As part of our mission to “lead the way toward a future in which people and environment prosper together”, Institute on t partner with Saint Paul’s Right Track program to welcome a yearly cohort of summer interns to the IonE team. Right Track places high school students and recent graduates in internships with businesses and local organizations. 

This year’s cohort blew us away with their maturity, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Interns’ curiosity opened the door to experiences like visiting two Energy Transition Lab solar sites to learn about the coexistence of solar farms and pollinator habitats on the same land. They also visited Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory to learn about how the lab is expanding the horizons of solar, wind, and water energy. 

Back on campus, they were willing to contribute to whatever work came their way, even when it was unexpected. For example, when the amount of environmental justice interviews carried out by SustEd’s Christina Lundgren eclipsed expectations, the Right Trackers were eager to hop onboard and undertake some of the transcriptions. 

We’re proud of the hard work our interns put in this summer. Each of them made a tangible impact here at IonE and furthered our work in a meaningful way. 

Some highlights: 

The Right Trackers used their newfound expertise on the St Paul campus geography to create a scavenger hunt for the IonE staff…

and also honed their bowling skills. They didn’t even use bumpers!

When all was said and done, supervisors and Right Trackers celebrated a great summer at the Right Track celebration.

We can’t wait to see the amazing things this year’s Right Track cohort does as they go into the new school year, and we thank them for their outstanding work!