Learning While Contributing 

Editor's note: C-10 is grateful to have had another terrific summer intern: Lydia Umholtz—a West Newbury, Mass. native now back for her sophomore year at Smith College. While we miss her already, we are eager to connect with another local student or volunteer to help around the office. If you know someone who might be interested in gaining experience and contributing to C-10’s mission, please send them our way! More at c-10.org . Here’s Lydia in her own words about the experience at C-10. 

I’m glad to have had the opportunity to work with C-10 this summer and learn more about what the organization does. Environmental science and policy is an interest I’m pursuing at Smith College, and one of the reasons I was interested to apply for an internship.

While at C-10, I worked on many different projects from tidying up the member database to organizing archiving press clippings. I got to sit in on a board meeting and fundraising workshop where I learned about how nonprofits communicate their goals effectively.

From working in the office and talking to Executive Director Natalie Hildt Treat, I learned a lot of valuable information about how organizations operate, and I’m inspired by what I have seen at C-10 in terms of the level independence room for creativity a small nonprofit has to offer.

I also had the opportunity to learn a little bit about the radiological monitoring stations and alert system that C-10 runs.  C-10 is responsible for keeping an eye on the levels of radiation in the air and submitting monthly reports to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, their contracting agency. Having a monitoring network run a by citizens group with priorities built solely around public health and the natural environment is something I see as an essential check on a privately owned nuclear power plant.

In both research and education, C-10 is doing important work for the public. I’m thankful for the chance to work with C-10, and I encourage anyone looking for an internship or volunteer opportunity to reach out and learn more about the organization.