The Fall 2021 STEMworks™ Ag Internship Program kicked off September 27 and will continue through December 5. This semester’s crop of interns is made up of 17 high school students who have been placed with 11 host companies across Maui and Molokai. Over the next 10-weeks, these interns will work 15-20 hours a week on meaningful projects that provide them with hands-on, experiential learning experiences to boost their career readiness skills. This Fall, interns will learn about many different topics and work on projects in conventional and organic Ag operations that include, but are not limited to; agroforestry, agritourism, processing crops and meat, nursery operations, agricultural education and outreach, caring for livestock, traditional Hawaiian farming practices, and conducting forage research trials.
The STEMworks Ag Internship Program has blossomed since it was first piloted in the Fall of 2020 with just five interns from Maui and five host companies. Since then, internships have been offered for youth on Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. A total of 33 interns have completed the program at 21 host companies. The goal of this program is to expose students to different agricultural careers, and to hopefully encourage them to enter the Ag industry. If you would like more information about the program or are interested in being a host company please contact Britney James britney@medb.org or you can visit our website: https://www.stemworkshawaii.org/aginternships
“I have learned so much about organic farming, horticulture, sustainability, and the life cycle. This internship has widened my perspective and allowed me to see many different jobs that aren’t talked about at school. Because I have completed this internship, I have become more passionate about these things, and I definitely see myself pursuing a career in agriculture in the future.”
Kira Kai Yamazaki Gray, a student from Molokai High School, summer 2021 intern at Pu’u O Hoku Ranch
