The New England Board of Higher Education has announced the beginning of the seventh year of its Regional Environmental Internship Program. Funding for the program has been provided by the Freeman Foundation, Starr Foundation, and the Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation.

The program’s continued success is due to business, government and nonprofit organizations’ willingness to provide eligible college students with an environmentally focused 10-week paid summer placement. NEBHE is seeking jobs from employers for next summer’s interns as well as accepting applications from college students. The application and descriptive materials are available at www.nebhe.org.

Students also participate with other interns in a group workshop and an environmental symposium. Supervisors from participating organizations, faculty members from various colleges and universities, former interns, and guests with an interest in student activities in support of the environment attend the symposium along with the interns.

The internships allow college students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to actual environmental problems and issues outside the schoolroom.

The Regional Environmental Internship Program has grown from providing internships in Vermont for 15 students in 1995 to placements for almost 80 students in 2000 throughout New England. This past summer, 15 Maine residents were among the 21 students working in Maine organizations. In addition, one Maine resident worked in an organization in Vermont.