South Coast Air Quality Management District

Implement Student Intern Program

SYNOPSIS: 

In January, 1999, the Board approved a summer student intern program as part of the initiatives to implement the Children’s Air Quality Agenda. This action is to continue the intern program on a year-round basis.

COMMITTEE: 

Administrative, January 12, 2001, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Approve the AQMD’s Student Intern Program as an on-going program to improve children’s air quality.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

At the January 8, 1999 meeting, the Governing Board adopted basic tenets and action initiatives and approved a workplan to implement the Children’s Air Quality Agenda. One element of that workplan was a summer student intern program that has been successful. Supervisor Antonovich has asked that the Board consider extending the program to be a year-round one and that staff provide periodic reports to the Board that include an assessment of the program and feedback from the interns.

AQMD has provided mutually beneficial educational intern experiences for high school and college students in majors ranging from chemistry and environmental affairs to law, accounting, and computer programming. Student interns have obtained firsthand experience in departmental work areas such as AQMD’s fiscal, laboratory, planning, and technology advancement offices, and have had the opportunity to engage in day-to-day work with mentoring professionals.

Assignments have been made with the objective of matching students’ skills and academic interests with agency staffing needs. For example, in the AQMD laboratory, interns have prepared new air sampling filters, extracted filters for analysis by ion chromatography and atomic absorption, logged filter data including computer calculated results, delivered and collected samples to and from outlying stations and other laboratories, and maintained extensive aerosol archives. In the accounting area, interns have assisted with annual fixed asset inventories.

While at the AQMD, in the largest air quality management district in the United States, students work side-by-side with air quality professionals who are dedicated to meeting the challenge of cleaning up the air in southern California. Such an intern program can help students make decisions involving collegiate and graduate training in the sciences and other professional fields.

The intern program was successful this past summer and this action seeks to broaden the program to offer opportunities to students throughout the entire year for temporary assignments of 8-10 weeks.

Proposal

1. Establish an SCAQMD Intern Program, to be re-authorized annually, under which each Board member may recommend one or more high school or college students to work at AQMD as an Intern. The total number of intern hours per Board member is 1,040 per fiscal year which may be used in any combination of full- and part-time work at various times throughout a year. For example, two interns might work full-time in the summer or several interns might work part-time, etc. In this way, the program has the maximum flexibility for interns to adjust their internship in coordination with their school schedules. Interns are to receive hands-on training in air chemistry, meteorology, computer modeling, engineering, public administration, accounting, transportation research, public affairs, environmental law, or other related air quality field. Staff will, wherever feasible, attempt to obtain outside funding to provide a stipend or scholarship contribution, or academic credit for student internships.
   
   
2. Staff would select which divisions of the agency would provide interns with the most valuable work experience, and prepare assignments that not only motivate and challenge them but also provide meaningful assistance to AQMD in reaching its goals and objectives. Student interns will have the opportunity to work closely with experienced engineers, chemists, meteorologists, programmers, and other staff.
   
   
3. New interns will attend a Governing Board meeting to be welcomed by the AQMD Board, and an initial orientation meeting with staff to provide an introduction to the AQMD’s structure and overall operations. As part of the internship experience, staff will facilitate periodic meetings of the interns with each other to share experiences gained in various areas of the organization, and between interns and their respective Deputy Executive Officers to discuss experiences and provide feedback.
   
   
4. Staff will report to the Board periodically on the Student Intern Program, including feedback from the interns on their experiences. At least annually, or more frequently if appropriate, the Board will acknowledge the work of the interns and issue certificates recognizing the interns’ contributions, and determine if the program should be funded for the following year.

Fiscal Impacts

Based on an hourly rate of $8.00 and maximum program utilization, staff estimates that the total cost at $99,840 annually. Staff proposes that this program be implemented within resources already allocated for FY 2000-01 for the remainder of this fiscal year, and that this program be included in future budget planning.

Attachment

None.

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