteria monitoring.

 

Responsibilities: 

ü Assist in conducting windshield surveys to document potential sources of bacteria pollution to area waterways. 

ü Perform ambient and targeted water quality monitoring as part of a field team.

ü Prepare field equipment and supplies before monitoring events

ü Assist in the download and management of data resulting from monitoring events.

 

 

ENTRY QUALIFICATIONS:  

Minimal – Enrolled as a college Junior –Graduate level studies, 3.0+ GPA, must be enrolled in a minimum of 9 credit hours in the semester preceding or following the internship term. The hours will be 20 hours per week.

Optimal – Proficient in Microsoft Word/Excel, field of study closely related to internship offered.

Ability to read and interpret maps and plats.

Ability to work outside, get up and downstream banks, and wade in streams.