Homestay Marketing & Grant Fellow (Tourism Campaign)

Final version of #4: grant implementation comes first, the ads send people to the Places to Stay page, and helping with the homestay process is a bonus if there's time.

``` Homestay Marketing & Grant Fellow (Tourism Campaign) | Main Street Buena Vista

Location: Buena Vista, VA. In person downtown, with some flexible remote work. Type: Paid project internship (Main Street Fellowship) Stipend: $500 for the project Time commitment: 20 hours over about 5 weeks (roughly 4 hours per week), scheduled around your classes Start: Mid-November 2026, as soon as hired End: By the end of the fall semester, mid-December 2026

ABOUT THE ROLE Help bring visitors to Buena Vista through a state-funded tourism campaign, "At Home in Buena Vista: Stay Local, Explore the Blue Ridge." You will help MSBV carry out the grant from start to finish, making sure every requirement is met, and create a social media campaign that sends visitors to MSBV's new "Places to Stay" page featuring local homestays.

WHAT YOU WILL DO Grant implementation - Review the grant agreement and build a checklist of every requirement and deadline - Track progress on each requirement and flag anything at risk - Make sure all ads include required logos, credits, and wording - Keep organized records: receipts, invoices, and proof of each ad - Set up a tracking sheet for campaign results - Help prepare the final grant report

Campaign - Plan the campaign with MSBV's Executive Director - Create 6 on-brand social media ads that send visitors to the "Places to Stay" page - Feature Blue Ridge Abbey, downtown, and the Blue Ridge outdoors using photos provided by hosts and MSBV - Write ad captions and a simple posting schedule

If time allows - Help promote the homestay program so more local hosts apply to be listed - Help make sure every listed homestay is featured in the campaign

PROJECT TIMELINE - Week 1: Review the grant agreement and build the requirements checklist - Week 2: Plan the campaign and review the "Places to Stay" page - Week 3: Design the ads and write captions (light week over Thanksgiving) - Week 4: Check every ad against grant requirements and set up the records and tracking system - Week 5: Final edits, outline the final report, and present to MSBV leadership

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN - Real experience carrying out a state tourism grant - A complete ad campaign for your portfolio - Experience in tourism and digital marketing - A reference from the Executive Director

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR - Detail-oriented, organized, and reliable with deadlines - Comfortable reading and following official guidelines - Social media and design skills (Canva or similar) - Interest in tourism, marketing, or nonprofit work

Preferred majors: Marketing, Communications, Business, Hospitality. All majors are welcome to apply.

ABOUT MAIN STREET BUENA VISTA Main Street Buena Vista (MSBV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and Virginia Main Street organization working to revitalize downtown Buena Vista. We run community events, support small businesses, attract visitors, and track the economic impact of downtown. We are a small, hands-on team, so fellows do real work that the community will see and use.

HOW TO APPLY Submit your resume and a short note (2 to 3 sentences) about why this project interests you. Applications are reviewed as they come in, and we hope to start right away. ```