St. Vrain expands student sustainability internships with Innovation Center partnership

At its Oct. 8 meeting, the St. Vrain Valley Schools Board of Education heard presentations on a pilot sustainability internship program run by the district’s Sustainability Department in partnership with the Innovation Center that placed four students in semester-long, research-focused roles supporting district operations and curriculum.

The internships give students ownership of research projects aligned with district sustainability goals and operations, including work on indoor air quality monitoring, sustainable design in school buildings, greenhouse-gas accounting and the Colorado Seal of Climate Literacy. Curtis Leonard, the district’s energy and sustainability specialist, told the board that the interns have produced strategy recommendations the department is taking under consideration.

"Our interns have truly been an asset," said Curtis Leonard, energy and sustainability specialist, describing the students' work producing recommendations on technical topics the sustainability team uses in planning.

Heidi (last name not provided), the district’s postsecondary workforce readiness coordinator, and Jamie Carius, an internship facilitator at the Innovation Center, described the program structure: students applied in the spring, were interviewed in May and began work this semester. The district received more applications than it could accept, Leonard said, indicating demand among students for sustainability-related professional experiences.

Two interns spoke to the board about their work. Hannah Hlinski, a senior at Mead High School serving as the indoor air quality intern, said the experience connected directly to her Energy Academy coursework and her career goals. "For me sustainability isn't just a school project, it's about leaving the world better than I found it," Hlinski said.

Alina Busser Brink, a 10th grader at Silver Creek High School working on sustainable design, said the internship allowed her to research building techniques and compare practices across districts. "This internship has already opened up so many doors into the future," Busser Brink said.

Presenters said the internship is designed to both support district operational goals (such as reducing energy and water use and improving indoor environmental quality) and expand student career pathways. The program includes guest speakers from local academia, government and the private sector and a planned field visit to the City of Longmont sustainability team later this month.

Board members and Superintendent Dr. Jackie Capuchin praised the program as a way to connect classroom learning with district practice. Capuchin thanked staff and students and noted the interns will present final projects on Dec. 9 at the Innovation Center.

No formal board action or vote was taken on the internship program during the meeting; the presentation served as an informational update and recognition of participating students and staff.

The district said it plans to continue developing internship opportunities and to report back with additional details as the program expands.