2026 Internships

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Linda M. Meyer
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Douglas County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? For the Douglas County portion, this internship can provide overnight/temporary housing. No housing provided in Fort Collins.

Internship Overview

Douglas County, Colorado offers a mixture of urban and rural landscapes located just south of Denver. The county has a long history of being a travel corridor. Historically, travelers have made their way through Douglas County via the Smoky Hill Trail, the Cherokee Trail, and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Today, thousands of travelers pass through the county via I-25 daily. Douglas County’s rich agricultural heritage, stemming from beef cattle and dairy production since the 1800s, is commemorated annually through events such as Castle Rock’s Western Heritage Weekend and the Douglas County Fair. Even though the county is only about thirty miles in width, the region is currently seeing significant population growth. As more residents move into the area and historic cattle grazing lands are developed for housing, it becomes imperative to reflect upon how changes in the landscape relate to sustaining a sense of community.

Through the efforts of the Douglas County Libraries’ Archives and Local History Center, Larkspur Historical Society, Parker Area Historical Society, Castle Rock Historical Society and Museum, and other heritage institutions, materials documenting the history of the area are being preserved. To aid this work, it is important to record the voices of individuals who have worked the land, used public spaces, and lived within this ever-changing region. Capturing their stories provides a rich narrative of the region and how space creates community. The Extension 4-H program, serving young individuals of Douglas County for over a century, can offer opportunities to develop skills in writing, interviewing, archival research, event design and hosting, record-keeping, and public history preservation and access.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The goal of this internship is to provide the intern with opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in archival research, oral history collection and access, communication, historical preservation, and rural community and youth engagement.
2. After developing their own proficiency in archival research and oral history interviewing, the intern will support and assist in the training of Douglas County 4-H youth to collect oral histories of community elders. Travel to Douglas County is expected in late June or early July.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with 4-H youth supervised by 4-H volunteers as well as long-time community members, local historians, and history institutions identified by the mentors.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the internship, the intern will have:

1. Facilitated oral history training with 4-H youth
2. Collected and preserved interviews
3. Created transcripts and metadata for adding oral histories to the CSU Libraries digital repository
4. Contributed to a public or digital history project involving community members, local historians, and history institutions

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Lillian Esterl-Byrne
• Other Topics: N/A
• Primary Location: Pueblo County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

The Pueblo County 4-H internship program will immerse the intern in the dynamic world of youth development through direct involvement in two major initiatives: Pueblo County 4-H Camp and Adventure Day Camp. Pueblo County 4-H Camp will serve members ages 8-13, offering them a traditional camp experience that emphasizes teamwork, leadership, and personal growth. Teen counselors ages 14-18 will play a vital role in guiding younger campers, providing peer mentorship, and developing their own leadership skills. The intern will actively participate in planning, facilitating, and evaluating camp activities, while also supporting counselor training and development. Adventure Day Camp will expand the reach of 4-H by engaging non-4-H youth from the broader community, offering them access to positive youth development experiences that they might not otherwise encounter. This outreach component will allow the intern to explore issues of inclusion and accessibility in youth programming. A distinctive feature of this internship will be its applied research component, which will focus on evaluating how camp participation influences youth development outcomes such as confidence, communication, teamwork, and leadership. By combining hands-on program delivery with research and evaluation, the internship will provide a comprehensive learning experience that prepares the intern for future roles in education, youth development, and community engagement.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The internship will have several interconnected goals. First, it will strengthen youth development programming in Pueblo County by enhancing both the quality and accessibility of camp experiences. Second, it will provide the intern with meaningful professional growth opportunities, including leadership development, applied research experience, and exposure to Extension programming. Third, it will emphasize outreach by expanding opportunities for non-4-H youth through Adventure Day Camp. A central goal woven throughout the internship will be the applied research project, which will evaluate the impact of camp participation on youth development outcomes and life skill development.
2. The scope of the internship will include planning and facilitating camp activities, supporting counselor leadership training, assisting with logistics such as registration and communication, engaging with families and community partners, and conducting research through surveys and observational tools. Importantly, the research will also examine differences in life skill development between 4-H youth and non-4-H youth across the two camps to determine if there is a notable difference in outcomes. This comparative lens will provide valuable insights into whether 4-H membership influences skill development or whether outreach programming is equally effective in fostering growth among non-4-H participants.
3. Specific objectives will include designing age-appropriate and engaging camp activities, mentoring teen counselors, collecting and analyzing participant feedback, and documenting how camp experiences contribute to measurable growth in life skills such as problem-solving, resilience, teamwork, communication, and leadership. Another key objective will be to compare the data collected from 4-H youth and non-4-H youth to evaluate differences in life skill development outcomes. This will ensure that the internship not only strengthens programming but also generates evidence that can guide future outreach and inclusion strategies. By combining service delivery with comparative evaluation, the internship will ensure that programming is both practical and scholarly, grounded in accountability and continuous improvement.

Stakeholders

• The intern will engage with a diverse set of stakeholder groups throughout the program. These will include 4-H youth members ages 8-13 who will participate in camp, teen counselors ages 14-18 who will serve as leaders and role models, and parents and families who will support youth involvement. Extension staff and volunteers will provide guidance and logistical support, while community partners will play a key role in Adventure Day Camp outreach. Each of these groups will also contribute to the applied research project, either as participants or collaborators. For example, youth and counselors will complete surveys, while parents and community partners will provide feedback on accessibility and program impact. By working with these stakeholders, the intern will gain experience in collaboration, communication, and stakeholder engagement, while also collecting meaningful data to evaluate youth development outcomes and life skill growth.

Learning Outcomes

1. The internship will be designed to produce a wide range of student learning outcomes. The intern will gain practical experience in youth program design and facilitation, learning how to create engaging activities that foster growth in confidence, teamwork, and communication. They will develop leadership skills by mentoring teen counselors and managing group dynamics. Through the applied research project, the intern will learn how to design surveys, collect data, and analyze findings related to youth development outcomes and life skill development. This experience will strengthen their ability to apply research-based practices in real-world settings. Additional learning outcomes will include improved public speaking, enhanced problem-solving skills, and greater confidence in managing diverse groups of youth. Professional development opportunities will include mentorship from experienced 4-H staff and volunteers, exposure to Extension programming and community engagement, networking with local leaders and organizations, and the development of a professional portfolio that will document both program contributions and research findings. These opportunities will prepare the intern for future roles in education, youth development, and community service.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Josey Pukrop
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Jefferson County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Do you love natural resources, kids and teaching? This internship ties all three together! You’ll spend the majority of your time developing and delivering hands-on, activity-based lessons for underserved elementary aged youth in Jefferson County. The Jeffco 4-H team at the CSU Extension – Jefferson County Office will serve as your mentor team and is ready to help you develop the skills you need to succeed! Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your knowledge base of natural resources and/or horticulture topics and learn about Extension in Jefferson County.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will focus on facilitating natural resources and horticulture programming for youth in Jefferson County. Key activities will include planning, implementing, and evaluating a series of workshops that include interactive, hands-on activities. Programming will be targeted towards local low-income housing sites, underserved audiences, and communities within Jefferson County. Due to the nature of Extension, this internship can be tailored to focus on your strengths and interests. The topics listed in this description are not exhaustive of possibilities and you’re encouraged to apply if you have other areas of interest to focus on!
2. The intern will coordinate events and activities for youth throughout the summer. The on-site supervisor team will work directly with the intern to help them develop these new and innovative programs. The intern will develop an evaluation tool to assess teaching impact following the workshop series.

Stakeholders

• As this internship is focused on educational program delivery, the main stakeholder groups for this internship are youth who are predominantly from underserved populations across Jefferson County.

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will learn about and experience best practice curriculum development and teaching strategies while working with diverse at-risk populations. Most programs will be delivered in informal education settings and should be activity-centered. The intern will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning, while practicing program development, delivery and evaluation. Throughout the internship, the student will be engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders and community partners. They will build professional relationships while practicing their networking skills in a supportive environment.
2. This internship has the flexibility to focus on the intern’s strengths and/or provide growth for intern’s interests. Previous interns have focused teaching efforts on topics like water quality and wildlife identification. To increase professional development, the intern can work with the horticulture and natural resources team within the office to gain more in-depth knowledge regarding key topics within the natural resources and horticulture fields, such as (but not limited to) ecological and natural resource management best practices for wildfire mitigation, preparedness, home hardening techniques and prescriptions related to Lower and Upper Montane forest restoration.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Faith Kroschel
• Other Topics: Health & Well-Being
• Primary Location: Boulder County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship provides a comprehensive introduction to the roles, expectations, and competencies required of an Extension County Specialist in Youth Development and Outreach. Rooted in the mission of Colorado State University Extension, the internship offers hands-on experience engaging diverse and underserved youth through research-informed programming. The intern will support and expand ongoing 4-H youth development efforts in partnership with Casa de la Esperanza and Boulder County Community Housing programs. Through planning, delivering, and evaluating culturally responsive, experiential learning opportunities, the intern will gain applied skills in curriculum development, positive youth development (PYD), community engagement, and mixed-methods evaluation.

The internship is designed to deepen the intern’s understanding of how Extension brings evidence-based resources directly into communities in ways that are relevant, accessible, and inclusive.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. Introduce the intern to Extension’s youth development framework and professional expectations.
2. Expand access to 4-H programming among Latinx, diverse, and underserved youth in Boulder County.
3. Apply research findings to improve the cultural relevance and delivery of youth programs offered directly within community settings.

Scope: The intern will work across three Boulder County housing communities to plan, implement, and evaluate hands-on youth programs in areas such as horticulture, STEAM, home economics, livestock, community health, and disaster recovery. Mentored by the 4-H County Specialist, the intern will support 4-H summer programming both onsite in communities and at Extension events.

Objectives:

1. Deliver weekly hands-on educational sessions using existing 4-H curriculum.
2. Create a new activity kit to support future programming within underserved communities.
3. Conduct needs assessments and gather participant, family, and stakeholder feedback.
4. Utilize Common Measures and other youth development evaluation tools to assess program outcomes.
5. Apply positive youth development principles to create safe, engaging, and culturally responsive learning environments.

Stakeholders

The intern will collaborate closely with:

• Casa de la Esperanza (Longmont)
• Boulder County Housing Community Programs (Lafayette/ Erie)
• Youth program participants and their families
• Extension staff and county partners in horticulture, community health, natural resources, disaster recovery, and livestock programming.

These stakeholders represent culturally diverse, bilingual, and underserved populations whose input will guide program development. The intern will engage families, community leaders, and partner staff in conversations, needs assessments, and evaluation processes to ensure that programming remains relevant and responsive.

Learning Outcomes

By the conclusion of the internship, the intern will be able to:

1. Design and implement curriculum-based youth programs using 4-H methodology.
2. Develop and administer evaluation tools to measure learning, engagement, and outcomes.
3. Apply mixed-methods research techniques, including Common Measures.
4. Revise existing curriculum and improve delivery materials based on evidence and community input.
5. Strengthen communication skills for working with diverse youth, families, partners, and community organizations.
6. Build productive relationships with stakeholders and demonstrate professional leadership capacities.

Professional Development Opportunities:

1. Exposure to diverse program areas across Extension, including agriculture, nutrition, natural resources, horticulture, and community resilience.
2. Hands-on mentoring and shadowing during the initial weeks, gradually transitioning to independent program planning and facilitation.
3. Networking with youth-serving organizations, community leaders, and Extension professionals.
4. Opportunities to practice bilingual communication (if applicable) and cross-cultural engagement strategies.
5. Experience designing a tangible educational product (an activity kit) that will remain part of the Extension program portfolio.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Diana Solenberger
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Lake County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

Do you love natural resources, kids, and teaching? This internship ties all three together, while giving you the opportunity to collaborate with a wide variety of youth organizations in a unique rural community.

The Intern will spend the majority of the summer developing environmental and outdoor education curricula, as well as researching various topics to support curriculum development. They will plan and deliver outdoor activity-based day programs for students in grades K-9th grade in local natural spaces. These programs will include activities on a range of environmental and historical topics such as animal habitats, the Arkansas River watershed, Leadville mining history, Ute culture, geology, energy, and sustainability. The mentor team will help the intern expand their educational experience through youth engagement and curriculum development. They will also support content knowledge and help the intern build their understanding of natural resources and outdoor education topics.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will focus on facilitating natural resources and outdoor education-based programming for youth in Lake County. The intern will work primarily with a partner organization, the Lake County Department of Parks & Recreation’s Get Outdoors Leadville! (GOL!) initiative. Their key activities will include creating curricula, lesson planning, implementing, and evaluating programming for GOL!’s Rockies Rock Adventure Summer camp. In addition, the intern may also work with Lake County’s Water and Natural Resources Department to support volunteer stewardship opportunities throughout the county.
2. The GOL! programming will focus on creating interactive, hands-on activities that can be incorporated into the existing Rockies Rock camp programming and can continue to be used for the Rockies Rock camp program for years to come.
3. The Lake County School District serves a predominantly Hispanic population, with 62% of enrolled students identifying as Hispanic, 35% identifying as white 2.8% identifying as two or more races. This same diverse distribution carries over to Rockies Rock participants. Consequently, the programming developed during this internship strives to be inclusive and culturally relevant for all youth participants and make the outdoors accessible to all.
4. The on-site supervisor team will work directly with the intern to help them develop these new and innovative programs. Additionally, the regional and state mentors will support the intern with natural resources-based content knowledge, and youth education and curriculum development knowledge. The intern will also develop two evaluation tools. One will assess the baseline knowledge of key natural resource/land stewardship topics of Rockies Rock participants, and the second will be a post-camp evaluation to measure teaching impact.

Stakeholders

• The intern’s primary focus will be to collaborate with County Staff on the Rockies Rock Adventure Summer Camp, which provides critically important education-based childcare options during the summer break. In June the Intern will collaborate with County staff to develop culturally relevant natural resources-based programs and curriculum. Then, from July through the end of the summer term (early/mid-August) the intern will work as a crew leader for Rockies Rock Adventure Camp, leading outdoor activities ranging from mountain biking, games, nature play, environmental education, land stewardship, archery, nature art, and more.
• The intern will also shadow other organizations from the Youth Program Collective. For example, in late May- June, they will work with the Cloud City Conservation Center to teach environmental education field trips for LCSD students at the schools, local nature spaces and, at the C4 farm.
• The intern may also support volunteer stewardship activities undertaken with the Friends of Lake County to support work undertaken by the US Forest Service Leadville Ranger District.

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will learn about and experience best practices for curriculum development and teaching strategies while working with a diverse rural youth population.
2. They will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning while practicing program development and evaluation.
3. Throughout the internship, the student will be engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, non-profit organizations, and community partners.
4. They will build professional relationships while practicing their networking skills while in a supportive environment.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Sangeeta Rao
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Morgan and Weld County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

We propose to develop a Virtual Reality (VR)-based training program for K-12 students to teach essential hygiene and biosecurity/biosafety practices in dairy farms. This program will aim to raise awareness and build practical skills for students interested in agriculture, biology, or animal health, equipping them with knowledge and experience to prevent the spread of infectious diseases from dairy animals to humans. In dairy farm environments, hygiene practices are often neglected, which can lead to serious public health risks. Pathogens can spread through direct contact with animals or contaminated food and water sources, potentially affecting both animal and human health. This training will focus on demonstrating how poor hygiene can result in contamination of milk, water, and soil, and how disease outbreaks can occur from farm runoff into public water systems.

By leveraging advanced VR technology, we can create an interactive and immersive environment for K-12 students to experience real-life farm scenarios. The VR headsets will simulate a dairy farm where students can observe and participate in various tasks, such as choosing appropriate PPE in dairy farms, feeding hygienic milk to calves, interact with calves, apply proper biosecurity measures, and understanding the movement of people between dairy animals and calves in the environment. The training will include high-fidelity avatars representing workers and animals, allowing students to engage with realistic simulations of daily farm operations. By using VR, we can enhance the learning experience through repetition and interaction, enabling students to visualize complex biosecurity concepts in a user-friendly format. The program will incorporate module to accommodate students of varying age groups and prior knowledge, ensuring engagement and comprehension. Our goal is to develop this VR training tool as a hands-on learning resource for K-12 agricultural education, preparing students for future careers in agriculture, veterinary sciences, or public health.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals: The goal of this project is to enhance student understanding of biosecurity and hygiene in agriculture, promote public health awareness, introduce technological skills, encourage and inspire students to explore future careers in agriculture, veterinary sciences, or public health through engaging, practical training.

Scope: The project will develop a VR-based program specifically designed for K-12 students. It will focus on calf hygiene and biosecurity practices within dairy farm environments. The program will simulate real-life farm scenarios and include interactive elements such as, hygienic measures in calf pens, calf feeding practices, application of biosecurity measures to prevent contamination, understanding the people movement, proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), consequences of poor hygiene on milk, and public health. The program will be tailored for upper middle, and high school students for easier knowledge gain and comprehension.

Objectives:

1. Develop an interactive VR training platform that simulates a dairy farm where students can practice hygiene and biosecurity tasks.
2. Teach K-12 students on how to apply proper hygiene and infection control practices, with a focus on preventing cross-contamination and understanding the public health risks.
3. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the VR Tool by assessing student learning outcomes of calf hygiene through pre- and post-training evaluations.
4. Equip K-12 students with the ability to use advanced technology like VR, fostering both technical and practical skills related to agriculture and public health.
5. Provide foundational knowledge that could inspire K-12 students to pursue further education and careers in fields related to agriculture, biosecurity, and public health.

Stakeholders

• Primarily with K-12 students. Other stakeholders would be dairy workers.

Learning Outcomes

1. The student intern for this project will have an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on experience in educating K-12 students on proper biosafety and infection control practices in calf hygiene and welfare using a developed Virtual Reality (VR) program. Through this internship, they will learn to communicate effectively with the students, work with the outreach team, interact with 4-H community and assist in teaching students about infection control, biosafety, and biosecurity in a fun and interactive way using the VR tool.
2. The intern will review and analyze data on the use of VR for education, assist with data collection through platforms like Qualtrics, and help evaluate the usefulness and enjoyment of the tool among students. They will also assist with any data entry and validation processes involved. This experience will help the intern develop leadership skills in using technology to teach important concepts to students.
3. While proficiency in Spanish is preferred to communicate with Spanish-speaking students, it is not a requirement. The ideal candidate will have a background and interest in education, public health, or agriculture, and be working towards a degree in a related field.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Sherie Shaffer
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Pueblo County
• Other Location: Larimer County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship offers a hands-on opportunity to plan, implement, and evaluate outdoor youth and family programs across Pueblo County during the summer of 2026. The intern will primarily support programs funded by the Generation Wild grant, including:

Organizing and leading natural resource tours to engage families in exploring Pueblo’s local environment.

Coordinating a Family Farm-to-Table Dinner aimed at families in underserved areas, connecting them directly with local farmers and deepening their understanding of agriculture’s daily impact.

The intern will conduct program evaluation by designing and executing pre- and post-program knowledge/attitude surveys focused on Pueblo County agriculture and natural resources. Deliverables include generating a statistical data summary comparing participant scores and ensuring all Generation Wild mandated evaluations are accurately factored into the final report.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The goal of the internship is to successfully implement high-impact outdoor educational programs in Pueblo County and contribute meaningful data to inform future community engagement and conservation efforts.

The internship will span the Summer of 2026 and will be managed by Pueblo County Extension. The intern will primarily focus on activities related to the Generation Wild Grant.

1. Geographic Scope: Programs will be delivered across various sites in Pueblo County, Colorado, including local parks, natural areas for tours, and a designated venue for the Family Farm-to-Table Dinner.
2. Programmatic Scope: Planning, coordination, delivery, and evaluation of outdoor youth and family programs, specifically the natural resource tours and the farm-to-table dinner.
3. Research Scope: Designing, administering, and analyzing program evaluation tools (pre/post surveys) and compiling required grant evaluation data.

Objectives (Measurable actions to achieve the goals)

1. Program Implementation & Delivery Objectives
   • Program Planning: Help finalize detailed logistical plans and materials lists, for all scheduled Natural Resource Tours and the Family Farm-to-Table Dinner.
   • Program Delivery: Successfully lead or assist in the delivery of scheduled outdoor youth and family programs.
   • Community Outreach: Assist in recruiting and coordinating participation from target families, particularly those from underserved areas, for the Family Farm-to-Table Dinner, aiming to meet the program’s defined enrollment targets.
   • Stakeholder Coordination: Effectively communicate with and manage logistical arrangements involving external stakeholders, including participating local farmers, tour site managers, and volunteers.
2. Program Evaluation & Applied Research Objectives
   • Survey Design: Design and pilot pre- and post-program surveys that reliably measure changes in participant knowledge and attitude regarding Pueblo County natural resources and agriculture before official program launch.
   • Data Analysis: Collect, compile, and analyze all evaluation data, producing a statistical data summary (including comparison of pre- and post-scores) and integrating all required Generation Wild program evaluations.
   • Final Report: Produce a comprehensive Final Evaluation and Program Report summarizing program outcomes, research findings, and providing data-driven recommendations for the continuation and improvement of Pueblo County Extension’s Generation Wild programs.
3. Professional Development Objectives
   • Skills Development: Demonstrate mastery of at least three new interpretive or outdoor education techniques by the end of the internship, as observed by the mentor.
   • Extension Model Understanding: Gain a practical understanding of the land-grant university Extension model by participating in weekly check-ins and observing at least two other Pueblo County Extension programming areas.

Stakeholders

• Local Extension office
• Campus based mentor
• Generation Wild coalition
• Youth and families in underserved areas in Pueblo County
• Local farmers
• Natural resource organizations

Learning Outcomes

Anticipated Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

1. Program Design & Delivery: Apply pedagogical principles to design and deliver engaging outdoor, intergenerational educational programs.
2. Applied Research & Evaluation: Design, execute, and analyze quantitative program evaluation data (pre/post surveys) and integrate findings with required grant evaluations.
3. Community Engagement: Demonstrate effective communication and cultural competency skills necessary to recruit and successfully engage diverse and underserved family groups.
4. Agricultural Literacy: Articulate the principles of local food systems and the impact of regional agriculture.
5. Grant Management: Understand the process of grant-funded program implementation and fulfilling reporting requirements (Generation Wild/GOCO).
6. Professional Development Opportunities
7. Hands-On Program Leadership: Direct experience leading youth and family programs and developing skills in field instruction.
8. Applied Research Experience: Conduct a practical evaluation and applied research project resulting in a formal, data-driven report for a strong portfolio piece.
9. Stakeholder & Coalition Networking: Build professional relationships with Pueblo County Extension staff, local farmers, and coalition partners from the Generation Wild initiative.
10. Extension Model Exposure: Gain a practical understanding of the land-grant university Extension model – a key pathway for careers in public outreach.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Retta Bruegger
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Mesa County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship will assist our extension-based drought preparedness project by updating and improving online and off-line communication materials, and ensuring accessibility. The intern will be responsible for completing training in accessibility and applying accessibility skills to audit our website (droughtadvisors.org) and develop new templates and materials for outreach programs, such as flyers, agendas, and other resources. We are looking for an intern who has a background in communication or related fields, who is interested in adaptation to climate change, and is looking to build skills in accessibility and inclusive outreach, working with an interdisciplinary team, and creating streamlined materials for Extension to use statewide.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The overarching goal of this internship is to add bandwidth to an existing team in order to improve the efficiency and reach of current programming. The intern will work with Extension and campus-based supervisors to ensure all recommendations and products can be applied successfully. The intern can work remotely, but will need to have regular check-ins with supervisors to create and execute the work plan. Specific objectives will be to:

1. Complete training in accessibility.
2. Audit the Droughtadvisors.org site to identify broken links, identify areas where content is not accessible, create a list of priorities for updates, make recommendations for new content, and update the site.
3. Survey selected users on barriers to accessing drought materials.
4. Create communication assets, templates, and marketing materials that are accessible and inclusive, and can be used state wide for Drought Advisors programs, and are responsive to step 3 above.
5. Review all drought workshop presentations and materials and edit for visual appeal, formatting consistency, brand compliance, etc.

Stakeholders

• Directly: County and regional extension, the Drought Mitigation Center, and faculty on campus in the College of Education and Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship.
• Indirectly: This work will benefit agricultural producers who access our programs.

Learning Outcomes

1. Assess and make recommendations to a team for moving project goals forward in an efficient manner.
2. Understand and implement Colorado’s accessibility guidelines.
3. Create customizable templates for use by extension staff.
4. Create climate and drought materials that are accessible and support inclusivity for a variety of users and study participants.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Mark Edward Uchanski
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Boulder County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

An Extension intern is needed to help with plot maintenance and data collection at the newly established Colorado Agrivoltaics Testing Grounds (CATG) located at the CSU ARDEC South. The intern will also travel to local farms with the Larimer County agriculture extension specialist to expand their understanding of the various agrivoltaics applications and technologies currently in use in Colorado. Additionally, the intern will have the opportunity to attend local events with the Conservation District, Poudre Valley Community Farms, and the Colorado Department of Agriculture to meet with local producers. These meetings will help the intern gather feedback about the informational gaps that farmers and ranchers have around agrivoltaics. The intern will work with the Agricultural Extension Specialist to develop a CSU non-credit course by accumulating all current resources, research, and tools about agrivoltaics. The goal is that when a producer takes the course they will be able to understand if agrivoltaics is right for their operation and how to work with a solar developer and their local government to develop agrivoltaics on their property.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Evaluate and report on barley responses in a CSU replicated research trial comparing advanced vertical bifacial photovoltaic modules with an open field control at the Colorado Agrivoltaics Testing Grounds (CATG) demonstration site in Fort Collins, CO.
2. Empower Colorado farmers to learn more about agrivoltaics to understand if it is right for their operation, and step by step information on how they can get started in agrivoltaics through creating a CSU non-credit online course.

Stakeholders

• Landowners who are considering agrivoltaics on their properties.

Learning Outcomes

1. Collect data and report on barley yield and quality from an ongoing field research site at CATG at the CSU ARDEC South facility in Fort Collins, CO.
2. Expand student’s professional network and understanding of agrivoltaics systems through site visits to farms and research sites in Larimer and Boulder Counties, Colorado.
3. Meet with local producers (farmers/ranchers) to understand needs and informational gaps around agrivoltaics. Attend agrivoltaics event(s) around the state.
4. Collaborate with extension personnel to develop a CSU non-credit online course about agrivoltaics for producers by accumulating all current research and resources into one central location.
5. Gain experience communicating research and extension issues through the preparation and presentation of a poster for the Extension Poster Session Forum.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Kathy Whitman
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: Statewide
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship has been part of the Extension Summer Internship Program since its beginnings in 2018. The exact projects and design of each summer’s activities are planned based on needs and resources. We are asking for support of two full time DVM students who have completed their first or second year of the DVM program. This summer these two students will work primarily with Dan Frazen, the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Students will cooperate with the CDA on disaster-related planning and potentially response, if necessary. Students will also work CSU Extension State Emergency Management Coordinator Beth Hayes to develop educational webinars related to livestock emergency management. Extension is an important part of community during disaster incidents so students will be working closely with many of the county, regional and state Extension personnel. These DVM students are providing animal expertise and working with professionals with whom they will partner as professionals.

The research component of this internship is a smaller part of the experience than that of many other internships. In past years, the students have helped with the After Action HPAI Report, written animal disaster plans for different counties and producers, and developed communication plans for teaching animal owners how to prepare for their animals.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Understand Incident Command System that guides response to both Natural and Manmade Disasters (Natural hazards as well as infectious disease).
2. Understand the particular risks of animal owners (pets, non-commercial livestock and commercial livestock) and how to prepare for these risks.
3. Work with Emergency Managers to increase community preparedness and hasten recovery post-incident.
4. Work on specific incidents and/or projects when possible, help with tabletop exercises, and specific projects as needed by Extension and Dan Frazen.
5. Develop educational materials with both Beth Hayes and Dan Frazen to fill gaps in emergency management education for extension specialists, responders, and stakeholders alike.
6. Assist State Veterinary Team if foreign animal disease outbreak involves Colorado animals (HPAI, ASF, FMD)

Stakeholders

• General public
• Animal owners, both pet a livestock
• First responders and emergency managers
• Colorado Department of Ag personnel, State Veterinary Office, USDA-APHIS veterinarians
• Extension personnel across Colorado

Learning Outcomes

1. Observation of animals, people and processes. How are they doing individually and as a team?
2. Communication: especially stressful situations or when communicating with people under stress.
3. Decision making: complex communities and incidents need input from numerous experts whose perceptions and priorities may differ to make decisions. Students will see how these decisions are made under pressure.
4. Students will have the opportunity to partake in ICS Course Certifications and AVMA Emergency Management Certification

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Bradley Tonnessen
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Delta County
• Other Location: Mesa County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship will be based at the Western Colorado Research Center – Rogers Mesa (WCRC-RM), in Hotchkiss, CO. As a 100% certified organic research center, WCRC-RM serves as a knowledge hub for organic agriculture in arid climates and research adheres to pertinent issues faced by growers. This internship will be focused on performing applied research in the field and documenting conversations with apple growers through site visits with the mentor. The main subject of the internship will be on the successful method of codling moth control in apples using exclusion netting. Growers have adopted this method across the valleys of Western Colorado, but they are starting to see declines in effectiveness. We are exploring best practices and reasons for the issues. This will involve speaking to growers and performing experiments at WCRC-RM.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The internship will be designed to provide experiences in research, outreach, and professional development.

Research:

• The intern will participate in data collection, orchard management, and insect identification pertaining to research projects involving codling moth exclusion netting on apples. We observe insect populations, measure effectiveness of timing of net application and removal, and explore other environmental factors that affect orchard success.

Outreach:

• The intern will join their mentors for on-farm grower visits to discuss the effectiveness of codling moth exclusion netting and grower practices and issues. The intern will be required to compile an overview of what they learned from the visits during the summer and participate in local workshops held by the Western Colorado Research Center – Rogers Mesa. This, along with data gathered from field research, will be put together into a poster presentation at the end of the internship.

Professional Development:

• Through experiences in fieldwork, research, and in-person interactions with growers, this internship offers essential experience for anyone interested in pursuing an agricultural career in orchard management and production, research, or extension. This program will provide skills in communication, working with a team, self-organization, and a breadth of knowledge about horticultural practices.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with the staff at the Western Colorado Research Center – Rogers Mesa and CSU Tri-River Extension. Grower stakeholders will include organic apple growers with current working relationships with WCRC-RM. The intern and mentors will visit these stakeholders to have conversations and field tours about their codling moth netting practices. Most of these growers are part of the Valley Organic Growers Association (VOGA).

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will gain an understanding of growers’ experiences and what aspects of orchard pest management are most important to them. Learning how to relate to stakeholders such as these is important to make substantial impact in the community through research and education. The intern will learn that research and outreach programming must be informed by stakeholder need at every step. Additionally, the intern will gain knowledge in insect biology and behavior, organic orchard and field management, and experimental design. Through action, the intern will learn effective methods for pest and insect surveillance, data collection strategies, and learn how to identify insects. At the end of the internship, the intern will learn how to create content that educates the public on project results and takeaways through a poster presentation.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Kathy Whitman
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Weld County
• Other Location: Boulder, Larimer, and Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

With the arrival of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Colorado in 2024, the ongoing threat of New World Screwworm, and other contagious disease risks ever-present, biosecurity in animal production systems and farms remains a critical component to the maintenance of a secure food supply. Despite the clear need for biosecurity implementation, adoption continues to be a struggle for livestock operations.

This internship will focus on current practices of livestock operations in Colorado, and how implementation can be enhanced. The internship will support one full time DVM student who has completed their first or second year of the DVM program. This summer this student will work primarily with Dr. Karen Chandler, the Veterinary Medical Officer for the Colorado Department of Agriculture in the Front Range. The student will cooperate with the CDA on field visits to operations and surveying biosecurity practices of livestock producers, primarily in Weld, Boulder, and Larimer counties. The student will utilize the Secure Food Supply models to assess current and guide updated biosecurity strategies. This DVM student will provide biosecurity knowledge and animal health expertise to producers, while working with professionals with whom they will partner as future practicing veterinarians.

The goal output for the student is at least three complete biosecurity plans for livestock operations that align with the goals of Colorado’s Secure Food Supply Plan for the respective species. Opportunities for survey results sharing may also exist.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Understand biosecurity in the context of the Secure Food Supply plans.
2. Understand how to appropriately evaluate the biosecurity of a livestock operation.
3. Be able to communicate succinct and effective goals to improve biosecurity measures within an operation.
4. Develop a day-to-day and enhanced biosecurity plan for a livestock operation.
5. Assist State Veterinary Team in additional day-to-day activities, projects, and educational efforts.

Stakeholders

• General public
• Livestock producers
• Colorado Department of Ag personnel, State Veterinary Office, USDA-APHIS veterinarians
• Extension personnel across Colorado
• Livestock Advocacy Organizations

Learning Outcomes

1. Observation of animals, people and processes. How is biosecurity being implemented?
2. Communication: discussing biosecurity and disease risk with producers, stakeholders
3. Writing and public speaking: creating useable biosecurity plans that will be utilized by operations and presenting the plan in a way that is understandable to the producer.
4. Student may have the opportunity to participate in seminars, webinars, and training sessions related to biosecurity, Secure Food Supply Plan training, and other training opportunities.
5. Student will have the opportunity to interact with other CDA professionals in different aspects of animal health and disease surveillance.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Kathy Whitman
• Other Topics: 4-H & Youth
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The internship will hire two DVM students who have finished their first or second year of the DVM program, or are a student in the combined DVM/MPH program. They will work under Heather Reider, coordinator of the Colorado Avian Health Program (CAHP), gaining hands-on experience in avian health, biosecurity, and public outreach.

This internship involves fieldwork at poultry-related events and locations across Colorado, including swaps, shows, fairs, game bird facilities, backyard flocks, and commercial operations. Interns will conduct health checks, perform disease surveillance, and educate poultry owners on biosecurity measures and disease prevention.

Key activities include:

• Handling birds to perform health checks, collect diagnostic samples, and conduct field testing.
• Traveling statewide for outreach and disease surveillance efforts.
• Collaborating with the State Veterinarian and USDA-APHIS officials.
• Engaging in public education, including talks to 4-H students and families on bird health and biosecurity topics.

This internship combines practical experience with public engagement, offering a unique opportunity to support avian health and biosecurity in Colorado.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

This internship integrates students into the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and the Live Bird Market System (LBMS) in Colorado. The NPIP is a national program established in the 1930s to promote poultry health and food safety by certifying flocks as free of diseases such as Salmonella, Mycoplasma, and Avian Influenza (AIV). The LBMS includes events like swaps, fairs, shows, and auctions, where the CAHP conducts AIV surveillance and provides health and biosecurity education to the poultry community.

The goals of the internship are to:

1. Provide veterinary students with exposure to essential skills and knowledge in poultry health.
2. Build confidence in diagnostic sampling, disease surveillance, and stakeholder engagement.
3. Offer meaningful opportunities to collaborate with professionals in regulatory and public health roles.

Interns will gain hands-on experience conducting disease surveillance, biosecurity inspections, and diagnostic sampling as part of the NPIP. At LBMS events, interns will perform AIV surveillance, health checks and engage with poultry owners to provide education on health and biosecurity practices. Additionally, interns will collaborate with the CAHP team, the State Veterinarian, and USDA-APHIS officials, contributing to poultry health regulation across Colorado.

Stakeholders

• Poultry owners and producers, including backyard flock owners, game bird facilities, and commercial operations.
• General public participants at swaps, shows, fairs, and auctions interested in buying or learning about poultry.
• Veterinarians involved in treating poultry and regulating diseases in the poultry industry.
• 4-H participants, families and youth programs focused on poultry

Learning Outcomes

Anticipated Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will strengthen their communication skills through direct engagement with poultry owners, veterinarians, and the public.
2. Clinical skills will improve with hands-on experience in bird handling, health assessments, and diagnostic sampling.
3. Students will develop teamwork and problem-solving abilities by managing long-distance travel, adapting to weather, traffic, and unexpected challenges in the field.
4. Interns will gain experience representing CSU and the federal government through participation in the NPIP program.

Professional Development Opportunities:

1. Certification as NPIP Field Testers, a nationally recognized credential with the poultry industry.
2. For DVM students interested in poultry, this internship provides intensive exposure to poultry heath at CSU, a feature highlighted during the last CVMBS accreditation site visit in 2022.
3. Opportunities to network with poultry producers, private veterinarians, and regulatory officials, allowing students to build a professional network for their future careers.
4. Exposure to regulatory and public health roles, providing students with transferable skills for their veterinary careers.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Madeline Wilson
• Other Topics: Food Systems
• Primary Location: Rio Grande County
• Other Location: Alamosa County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

The Dry Bean Agronomy & Market Development Intern will support expansion of dry beans as a climate-smart rotational crop in the San Luis Valley by assisting with agronomic management of a 30-acre SLVRC field trial, helping 3-5 producers plan for the 2027 growing season, and engaging with value-added food manufacturers to assess product needs and map regional demand. The intern will also collaborate with local processing facilities as they prepare to install a dry bean cleaning line, contributing to the development of a fully integrated, locally rooted dry bean value chain.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

This internship is designed to advance the transition toward climate-smart dry bean systems in the San Luis Valley by combining field experience with value-chain development.

Its goals are to:

1. Expand local production capacity
2. Support informed decision-making among growers
3. Strengthen the market conditions necessary for long-term viability.

The intern’s scope of work includes:

1. Contributing to agronomic activities within the 30-acre SLVRC bean trial
2. Coordinating with several producers as they evaluate dry beans for their 2027 rotation plans
3. Gathering insights from food manufacturers to clarify product specifications and demand trends
4. Assisting processing partners as they work toward the addition of a regional bean cleaning line.

The overall objective is to help build the technical, logistical, and market foundations required for a successful regional dry bean sector.

Stakeholders

• Farmers
• Water districts
• County commissioners
• Food manufacturers
• Scientists

Learning Outcomes

1. The internship offers students a chance to deepen their understanding of crop production, supplychain logistics, and regional food economies.
2. Participants will gain experience interpreting field observations, assisting with management tasks, and working alongside growers as they explore new rotational options.
3. They will also build skills in industry outreach, assessing buyer needs, and documenting how processing capacity shapes market possibilities.
4. Professional development opportunities include collaborating with researchers, producers, and business partners; practicing communication across technical and non-technical audiences; and strengthening abilities in project coordination, problem-solving, and systems thinking.

This blend of fieldwork and value-chain exposure prepares students for future roles in agricultural research, extension, and sustainable market development.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Veronica Yovovich
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Carnivore populations have been recovering and reclaiming recently unoccupied habitat, with a corresponding increase in the intensity and frequency of livestock predation and other negative impacts. While there are many potential tools and strategies available to livestock producers and land managers, there is little research on how these management changes influence livestock behavior or rangeland ecology. This project will evaluate direct and indirect impacts of various predation deterrent devices on livestock. The predation deterrents involved will depend on the rancher’s preferences. The intern will collar cattle on one or more ranches, and deploy livestock protection tools to see how cattle respond to the tools. This work will be a collaborative effort led by CSU Extension, dovetailing with work led by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Our ultimate goal is to use this information to inform Extension programs and support Colorado’s ranching community.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The intern will assist with implementing livestock-protection tool trials, including helping deploy deterrent devices, collaring cattle, monitoring cattle movements, collecting fecal samples for hormone analysis, setting and maintaining wildlife cameras, processing camera-trap data, and contributing to Extension materials based on project findings. Depending on project needs, the intern may also participate in rangeland monitoring efforts (e.g., vegetation surveys, aboveground biomass collection, standing crop height). The primary objective of this work is to evaluate how livestock-protection tools influence cattle behavior, with a secondary objective of assessing potential impacts on rangeland ecology if behavioral changes warrant further exploration.
2. This project is already underway: equipment (cameras and GPS collars) has been purchased, IACUC approval for cattle collaring is in place, and ranch partners are being finalized. Fieldwork will occur primarily at ARDEC, with opportunities to work at collaborating ranches as sites become available. By summer, we anticipate having confirmed partner ranches and a full field plan, allowing the intern to join an active, well-established research effort.

Stakeholders

• Cattle ranchers in Colorado

Learning Outcomes

1. Through this internship, the student will gain a diverse set of research, field, and professional skills. They will learn core elements of research design and implementation, including livestock husbandry, field data collection, and the processing and analysis of GPS movement and camera-trap data. The intern will also gain experience summarizing research findings and translating them into Extension-oriented outreach materials.
2. In addition, the student will develop subject-matter expertise in open-range ranching systems, livestock-protection tools (predation deterrents), and rangeland management practices in Colorado. They will have opportunities to travel to partner ranches across the state, collaborate directly with livestock producers, and engage with CSU Extension personnel and other stakeholders involved in livestock production and livestock-carnivore conflict. This internship provides hands-on experience in applied research and offers meaningful exposure to the partnerships that make producer-driven projects successful.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Meagan Schipanski
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship focuses on sustainable agriculture research and outreach to improve soil health and irrigation practices for drought-resilient vegetable production in the Great Plains through a collaboration between CSU and Montana State University. The intern will conduct soil sampling and lab analyses on participating vegetable farms and support development and implementation of a soil health field day in Larimer County. Through this work, the intern will support outreach efforts to communicate research findings to agricultural communities, gaining hands-on experience in event planning, soil assessment, and survey evaluation. Additionally, the intern will develop valuable skills, deepen their understanding of soil health challenges, and build connections with agricultural stakeholders. The internship will be based in Larimer County and Bozeman, Montana where the intern will have the opportunity to participate in on-farm research.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will support applied sustainable agriculture research and outreach focused on improving soil health and irrigation practices for climate-resilient vegetable production in the Great Plains. The internship Goal is to conduct on-farm soil sampling and lab analyses and implement a soil health field day for producer education and networking. The Scope of the internship: In May, the intern will support the extension mentor in the development of a soil health field day and assist with implementing the field day at a vegetable farm in Larimer County in mid-June. Tasks will include outreach to participants, developing materials and collecting and analyzing survey data post-event. In July and August, the intern will assist with field sampling on participating farms. The sampling trips will require travel to Montana and overnight stays. The intern will help with soil processing and lab analyses in July and August as well. Additionally, the intern will support communication and outreach of the soil and experiment results within the producer community in collaboration with the university mentors and extension mentor. The Objective is to lead and evaluate a successful soil health field day and complete analyses of soil samples of on-farm research and disseminate results within the producer community.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with producers involved in soil health days and on-farm research, as well as extension personnel, agriculture professionals and technical advisors, and CSU faculty focused on agriculture research.

Learning Outcomes

1. The student intern will gain a deep understanding of soil health challenges and opportunities and be exposed to various techniques for vegetable production across the semi-arid Great Plains, including the opportunity to learn about differences in production systems between Colorado and Montana. By working in partnership with the extension mentor to put on the soil health field day, the intern will be introduced to a variety of agricultural stakeholders and learn the process for event planning, implementation and evaluation. For professional development, the intern will gain technical skills such as soil and plant sampling, lab-based soil health testing, survey evaluation, and written and oral communication skills. The intern will have professional development opportunities through the university and extension mentors, including opportunities to attend and network at soil health-related events.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Todd Ballard
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Mesa County
• Other Location: Delta, Dolores, Montrose, and Routt County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

The intern will participate in pulse crop experiments at the Western Colorado Research Center at Grand Valley (WCRC-GV) and Discovery Farms soil health projects throughout the western region of extension. Several pulse crop projects are active at WCRC-GV at the time of application. A cowpea variety X phosphorus rate study will complete a production season during the internship. The current winter pea study at WCRC-GV is a variety X phosphorus rate X irrigation cutoff date experiment. The winter pea study will be in reproductive growth at the commencement of the internship and harvested prior to the end of the internship. Experiments in the Pulse Crop Health Initiative are also present at WCRC-GV. A potential additional crop is garbanzo. The intern will collect much of the field data in the winter pea and cowpea studies.

The Discovery Farms projects are soil health case studies in Mesa, Montrose, Delta, Dolores, and Routt Counties. These projects are case studies of the changes in soil health status from producer adoption of soil health practices. The Routt County location is new this year. Work at the Routt County site will include installation of soil moisture monitoring equipment and selecting the practice to adopt with the producer. All sites will include collection of proximal images with a DJI Matrice 350 drone equipped with a MicaSense Altum PT and maintenance of soil moisture monitoring equipment.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. The intern will learn research methodology through hands on engagement with formal field experiments.
2. Producer engagement through interaction at field days and Discovery Farms meetings.

Scope:

The work will include data collection in the winter pea, cowpea, and Discovery Farms sites. This data collection includes field observations, cleaning, grinding, and classifying the yield, and proximal sensing image collection.

Objectives:

1. To promote the development of pulse crop production techniques in western Colorado
2. To reassure producers pulse crop production is viable from both a production and marketing perspective.
3. To improve producers’ understanding of their practices effect on soil health

Stakeholders

• Agricultural producers in the western region
• Colorado River District
• Colorado Water Conservation Board

Learning Outcomes

1. Learn the field steps involved in agronomy experiments.
2. Improve communication skills with producers.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Elaina Michael
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Park County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

We are developing a feasibility study for alternative waste disposal strategies for wildlife and livestock carcass management. We will do a deep dive into disease management as part of this research, with a focus on prion disease.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goal: To identify and evaluate feasible, evidence-based alternatives for establishing a sustainable and secure wildlife carcass management system in Park County – one that minimizes predator attraction, reduces/eliminate disease risks, and prevents environmental contamination – while producing practical, actionable recommendations for local implementation.

Scope: The duration of the internship will follow the parameters of the 2025 Sustainable Rural Futures Seed Grant Program, ending in April of 2027. Willing landowners and businesses for potential sites for industry implementation of solutions will be identified and potential methods for implementation will be provided and benefits and disadvantages weighed against one another.

Objectives:

1. Conduct a comprehensive literature review on environmentally sound carcass management methods (e.g., composting and other emerging practices).
2. Identify, engage, and interview key stakeholders, including ranchers, landowners, wildlife managers, and county and state officials, as well as potential hosts for pilot sites.
3. Assess the practicality, environmental safety, and community feasibility of alternative carcass management strategies for Park County.
4. Develop multidisciplinary problem-solving skills through collaboration with stakeholders across government, higher education, and private industry.
5. Translate research findings into clear, evidence-based, and locally applicable recommendations that support community needs and state priorities related to natural resources, agriculture, and public health.

Stakeholders

• County commissioners, local businesses and state agencies (eg. CDPHE and CPW), other community stakeholders, and local extension staff.

Learning Outcomes

Through this internship, the student will gain a diverse set of research, field, and professional skills. They will learn core elements of research design and implementation, including livestock husbandry, field data collection, and the processing and analysis of GPS movement and camera-trap data. The intern will also gain experience summarizing research findings and translating them into Extension-oriented outreach materials.

In addition, the student will develop subject-matter expertise in open-range ranching systems, livestock-protection tools (predation deterrents), and rangeland management practices in Colorado. They will have opportunities to travel to partner ranches across the state, collaborate directly with livestock producers, and engage with CSU Extension personnel and other stakeholders involved in livestock production and livestock carnivore conflict. This internship provides hands-on experience in applied research and offers meaningful exposure to the partnerships that make producer-driven projects successful.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: William Wilkins
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Chaffee County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

An 80,000 sq. ft. greenhouse facility in Chaffee County is currently unused. This intern project will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate potential community-serving uses for the site.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. To conduct a comprehensive site assessment and feasibility study for potential community uses of the facility. The project will include stakeholder identification, outreach, and engagement; review of community needs; and assessment of the site’s physical, operational, and regulatory considerations. To determine whether the facility can be effectively repurposed to benefit the community and to provide evidence-based recommendations for viable reuse options.

Stakeholders

• Chaffee County extension office
• Local Economic development office
• County officials and community stakeholders

Learning Outcomes

1. The student will gain experience in community engagement, strategic reuse planning, applied research, and data-driven analysis. They will develop skills in stakeholder facilitation, interviewing, environmental and infrastructure review, and synthesizing findings into a professional feasibility report.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Kerri Rollins
• Other Topics: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: In-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Intern will research the history of Extension broadly, and specifically in Colorado, connecting with Extension professionals in the field and on campus, to create onboarding resources for County Commissioners, Extension advisory board members, CSU Extension staff including county-hired staff. These resources will also be relevant and available to CSU students, including those enrolled in the Master of Extension Education program.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Review existing research and writings of the history of Extension from 1862-1990 and use existing material or summarize accordingly. Review existing materials including but not limited to existing CSU Extension onboarding materials and historical documents from CSU Libraries Extension Archives, Extension Foundation and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture resources. 
2. Create new historical summaries, complete with citations, from 1990-2025 for CSU Extension historical mile markers 
   • Interview former CSU Extension staff (at least 2) that were employed from 1990-2015 
3. Create a dynamic, electronically accessible, resource that provides the history, funding structure, and purpose of Extension from its inception to present day for an audience of new CSU Extension employees (including county-hired staff), County Commissioners, and Extension advisory board members. 
   • Evaluate and recommend electronic materials to best convey this information to identified audiences such as a website, PowerPoint, PDF documents, etc. 

Stakeholders

• Student intern will work primarily with current and former state Extension staff as well as campus faculty, CSU Libraries, professors emeriti, and leadership in the Office of Engagement and Extension. The student intern is expected to use resources from Extension Foundation, USDA, and Journal of Extension as necessary for a complete understanding of the history and future of Extension.

Learning Outcomes

1. Understand the techniques of one-on-one interviews and story gathering.
2. Conduct at least two one-on-one interviews to gather relevant stories and information about CSU Extension.
3. Analyze historical information from CSU Libraries and other reference materials to identify key themes and narratives about Extension in Colorado.
4. Evaluate historical sources for credibility, relevance, and accuracy.
5. Create a cohesive set of documents that illustrate the history of CSU Extension through 2025 that can be conveyed through multiple mediums (e.g., web, infographics, interactive mapping, PowerPoint presentations).
6. Learn and apply basic graphic design principles and electronic accessibility using Venngage or similar software
7. Build relationships with OEE faculty and staff to enhance professional development.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Adam Smith
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Denver County
• Other Location: Larimer County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

CSU’s Drone Aviation Summer Program is a unique, immersive one-week seminar designed to reach diverse groups of Colorado high school students and instructors to facilitate workforce development and train the next generation of aviators! Free to participants, new pilots train in the classroom and on the flight line and take their FAA Remote Pilot exam following the completion of the program.

This program is designed to deliver educational programming at Spur Campus to students from across the Denver Metro region, with a focus on traditionally under-represented groups (first generation students, females in STEM fields, students from high school institutions within HUD Colorado Opportunity Zones, and those from culturally, ethnically, and racially diverse populations).

This program will promote aviation and aerospace career discovery opportunities for high-school age students, help prepare participants for college success in aerospace, agriculture, GIS and engineering fields, and will provide professional skills enhancement and potential degree alternatives through FAA unmanned aviation / Part 107 credentialing and certification as remote pilots.

Additionally, piloting drones makes math, science, and engineering come to life and furthers interests in STEM majors in future college endeavors.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Intern instructors play a pivotal role in presenting this rewarding curriculum to Colorado high school students while they develop their own skills in classroom education, program management, drone aviation and agricultural use of remote sensing technology. Interns participate in every aspect of the program, including curriculum design, marketing, youth mentorship, flight team instruction, drone piloting, fleet management and logistics.

Within the scope of this program, interns will achieve the following goals:

1. Gain competence and understanding of the core drone aviation material by attending the CSU Drone Flight School as a student.
2. Research current education modalities and techniques for high-school age students.
3. Conduct lesson / activity planning to deliver a novel & engaging experience within at least three of the seven core program curriculum sections.
4. Assist the Drone Center team with presenting and managing the program, including teaching, co teaching, student engagement, safety planning and compliance.

Stakeholders

• CSU and CSU Spur students, staff, instructors and faculty, Denver region high school students and instructors, agriculture and aviation industry professionals, 4H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) representatives, potential CSU students, donors and partners.
• National Western Stock Show, Denver Water, Denver Humane Society, Denver International Airport, Denver School District, etc.

Learning Outcomes

1. Learning outcomes include subject matter knowledge, experience and confidence in the drone aviation, agricultural remote sensing and educational program management areas, as well as credentialed professional development in aviation.
2. Interns will earn their FAA Remote Pilot credentials at no cost to them, and will have many hours of hands-on learning and flight experience by the end of the program. Previous interns have been recruited by both aerospace and defense industry organizations.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Todd Hagenbuch
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Routt County
• Other Location: Larimer County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The intern for this project will get an opportunity to help Routt County, a community in the mountains of Northwest Colorado, determine to what extent property owners (residents, part-time residents, and non-residents) value the local natural environment, working agricultural lands, and various ecosystem services. The internship’s goal is to, in part, update a previous study of residents’ willingness to pay for keeping rural lands open and working, but will also expand that research to better capture what value a changing demographic places on not only working lands, but also the direct and indirect benefits that ecosystems provide residents (also referred to as ecosystem services).

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. To determine if residents’/property owners’ willingness to pay to keep open, working lands has changed over the past two decades
2. If property owners have additional ecosystem services/environmental values they are willing to pay for (ie: wetland/streambank restoration, wildfire mitigation, improved wildlife habitat, etc.)
3. What the willingness to pay is for those services
4. To inform potential updates to Routt County open lands and payment for agricultural conservation easements (PACE) policies

Scope: Routt County Colorado

Objective: Update prior estimates to assess if and how the county’s changing demographics has changed their willingness to pay for the preservation of ranch/working land open space, and inform the county and its non-profit sector on how additional taxation for supporting working lands and ecosystem services would be viewed by potential voters.

Stakeholders

• Routt County non-profits, particularly those with an agricultural and environmental focus
• Routt County governmental officials, including county commissioners
• Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
• Regional Extension office/Western Region Extension Specialists
• Routt County CSU Extension

Learning Outcomes

1. Data collection, management, assessment and interpretation
2. Authorship and publication of outreach education and academic articles and/or policy briefs
3. Facilitation of community stakeholder meetings
4. Public speaking, including in front of elected officials
5. Project and time management skills
6. Self-starting/self-directed learning

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Rebecca Hill
• Other Topics: N/A
• Primary Location: Sedgwick County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The internship will center on conducting an economic impact study for the Julesburg Dragstrip in Sedgwick County, Colorado. Sedgwick County Economic Development (SCED) is seeking support from Colorado State University Extension to determine how the dragstrip contributes to the local economy—particularly during the racing season (April through October). The intern will work with both campus, Extension, and community mentors to gather, analyze, and interpret economic data related to tourism, visitor spending, and local business activity generated by dragstrip events.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. Quantify the economic contribution of the Julesburg Dragstrip to Sedgwick County.
2. Provide SCED with actionable data that supports decision-making around tourism promotion, investment, infrastructure, and community planning.

Scope:

1. Assess visitor activity and spending patterns associated with the dragstrip.
2. Evaluate impacts on lodging, restaurants, fuel sales, retail, and other local businesses.
3. Analyze demographic and geographic characteristics of participants and spectators.
4. Compile insights into peak season dynamics (April-October) and event‑driven economic fluctuations.

Objectives:

1. Develop and execute an economic impact methodology appropriate for a rural tourism asset.
2. Collect primary and secondary data relevant to dragstrip events.
3. Calculate direct, indirect, and induced economic effects.

Stakeholders

The intern will work with:

• Sedgwick County Economic Development (SCED)
• Julesburg Dragstrip leadership, staff, and volunteers
• Local businesses impacted by dragstrip tourism (restaurants, lodging, fuel stations, retail)
• Participants and spectators attending racing events
• Local government and tourism officials

Learning Outcomes

The internship will support learning in the following areas:

1. Applied Research Skills:
   • Economic impact analysis methodologies
   • Survey design, data collection, and field research
   • Data cleaning, quantitative analysis, and interpretation
2. Professional and Communication Skills:
   • Translation of technical findings into clear written and verbal communication
   • Collaboration with community partners and stakeholders
   • Professional report writing and presentation development
3. Industry and Sector Knowledge:
   • Rural economic development practices
   • Tourism and event-based economic activity
   • Use of economic data in public‑sector planning and investment
4. Professional Development Opportunities
   • Mentorship from Colorado State University specialists as well as community stakeholders
   • Hands-on experience in economic development and community‑based research
   • Contribution to a real‑world study that will inform tourism promotion and infrastructure decisions
   • Networking opportunities with regional businesses, local officials, and tourism stakeholders

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Julee Stephenson
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Gunnison County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-Campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The Office of Engagement and Extension aspires to be the trusted resource for connecting community needs to CSU. This requires clear, accessible communication that is tailored to effectively engage and connect with audiences. With the introduction of new technologies, through this internship we seek to explore best practices, what’s working in our current approach, and recommendations for the future to grow reach and access.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The goal of this project will be to make recommendations on future use of digital communication.

The objectives of the project include:

1. Understanding of the work being completed across CSU Engagement and Extension and Gunnison county
2. Analysis of results of communications
3. Identification and understanding of different target audiences and preferred approaches
4. Review of best practices across other land-grant universities and their Extension communications, as well as a statewide organization

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with marketing and communications team members across CSU and at other land grant universities. Within Gunnison County, the intern will have the opportunity to meet with local community members to understand communication preferences. These stakeholders will include 4-H members and parents, the Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association, the Gunnison Valley Cattlewomen, the Gunnison Garden Club, the Gunnison County Extension Advisory Committee, and many more. In addition, through a partnership with the Colorado Farm Bureau, the intern will work with farm bureau communications staff to understand their approach to digital communications to reach target audiences.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the project, the intern will be able to:

1. Identify and match audiences to potential communication approaches.
2. They will understand how to measure the success of their efforts and assess whether an approach is worth the investment of resources.
3. They will have made community connections in Colorado.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: John Giordanengo
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

To assist in the implementation of ERIs Working Watersheds Program. Working Watersheds is a multi-agency collaborative program to restore the capacity of Colorado’s timber industry to provide watershed health and wildfire risk reduction treatments.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

GOALS: provide on-the-job training and experiences for intern in the fields of community economic development, forestry strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.

SCOPE: State-wide program involving multiple state, county, and industry entities. Three phases: A) Timber Industry Restoration Strategy, B) Timber Industry Investment Strategy, and C) Timber Industry Demonstration Projects: Implement regional demonstration projects in 2-3 priority watersheds.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Understand gap between timber harvest needs (e.g., for watershed health improvements) and the industry’s capacity to provide the necessary harvesting.
2. Identify restoration and investment strategy for timber industry.
3. Create region-level industry restoration plans across CO, by watershed.
4. Identify 2-3 demonstration sites for industry restoration.
5. Other objectives available upon request.

Stakeholders

• Timber industry businesses and entities
• State agencies (CSFS, CPW, CO land board)
• Possibly some environmental groups and watershed NGOs working in conservation, watershed health, and realted issues

Learning Outcomes

1. LEARNING OUTCOMES: Stakeholder engagement; report review, summary, and synthesis; user surveys; and data analysis and report preparation.
2. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPP: Direct interactions and engagement with staff and policymakers of state and industry entities; experience with professional report/data analysis, and report writing; and similar experiences. Other outcomes & opportunities are possible depending on the abilities/interests of the student.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Xue “Alice” Dong
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: Statewide
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This hybrid internship supports the ongoing AI-Powered Agritourism Chatbot (AgriTourismAI.com), which is designed to help farmers and ranchers plan, market, and manage agritourism enterprises. The intern will work with mentor Extension Regional Specialist Xue “Alice” Dong and co-mentor Adrian Card, State Produce Specialist and WSARE PDP State Coordinator, to collect and analyze data from agritourism operators and agricultural stakeholders. The project blends AI, agritourism, and Extension education by using surveys and interviews to understand how stakeholders use AI-driven decision-support tools. The intern will gain experience by contributing to an applied research project that strengthens economic development and informs improvements to the AI-Powered Agritourism Chatbot.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Goal: The internship supports and expands the AI-Powered Agritourism Chatbot by collecting user data and generating applied insights to guide agritourism planning, marketing, and risk management across urban, suburban, and rural communities.
2. Scope: The internship focuses on data collection and preliminary analysis related to stakeholder use of the AI-Powered Agritourism Chatbot. Work will include contact with farmers, ranchers, and agritourism businesses, data management, basic quantitative/qualitative analysis, and preparation of summary outputs for Extension and research audiences.
3. Specific objectives:
   • Promote the AI-Powered Agritourism Chatbot across Colorado and beyond through proactive outreach, such as tabling, networking, hosting workshops/webinars, serving as a guest speaker at partner events, etc.
   • Implement surveys and interviews with agritourism stakeholders to collect data, while documenting needs, perceptions, and barriers to AI adoption.
   • Organize, clean, and code survey and interview data using tools such as Excel and qualitative analysis software.
   • Conduct preliminary analyses (e.g., descriptive statistics and basic thematic coding) to identify trends in how stakeholders engage with the chatbot.
   • Contribute to reports, figures, or brief summaries that inform future Extension programming around AI in agritourism.

Stakeholders

• Agritourism operators (farmers and ranchers offering tours, U-pick, on-farm events, hunting experiences, and value-added products).
• Agricultural producers who are exploring or considering agritourism as a diversification strategy.
• Extension professionals and agricultural partners (e.g., within the CSU Produce Network and related networks) who support agritourism and direct-to-consumer marketing.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the internship, the student will be able to:

1. Describe how agritourism contributes to economic development and how AI tools can support agritourism planning, marketing, and risk management.
2. Apply survey and interview methods in an IRB-approved, Extension-based research project, including recruitment, data collection, and informed consent.
3. Organize and manage mixed-methods data (quantitative and qualitative) using tools such as Excel and qualitative coding software.
4. Conduct basic descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, and interpret findings for non-technical audiences.
5. Communicate professionally with farmers, ranchers, and Extension professionals, demonstrating clarity when discussing AI and agritourism.

Professional development opportunities:

1. Regular mentoring meetings with mentors, focusing on career pathways in Extension, agriculture, and applied research.
2. Opportunities to attend Extension meetings, producer workshops, or network calls.
3. Experience contributing to real products such as a brief report and a poster that can be shared within OEE, at a regional meeting, or as part of a future conference submission.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Rebecca Hill
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship will build on a 2025 internship conducted in Larimer County that measured the economic contribution of agriculture to the county, and the local linkages that foster an increasing amount of economic activity in local and regional markets. While this initial study identified the importance of local consumption of county agricultural products, it did not evaluate the potential levers that could be used to increase consumption through local

purchasing. In addition to existing programs, Colorado just passed two propositions (LL and MM) which require the state to spend at least $1 million on local food purchasing and technical assistance grant programs. This research can assist Larimer County in understanding the role state level funding plays and how compatible additional county level initiatives might be. The internship is based in Larimer County and involves a combination of campus-based research (65%) and field based interactions (35% in meetings, and interviewing various stakeholders for the national scan). Any travel incurred during this internship will occur within Larimer County.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The goals of this internship are to:

1. Conduct a national scan of local procurement policies and other incentives that have been used in counties with similar demographic and production characteristics. Summarize the mechanics of these policies and incentive programs, their outcomes in terms of increasing local procurement and any unintended consequences. Present these findings to the Larimer County Ag Advisory Board.
2. Using IMPLAN, model at least one scenario to understand the implications of policy and programmatic investments in local procurement such as creating aggregation and processing infrastructure that strengthens local supply chains by allowing value-added capture of surplus primary goods and meeting consumer preferences for more year-round local offerings, or encouraging cooperative marketing and surplus recovery programs to maintain local linkages when public funding shifts, including through pooled financial resources. The goal is to understand where the greatest employment and economic output benefits are realized, and how to reduce the probability of reduced output, lower prices, or market leakage.

Stakeholders

The intern will have the opportunity to work with a variety of local stakeholders including the

• Larimer County Ag Advisory Board, the
• Larimer County Extension Office, and the
• Larimer County Planning Office.

The intern will be supported by faculty in the Department of Ag and Resource Economics, and be able to interact with policy and program managers in other states in conducting a national scan.

Learning Outcomes

1. Hone data and information gathering and organizational skills
2. Gain presentation and public speaking skills
3. Learn how to model a policy/program shock in IMPLAN
4. Understand how to evaluate policy/program impacts on local food purchases

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Maggie Switzer
• Other Topics: Health and Well-being
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The Larimer County Farmers’ Market (LCFM) has been a cornerstone of the Fort Collins community, and in 2026, will be celebrating its 50 year anniversary. The market was founded by Larimer County Master Gardeners and is still volunteer-managed by the CMGs and Larimer County Extension staff. The market incorporates many aspects of Extension programming, including Health & Wellbeing, Horticulture, 4-H, Food Systems and Agriculture. This internship will focus on two program areas – supporting the operations of the farmers’ market and the Market Days for Older Adults program. The LCFM implements 5 different food access programs, and the intern’s thorough understanding and support of the implementation of these programs will be essential. The LCFM also works with over 130 local vendors annually, and the intern will be tasked with conducting research on agricultural vendors’ (local farmers and ranchers) economic vitality in regards to the farmers’ market, so that the LCFM can grow in its capacity to better support local agriculture. The Market Days for Older Adults program started in 2018 and is a food access initiative that connects low-income seniors in Larimer County to local, fresh and healthy food through the farmers’ market. The intern will assist with administrative and data-keeping tasks related to Market Days, including the collection of survey responses from participants. The intern will work with the Market Days coordinator (Maggie) to plan events and provide educational and informational resources to participants. The intern will also be instrumental in researching and soliciting sponsorship opportunities for the Market Days program. It is expected that the intern will be available most/all Saturdays in this role.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The goals of this internship are as follows:

1. The intern will conduct thorough research of the local fundraising landscape in Larimer County and assist project mentors in soliciting local business sponsorships for the Market Days program.
2. The intern will work with the Market Days staff to help with event planning at the market and develop educational materials for participants, related to nutrition, health and well-being. The intern will work with market staff and mentors to maintain program records and distribute vouchers. The intern’s poster will include a project they wish to investigate and research more – it could be on food access programming, market organization and implementation, the Market Days program (broadening efforts, fundraising, public awareness) or any other project that may be of interest. The intern will be considered an employee in the Larimer County

Extension Office and will have access to any/all resources to support their internship. This may include working individually with the office communications and marketing specialist, other staff and specialists, and have access to funding to support event costs. The intern will be expected to work most/all Saturdays during the internship, working 7:00am to 1:30pm; other hours may be remote and hybrid, with the intern attending community events and conducting outreach.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with various government groups: CSU Extension, Larimer County, and the City of Fort Collins.
• They will also work with local agricultural producers (produce, meat, dairy) and small business owners who are vendors at the farmers’ market.
• Other stakeholders include Market Days partners (organizations that work directly with participants, who are low income older adults), Vegetable Connection, the Larimer County Food Bank, and supporting sponsors and partners.

Learning Outcomes

1. Gain an excellent understanding of overall market management and all aspects of running a farmers’ market and special programs. This includes vendor management, accounting, special event planning, and community outreach education.
2. Work directly with a market program, Market Days, helping provide support with vouchers, participant organization, event planning, and educational outreach.
3. Learn essential skills related to fundraising and sponsorship management, through their work in the Market Days program.
4. Acquire a thorough understanding of food access programs implemented at farmers’ markets. and learn how to communicate these programs effectively to a wide audience.
5. Gain research skills, by collecting survey responses from Market Days participants, and potentially conducting research with local farmers involved with the market.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Jessica Callen
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Weld County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship examines how local consumers make food-purchasing decisions and the extent to which local sourcing and regenerative or soil health practices influence those choices. The intern will begin by reviewing literature on consumer behavior, public awareness, and market preferences related to local and regeneratively produced food, identifying gaps relevant to Northern Colorado. Building on this foundation, the intern will conduct in-person surveys and interviews with producers and consumers and help facilitate two key Extension events – the Northern Colorado Farm Hop and Soil Health Day at the farmers market. These events aim to educate consumers about producers’ practices and challenges, and the intern will assess their effectiveness in shaping awareness and purchasing habits. The Soil Health Day at the Farmers Market is an event that highlights producers soil health practices with posters at their booths and incorporates an interactive activity where people are able to participate in a blind taste test of non-local commercially grown ag products and the same ag product but local and regeneratively grown. The NoCo Farm Hop event is an event that the Larimer County Extension office has hosted for the last two summers. The event takes a bus of 40 people from the public on a tour of 3-4 working farms in Larimer and Weld County. The intern will not only support and help lead these events with the Extension specialist but the intern will assess through post event surveying if these events are successful in changing consumers purchasing decisions to purchase more local and regeneratively grown food. The results of this work will inform future Extension programming and research. The intern will also compile a summary report of the NoCo Farm Hop and Soil Health Day at the Farmers Market so that these events can be replicated across Colorado by Extension professionals and farmers market managers.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. Understand local consumer values (economic, social, environmental) when purchasing food at the local farmers’ market and assess the impact of soil health practices and locality in purchasing decisions to help focus ongoing research projects and extension events.
2. The proposed project aims to build momentum for interdisciplinary research and extension events that promote a food system that support and motivate soil health practices. The intern’s work will help focus ongoing research projects and extension events, and foster closer collaboration between on campus researchers and extension specialists. Practically, they will create a literature and practice report that will help other extension specialists and farmer market managers to do similar work.

Scope: The internship will based in Northern Colorado and the farmers market events will be at the Larimer County Extension Farmers Market in Fort Collins

Monthly milestones:

1. May – On boarding and work on the literature review under guidance
2. June – Work with the team to create the Farmers Market Soil health Event at the Larimer County Farmers Market in Fort Collins, CO ; Conduct farmers market interactive activities
3. July – Lead Farmers Market Soil health Event; Work with the team to create the NoCo Farm Hop Event
4. August – Lead NoCo Farm Hop Event with Callen in Larimer and Weld County ; Create report on NoCo Farm Hop event and Soil Health Day and other interactive activities at farmers markets to be shared with extension professionals and farmer market managers.

Objectives:

1. Identify best practices and research gap from interdisciplinary literature to inform public oriented soil health and local food engagement events
2. Understand local consumer food and soil health values and purchase behaviors
3. Create a report of events focused on soil health promotion to share with extension specialist and farmers market managers

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with visitors at the farmers markets, organizers of the farmers market, and vendors at the farmers market, and other producers who are interested in the topic.

Learning Outcomes

The internship will give a student opportunity to:

1. Summarize literature and identify best practices
2. Build experiences in survey design and data analysis
3. Understand how to design, implement, and assess a soil health event tailored to consumers and the public
4. The intern will work in a transdisciplinary team that include extension specialists, researchers, and producers. They will develop communication and event planning skills through interactions with farmers market consumers, vendors, and managers. They will also build a professional portfolio through preparing the final report.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Ana Gutierrez-Colina
• Other Topics: 4-H & Youth
• Primary Location: Weld County
• Other Location: La Plata County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Rural and agricultural communities experience significant health disparities compared to urban populations, including higher rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health challenges. A recent Community Needs Assessment conducted by the State of Colorado in partnership with CSU Extension ranked access to health services as one of the top 10 critical needs in rural Colorado. In response to this need, our team has collaborated closely since 2020 with CSU Extension and community partners in rural Southwest Colorado to provide access to an evidence-based mental and cardiometabolic health program, Health Without Barriers (HWB).

HWB is a whole family-inclusive, 30-hour face-to-face program specifically designed to address several pressing rural health priorities: mental health, nutrition, diabetes/cardiovascular disease prevention, and physical activity. To date, N=115 individuals in Southwest Colorado have participated in HWB and describe the program as likeable, credible, and beneficial (e.g., Teen: I would recommend this program […] because not only you’re exercising […], learning about what good foods to eat, [but you’re also learning about] calming yourself down each week with the mindfulness; Parent: I’m walking nearly every day. My daughter is doing mountain biking and my husband built the gym down in our basement. And we really were not very physically active before.).

Although preliminary results for HWB are promising for improving health outcomes, a consistent theme emerging from both program participants and community interest holders is the desire to leverage technology to increase access to HWB content and facilitate integration of healthy lifestyle skills into daily life.

To address this community input, the proposed internship will support: (1) ongoing efforts to develop adjunctive digital health tools that increase exposure to HWB content, help families integrate intervention skills into daily life, and provide personalized support for sustained engagement in health behaviors; and (2) targeted outreach to rural and agricultural communities to ensure that their perspectives are represented.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The primary goal of this internship is to assist with the development and refinement of digital tools that complement HWB and are tailored to the unique needs of rural and agricultural communities, where the digital divide persists (e.g., limited broadband access, reduced digital literacy, lack of culturally relevant content). The intern’s efforts will directly contribute to the following project objectives:

1. Community Engagement and Recruitment of Rural and Agricultural Families: The intern will work closely with Extension agents and community partners to support recruitment efforts, help identify potential participants from rural and agricultural communities, and strengthen engagement with these groups.
2. Formative Focus Groups & Interviews: The intern will assist in conducting focus groups and interviews to guide the development of digital intervention content that is well-integrated within the HWB program. These qualitative data will inform strategies to support daily skill use and engagement in health behaviors in-between in-person intervention sessions and after the program ends. They will also ensure that the digital tools are designed to promote health and behavioral wellness in rural and agricultural settings.
3. Intervention Content Development and Prototype Support: The intern will contribute to the development and refinement of digital health content, support development of materials for prototype testing, and help conduct user-centered interviews to ensure the digital tools are acceptable to participants and align with the HWB program.
4. The intern’s time will be split between field-based activities (e.g., working directly in the field with the community and Extension), and lab-based activities (e.g., developing study materials, data management/curation, thematic/descriptive analyses, regulatory processes, self-directed readings, poster project).

Stakeholders

• Youth and families from La Plata County
• Members of Extension
• Members of rural Southwest Colorado, including agricultural communities.

Learning Outcomes

As part of the proposed internship, the intern will participate in a range of engaged learning activities and professional development opportunities:

1. Engaging with members of the community and key interest holders
2. Developing communication and leadership skills, specifically focused on recruitment efforts and with an emphasis on reaching rural and agricultural communities
3. Conducting focus groups and interviews to gather critical input from the community to develop the digital health tools
4. Acquiring qualitative and quantitative methodological competencies
5. Developing skills for navigating the institutional research regulatory environment
6. Contributing to additional project objectives
7. Engaging in professional development (e.g., interdisciplinary science, manuscript writing, career mentoring)

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Katheryn Maloney
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Routt County
• Other Location: Remote
• On-Campus/In the Field: Hybrid (remote and time required in Routt County)
• Does this internship have access to housing? Overnight housing is available during required in-person Routt County work.

Internship Overview

Routt County CSU Extension and CSU’s Institute for the Built Environment (IBE) propose to partner with the Routt County Built Environment Coalition to host an intern focused on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community scans in Routt County. The Built Environment Coalition (BEC) is a multi-sector coalition convened by Routt County Public Health, with a mission of collecting data and completing projects to promote a safe, connected, and accessible built environment in Routt County. The coalition consists of representation from local municipalities, county departments, non-profit organizations, and local community members.

Through this internship, the intern would work with the mentors and local partners to identify 2-3 locations for community scans, a process for gathering information about the built environment in a community to understand its needs, assets, accessibility, walkability, and other features that impact community well-being and health.

Once locations have been selected, the intern will be involved in all aspects of the community scans from start to finish. They will help with the selection and/or co-creation of survey tools, plan the scan events and routes, and promote and recruit participation for the events. Scans will be completed by early to mid-summer. The intern will then analyze and evaluate results and create a report. The intern will have the opportunity to present their report to the community in several venues, speaking with audiences such as the BEC, the Routt County Commissioners, and more.

Intern will work directly with the CSU mentors, Routt County Public Health, the Built Environment Coalition, and other stakeholders to implement this project.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Goals:

1. Complete community scans in strategic locations in Routt County to evaluate the local built environment to support community health and wellbeing.

2. Provide intern with real-world experience in public health and community engagement.

3. Utilize findings from the scans to identify needs and to inform future community projects implemented by local governments and the BEC.

Scope: The intern will work with the Built Environment Coalition to complete 2-3 community scans throughout Routt County during summer 2026.

Objectives:

1. Collaborate with municipal partners and coalition members to determine scan locations and routes, using data from preliminary mini-scans completed in winter 2026 to aid with selection.
2. Create communication materials and publicize the community scans.
3. Recruit participants and manage volunteers for the scans.
4. Analyze and evaluate scan findings.
5. Create a report with findings from the community scans, which will be presented at the end of summer in at least 2-3 community presentations.
6. Findings from the scans will be used to identify needs and to inform future community projects implemented by local governments and the BEC.

Stakeholders

The intern will get to work with many stakeholders, directly or in community meetings, including:

• The Built Environment Coalition
• Local municipalities, including Routt County, City of Steamboat, and other local townships (ex. Hayden, Oak Creek, and/or Yampa)
• Transportation authorities including the Colorado Department of Transportation
• Other state entities, including the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Non-profit partners and community groups, including the Northwest Colorado Center for Independence, Western Resilience Center, Routt County Riders, and more
• Local community members
• Local civic groups (ex. Rotary)
• Local media (ex. Steamboat Pilot, Steamboat Radio)

Learning Outcomes

This opportunity will provide the intern with real-world experience in public health and community scans, which are a commonly used tool in the field. The intern will also gain real-world experience in many arenas, including:

1. Working with municipal representatives and elected officials
2. Project management
3. Data collection, analysis, and evaluation
4. Creation and implementation of survey tools
5. Public speaking and facilitation
6. Collaboration within a coalition framework
7. Community engagement experience
8. Communications and marketing experience

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Natalie Bachmeier
• Other Topics: Food Systems
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Logan, Morgan, and Weld County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The proposed internship will occur within the scope of two ongoing Extension-Campus Faculty collaborative projects:

1. Growing an Extension Network for Dissemination and Implementation of Intensive Health Behavior and Lifestyle Treatment
2. Strong People Strong Bodies Program

In the first project, we have been delivering an empirically supported, whole family-inclusive chronic disease prevention program, Health Without Barriers, to Larimer and Weld County 11-19-year-old adolescents and their parents, caregivers, and siblings. Health Without Barriers is a 12-session program involving a combination of multidisciplinary intensive health behavior and lifestyle interventions, including youth and family physical activity, parent training, family hands-on cooking and nutrition, and adolescent mindfulness-based stress reduction. As part of the current project, Extension Field and Campus Faculty are partnering to test the feasibility and acceptability of implementation strategies for training health educators to facilitate Health Without Barriers with fidelity and to recruit and retain area families. Through the Extension partnership, we are outreaching to their community networks serving youth and families who may benefit from Health Without Barriers, along with partnerships with community interest holders including healthcare providers and public health organizations dedicated to chronic disease prevention. Whereas this first project has been focused on program delivery to groups of families, the second project centers on physical activity training, a core health behavior and lifestyle intervention, with adults. A partnership between Extension and the Center for Healthy Aging, the Strong Bodies Program is a nationwide, research-based 12-session strength, balance, and flexibility fitness program for adults. The proposed internship will focus on tailoring these evidence-based Extension health intervention offerings to be maximally responsive to varying preferences and characteristics of implementation settings throughout Larimer and Weld Counties, and beyond, where interest holders have expressed a desire for health programming that necessitates modifications for fit-to-context (e.g., variations in the target audience, tailoring the frequency/intensity of programs, delivery of some versus all program components).

Collectively, we have worked with many graduate and undergraduate students and mentored students in the Summer Extension Internship program. With a strong Extension Field-Campus, engaged scholarship program in place, an eager team, and a well thought out plan for individualized professional development for a Summer Intern, we are delighted to incorporate an intern on our initiatives to tailor these inter-related evidence-based Extension health interventions for community settings that meet the varying needs of all Coloradoans.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The proposed internship is called Tailoring Evidence-based Health Interventions for Community Delivery. The *overall goal* is to engage community stakeholders and program facilitators in refining and adapting Health Without Barriers and Strong Bodies so that we can tailor and scale these programs in response to community interest holder feedback. This work will directly contribute to enhancing Health Extension’s capacity to expand evidence-based health intervention offerings for community partners.

The *specific objectives* are to:

1. Gather interest folder feedback on necessary modifications to existing programs
2. Use feedback to develop a report that outlines refined Health Without Barriers implementation and Strong Bodies facilitator training approaches
3. Develop a unified dissemination and scaling plan.

Completion of these objectives will result in rich information to inform the implementation and scaling strategies that will be necessary to deliver diverse health interventions through the Extension network and inform ongoing campus-field partnerships with Colorado communities invested in health programming.

Scope:

• Objective 1 will involve engagement of relevant stakeholders through focus groups, interviews, and surveys to gather feedback on intervention dimensions that should be adapted, while retaining core therapeutic elements.
• Objective 2 will involve engagement of stakeholders and the Extension-Campus team to identify opportunities for adapted Health Without Barriers offerings (e.g., shorter workshops or standalone components) and developing recommendations to improve and tailor the Strong Bodies facilitator training, outreach, and expansion into underserved communities.
• Objective 3 will include the development of a dissemination and scaling plan that outlines strategies for outreach, recruitment, marketing, and partner engagement to support the sustainability and scaling of both programs (and their components) across Colorado. This plan will include:
  • Strategies for outreach and recruitment of facilitators
  • Identifying key community partners and settings
  • Communications and marketing approaches
  • Recommendations for sustainability and expansion
  • A roadmap to connect community needs/interests to the appropriate evidence-based program (i.e. Health Without Barriers, Strong Bodies, mindfulness classes, etc.)

Based upon our experiences delivering the multi-component Health Without Barriers and Strong Bodies Program interventions and drawing on our strong existing relationships with healthcare and other community partners invested in health, we feel confident the goals, objectives, and scope of the proposed internship will be feasible and that the outcomes are likely to yield a feasible/acceptable set of health intervention offerings that can be adopted with sustainability.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with the team of mentors (Bachmeier and Shomaker, along with other County-based Health or Family and Consumer Science Specialists on our broader team e.g., Timmerman, Beckley, Clark in Extension-Larimer, Weld, and La Plata Counties, respectively) to outreach to organizations with whom we already have existing relationships in various stages/capacities and all of whom serve youth, families, and adults/caregivers.
• Examples include the Sunrise Community Health, Salud Family Health Center, UC Health, the Poudre and Thompson School Districts, the Public Health Departments, Boys and Girls Club, the Senior Center, the Kendall Anderson Nutrition Center, Summit Stone, Cooking Matters, and the Aztlan Community Center, as well as other recreation centers.
• The intern also will engage with the State Extension office (Bachmeier), the Human Development and Family Studies/College of Health and Human Sciences and Colorado School of Public Health (Shomaker), and the Community Advisory Board that supports the community-engaged work of our main campus-field practice/research team in Northern Colorado.

Learning Outcomes

We will work with the intern to establish an individualized learning plan, which aligns learning outcomes to the trainee’s individual needs/preferences/career goals. We anticipate learning outcomes will include:

1. Increased knowledge of empirically-supported health and physical activity interventions
2. Enhanced knowledge of community stakeholders/networks invested in health and wellness
3. Skill acquisition of strategies/methods for community/stakeholder engagement
4. Learning skills for effective partnership building centered in community-based participatory research and engaged scholarship principles
5. Increased knowledge of community-based program evaluation/grant preparation. Depending upon the intern’s individualized interests, they might consider gaining skills in marketing, data analysis of preliminary data from our projects, and dissemination to various audiences.

The intern’s summer learning plan will be complemented by a host of professional development opportunities. Dr. Shomaker’s team includes psychologists, postdoctoral fellows, full-time professional staff, MPH students, and doctoral students, with collaborators in medicine, pediatrics, nutrition, exercise science, psychiatry, public health, and so forth. Ms. Bachmeier has a unique position as a State Extension Specialist, with unique collaborations to Statewide Extension efforts while also maintaining very close ties to delivery of health programming in partnership with Larimer County Extension. Larimer County Extension is a long-standing, strong unit with nearly 20 professionals who offer an array of expertise relevant to community health, wellness, and youth/families. Its proximity to main campus makes for a convenient partnership to co-conduct programs/program evaluation and offer a rich training environment that bridges campus-statewide-field engagement. In addition to weekly mentorship meeting with Dr. Shomaker and Ms. Bachmeier, the intern will choose from ample professional development activities available as part of main campus, our lab, Extension, local community/hospitals, etc. Students will disseminate findings as part of the intern program in addition to dissemination directly to stakeholders.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Heather Houk
• Other Topics: N/A
• Primary Location: La Plata
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

The Durango Botanic Garden (DBG), celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2025, is looking ahead with a focus on innovation, documentation, and long-term sustainability. This internship will play a key role in that effort.

Project Component 1: Interactive Garden Map

The intern will develop a comprehensive, interactive digital map of the entire garden. This tool will catalog all plant species and their exact locations, along with detailed notes on plant health, irrigation needs, replacement recommendations, and identification of specimens sourced from Plant Select®. Working with Plant Select® material will also give the intern the opportunity to evaluate plant suitability, adaptability, and future planting options for the region.

Project Component 2: Evaluating the DBG and Plant Select® Partnership

The intern will also assess the long-standing relationship between DBG and Plant Select®. This evaluation will build on the mapping project by analyzing which Plant Select® varieties are thriving, which may need replacement, and how effectively the two organizations are currently collaborating. The goal is to strengthen data sharing, improve plant performance insights, and ensure that plant selections are well-suited for the unique conditions of Southwest Colorado.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. Begin developing an interactive digital map of the entire DBG landscape.
2. Evaluate the garden’s current plant inventory and contribute to a forward-looking growing and replacement plan.
3. Collaborate with Plant Select® to assess the suitability and regional performance of their selections in Durango.
4. Identify opportunities for improved data collection and sharing that could benefit both DBG and Plant Select®.
5. Present project findings and recommendations to the broader community as part of the Great Garden Series.

Stakeholders

• Durango Botanic Gardens
• Plant Select
• CSU Extension

Learning Outcomes

1. Participating in primary research expands the ability to engage in community outreach and public speaking.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Chad Miller
• Other Topics: Food Systems
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Marigold flowers are known for their ability to function as companion plants. By planting them near crop plants like tomatoes and squash, it has been documented that they can reduce pest pressure on the primary crop being grown. Companion plants are often not utilized for other purposes, but species like marigolds that are edible can provides additional revenue opportunities. Moreover, marigolds are also known for their anti-inflammatory and eye health benefits. Work is necessary to understand how growing marigolds and edible flowers with crop plants impacts the yields of the flowers and crops compared to a monoculture system.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

This internship aims add to the research body on edible flower production methods, in conjunction with companion planting and to distribute this information to local growers. The primary goal of the internship program will be to understand effects of yield of companion plant systems. A secondary goal will be to understand how companion planting effects the phytochemicals of the marigolds flowers.

1. Work with the Miller research group and CSU Extension to perform field research with a local grower
2. Work in the lab to analyze the phytochemical content of edible flowers
3. Analyze field trial results and prepare a report with the findings
4. Prepare an extension fact sheet on the results of the study

Stakeholders

The student intern will have the opportunity to engage with many different stakeholders associated with CSU Extension including:

• Office of Engagement and Extension
• Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department
• CSU Students
• Northern Colorado Community Members
• Local Cut Flower and Vegetable Grower in Larimer County
• Master Gardeners

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will have the opportunity to learn and develop horticultural research skills through field trials.
2. They will also gain experience in lab analysis skills by aiding the research team in phytochemical assays.
3. The dissemination of the field trial results will allow them to further develop and gain skills in areas including communication, scientific writing, problem-solving, and organizational skills.

With these skills, they will have the opportunity to practice general speaking, engage with the public, and experience networking through their coordination with Extension professionals. While this internship will take place in a horticultural setting, the learned skills learned are transferable to other career areas. Through this work, the student will gain knowledge of the Extension program and potential career opportunities involved in the area.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Jeff Pieper
• Other Topics: Food Systems
• Primary Location: Mesa County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship will be working directly with peach growers in Palisade, CO. The intern will be using a CSU developed system that utilizes non-destructive sensors to collect fruit scans in peach orchards and weather data to help local growers predict fruit quality and forecast harvest timing weeks in advance.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The goal of this internship is to help growers predict their harvest timing weeks in advance so they can plan their sales and labor. To do so, the intern will travel between several orchards, scanning 50 peaches from various trees across many peach varieties and orchard blocks. This data will be transmitted via WiFi and uploaded to the cloud, and analyzed by software to determine the optimal harvest window, a prediction that many growers find difficult to determine early enough to increase their sales. The fruit scan process will be performed 3-4 times per variety and orchard block during the season. The intern will also need to keep good records, detailing cultivars and the location in the orchard where the data was collected. The intern will be primarily working with next generation orchardists who are newer to the industry or taking over their family farms. There are four objectives for this project.

1. Provide season long harvest estimates for several next generation farmers in Palisade, CO.
2. Teach orchardists about non-destructive technologies and how they can benefit farm revenue.
3. Provide the intern with real life, on farm experiences in agriculture.
4. Teach the intern about how agricultural technology (AgTech) can influence on farm decision making and what goes into developing different types of technologies.

Stakeholders

• Peach producers in Palisade, CO.
• CSU Extension Tri-River Area.
• Peach consumers.
• Software developers.
• CSU campus faculty.

Learning Outcomes

1. This internship will provide the intern with valuable on farm experience, talking to growers, learning about the fruit industry and how AgTech can assist farmers with decision making and on farm forecasting.
2. The intern will also develop an understanding of tree fruit production, business logistics and cloud-based decision-making tools.
3. The intern will learn about non-destructive sensing, fruit quality, and develop a sense for fruit production.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Deryn Davidson
• Other Topics: Natural Resources
• Primary Location: Larimer
• Other Location: Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship gives a student the chance to help address two emerging needs for Colorado:

• applied research to help define what constitutes a sustainable landscape with data
• The creation of a new Colorado landscape plant database from the ground up

The internship has two complementary components and will provide valuable and much needed information for the green industry of Colorado. With support from a mentor team the intern will:

1. Conduct a literature review of sustainable landscape practices to help identify gaps and inform future applied research that campus and state specialists will conduct. They will also help install, maintain, and collect data from research trials for the project: Assembling Sustainable Landscapes from the Group Up: Trials of Performance and Design
2. Research existing landscape plant databases to evaluate their structure, functionality, and user experience.

The intern will engage with stakeholder groups such as the City of Denver, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, who have expressed interest in CSU Extension creating a sortable plant database. Using this insight, the intern will be guided by the data focused mentor to compile and organize existing Colorado-specific plant list data into a comprehensive Excel spreadsheet that will serve as the basis for a future database that will use AI to compile site specific plant lists, and will be used by a variety of professionals to support their work. While the intern won’t be working directly on AI, the intern’s work will be critical to the AI.

This mix of hands-on experience with stakeholder engagement, data analysis, information architecture, and applied horticultural research, will allow the intern to contribute directly to improving plant selection resources for Coloradans and their landscapes.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The goal of this internship is to establish trail gardens for multi-year data collection, and lay the foundation for a new, AI-supported, user-friendly Colorado landscape plant database for state agencies, city and county departments, non-profits, and landscape architects. To support that goal, the intern will conduct a literatrue review of sustainable landscape practices and help install the trials plots, they will also review a range of existing online plant databases to understand how they are organized, what features make them easy to use, and where improvements could be made. Building from that research, the intern will gather, clean, and organize Colorado-specific plant list data into a customized, data-validated Excel spreadsheet that will serve as a comprehensive database.
2. The internship will be both in-the-field, and computer-based. The first few weeks will involved installing pre-designed landscape trials at ARDEC South in Larimer County. Throughout the rest of the internship, there will be weekly checks and eventually data collection on site. The other portion of the intern’s time will be inside, and the student will be able to work from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
3. The scope of the work includes physical labor, literature review, stakeholder engagement, database research/evaluation, data evaluation, spreadsheet organization, and early-stage collaboration with a data-focused mentor to build the database. By the end of the internship, the objective is to established, multi-year trail plots, and a well-organized, accurate, and functional dataset that will be the foundation for the future AI-searchable CSU Extension plant ID website.

Stakeholders

• City parks departments
• Landscape architects
• State agencies (CPW, CDOT)
• Water providers

Learning Outcomes

1. By participating in this internship, the student will gain experience in several key areas. They will learn how to set up landscape research trials and collect field data, and they will learn how to evaluate digital plant databases for structure, usability, and function. They will develop practical skills in organizing and managing horticultural data. They will learn how to participate (and possibly facilitate) stakeholder meetings and make industry connections. They will deepen their understanding of native and adapted plants and their landscape uses, while also learning foundational principles of information architecture and data design.
2. Professionally, the student will have opportunities to work closely with Extension staff and engage with members of the green industry. They will practice hands-on landscape skills, research, critical thinking, and data management, and have the opportunity to network; skills valuable in landscape design, horticulture, ecology, and environmental data careers. The project-based nature of the internship also gives the student a tangible portfolio piece that demonstrates their ability to contribute data and a real-world tool to be used in the landscape industry.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Daniel White
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Mesa County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship provides a student with hands-on experience at the forefront of agricultural water management through the design, fabrication, and testing of 3-D-printed structures used in irrigation delivery and flow-measurement systems. Working closely with the Agricultural Water Quality Program, CSU Extension, and statewide water partners, the intern will help prototype critical components, including flumes and other devices essential for monitoring and managing water in ditches, canals, and on-farm distribution networks, using CSU’s suite of additive manufacturing tools, such as the large-format Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga. This engineering workflow is central to creating practical, affordable, and locally manufacturable alternatives to traditional fiberglass or metal structures, directly addressing the growing need for accurate and economical flow monitoring across Colorado’s irrigation systems. Throughout the internship, the student will develop competencies in CAD modeling, parametric design (creating digital models where key dimensions are controlled by adjustable variables), material selection, print optimization, and post-processing techniques. The student will also collaborate with conservation districts, ditch companies, irrigation businesses, and river districts to evaluate how prototype devices function within real operational constraints, translating stakeholder input into iterative design improvements. These partnerships will give the intern meaningful experience in applied engineering, community-responsive innovation, and co-development of tools that strengthen water management across the state. By contributing to Extension-ready training materials and demonstrations for agents, specialists, and producers, the intern will help expand CSU’s statewide capacity to deploy accessible, economical flow-measurement and irrigation-system components. This internship places the student at the center of a new wave of land-grant innovation, where additive manufacturing is not just a technology, but a pathway to advancing water stewardship, reducing costs, and modernizing Colorado’s agricultural infrastructure.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will immerse a student in the rapidly advancing field of additive manufacturing as applied to agricultural water management. Working with the Agricultural Water Quality Program team, including mentors Danny White and Emmanuel DeLeon in Fort Collins and support from Perry Cabot for Western Slope applications, the student will participate in the full design-to-fabrication workflow needed to create accessible, economical irrigation flow-measurement devices.
2. The internship centers on developing and testing 3-D-printed prototypes of common hydraulic measurement structures such as Parshall flumes, H-flumes, V-notch and Cipolletti weirs, teaching-scale lab models, and sensor-integrated devices capable of supporting modern monitoring networks. Interns will gain hands-on experience with CSU’s suite of additive manufacturing equipment – including the large-format Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga, high-speed Bambu printers, and Prusa Minis, learning how to optimize print parameters, select durable outdoor-ready materials, and troubleshoot fabrication challenges.
3. Building on ongoing work that demonstrates dramatic cost reductions and precision comparable to commercial fiberglass units, the student will focus on refining designs to improve structural integrity, dimensional accuracy, and long-term field performance. CAD modeling, parametric resizing, post-processing, and preparation for hydraulic testing will be key components of the internship.
4. The scope of the internship includes designing multiple prototype devices, evaluating print efficiency and material use, assessing durability, and preparing units for hydraulic calibration in collaboration with engineering partners.
5. An additional objective is to explore how sensor housings and integrated pressure transducer mounts can be incorporated directly into printed geometries, extending CSU’s work on smart, low-cost water-measurement technologies.
6. A core goal is for the student to help advance CSU’s Land-Grant mission by developing tools that reduce financial and logistical barriers for farmers, irrigation companies, and water managers.
7. By the end of the internship, the student will have contributed directly to a new generation of affordable, locally manufacturable flow-measurement devices, supporting broader adoption of water-measurement practices, strengthening statewide water-management capacity, and expanding CSU’s leadership in agricultural innovation.

Stakeholders

• The intern will collaborate with stakeholder groups routinely supported by the Agricultural Water Quality Program, such as conservation districts, ditch companies, natural resource managers, and producer groups who rely on accurate flow data for reporting, compliance, and on-farm decision-making. These partners will provide essential feedback on prototype design, installation ease, and suitability across different hydraulic settings, ensuring that the devices meet real operational needs.
• The intern will also work with irrigation supply companies on the Western Slope, including Bollinger & Queen (Olathe, CO), Irrigation Systems (Fruita, CO), and Central Irrigation (Fruita, CO), that are long-standing collaborators with Dr. Perry Cabot and key participants in applied irrigation engineering. These companies will help guide the development of 3-D-printed devices toward designs that are durable, accurate, and practical for field deployment in agricultural canals, laterals, and measurement stations.
• Beyond industry partners, the intern will engage with major basin-scale water-management entities such as the Colorado River District and the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, both of which are actively expanding flow-monitoring capacity to support drought response, consumptive-use evaluation, and modernization of agricultural infrastructure. The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), which has identified affordable instrumentation for ungauged systems as a statewide priority, will also be an important collaborator as prototypes are evaluated for potential broader deployment.
• Finally, the intern will engage with CSU Extension offices in select counties help train agents and specialists in the application and interpretation of these additive-manufactured devices. This work will strengthen statewide capacity for technical assistance, improve producer understanding of flow monitoring, and accelerate the adoption of low-cost, field-ready hydraulic measurement tools across Colorado’s agricultural communities.

Learning Outcomes

1. The internship is designed to provide the student with a rigorous blend of technical, analytical, and professional experiences grounded in real-world water-management challenges. By the end of the internship, the student will have developed proficiency in CAD modeling, parametric design, and additive manufacturing workflows, including slicing strategies, print-optimization techniques, and material selection for hydraulic applications. They will gain hands-on experience fabricating full-scale hydraulic structures and will learn how dimensional accuracy, surface roughness, and print orientation influence hydraulic performance. The student will also strengthen engineering problem-solving skills through iterative prototyping, troubleshooting, and performance evaluation. Beyond the technical outcomes, the internship provides rich opportunities for professional development. The student will work directly with conservation districts, ditch companies, irrigation-equipment manufacturers, water conservancy districts, and the CWCB, building applied experience in stakeholder engagement and collaborative solution-building. They will practice communicating engineering concepts to diverse audiences, including producers, irrigation managers, and Extension agents, while helping develop training materials that introduce low-cost flow-measurement tools to Colorado communities. The internship also exposes the student to CSU’s broader land-grant ecosystem. Through involvement with Extension offices and the Agricultural Water Quality Program, the student will gain insight into community-engaged scholarship, evidence-based problem solving, and workforce-aligned innovations, all priorities highlighted in the OEE Strategic Roadmap. These experiences will prepare the student for future roles in applied water engineering, agricultural technology, and public-sector or industry positions that require both technical acumen and strong community collaboration skills. Overall, the internship will cultivate a well-rounded emerging professional who can design, build, test, and communicate innovative water-management technologies grounded in real stakeholder needs.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Maria Vicini
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Arapahoe County
• On-Campus/In the Field: On-campus
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network develops climate-adaptive forest management strategies across 14 Network sites. Borden Memorial Forest (BMF) is a recently donated parcel with active and sustainable forest management and research projects to increase undergraduate and graduate experiential learning opportunities for Colorado State University and Front Range Community College.

This Extension internship is a collaborative position shared between mentors in the CSU Departments of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. The intern will support science communication, applied research and outreach, and environmental education resource development across several forests in Colorado.

This position will support the ASCC Network’s and Borden Memorial Forest’s efforts to communicate research findings and climate adaptation strategies to diverse audiences through the creation of educational programming, outreach materials, on-site educational tools, and more. Specifically, this internship will focus on the design and development of interpretive signage for the Borden Memorial Forest and the three ASCC sites based in Colorado, along with the development of additional interpretive signage and related programming for other ASCC Network sites as capacity allows. The student will also have the chance to work with the horticultural Extension specialist mentor to develop additional hands-on horticulture and natural resources projects for the local community.

Through these applied science communication projects, the intern will collaborate with researchers, faculty, Extension specialists, forest managers, neighbors, and others involved in local, applied forest science and management. The position provides ample opportunity to build science delivery skills, create relationships with forest managers and scientists, translate current research to different audiences, and contribute to regional science communication and environmental education.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

Internship Scope: Climate change necessitates collaboration to understand how natural resource managers can adapt management plans to meet the needs of a climatically-altered future. The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network seeks to understand what climate adaptive management looks like in different forest types by bringing local experts, scientists, and land managers together to develop experimental forest management approaches for specific forests, and then continues to assess the outcomes of these different treatments.

The Borden Memorial Forest is a property that is managed by the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) and the Warner College of Natural Resources. Several partners, including multiple WCNR departments, Front Range Community College, and CSFS are working together to offer expanded experiential learning for students, landowners, and other stakeholders at the property. A foundational step in this process is crafting a plan for education and interpretation, including developing quality interpretive signs.

As ongoing applied research efforts continue to grow, there is an increasing need for effective science communication, locally relevant educational programming, and community-facing outreach materials. This internship position will help us accomplish these goals by leading the development of an educational plan and interpretive signage that will reach broad audiences across the state of Colorado.

Our student intern will work closely with mentors, CSU faculty, the Borden Memorial Forest advisory board, ASCC Network managers and scientists, the Colorado State Forest Service, and members of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science to develop environmental education materials and interpretive signage for our highlighted properties, to create high-quality materials that build upon our community-oriented programming goals. Additional projects will involve developing outreach materials to increase awareness of the Network research. The student will have the opportunity to connect with local managers and site leads for the three Colorado sites and take the lead on additional science delivery efforts that interest them most as capacity allows. They will also have the opportunity to learn and apply basic forestry identification and measurements skills at the Mountain Campus, as time allows.

The overarching goals and objectives of this internship position are to:

1. Develop environmental education products based on current research:
   • Work with Warner College of Natural Resource mentors to design and create interpretive signage for three Colorado ASCC sites and the Borden Memorial Forest using environmental education best practices.
   • Develop an educational plan for how audiences can interact with the signage.
   • Lead design of sign layout.
   • Incorporate relevant applied research findings, climate-adaptive management strategies, and cultural and Indigenous perspectives.
   • Coordinate with CSU faculty, Front Range Community College, CSFS, extension staff, and land managers.
   • Coordinate with partners to develop installation logistics details and a schedule for sign installation.
2. Assist with ASCC Network science communication and outreach:
   • Update ASCC website pages.
   • Create a variety of written or printed outreach products.
   • Translate climate-adaptive research into engaging content for diverse audiences.
3. Collaborate on Extension community engagement projects and build field experience:
   • Work with CSU Extension on local outreach events, projects, or opportunities as they arise.
   • Collaborate with Extension outreach professionals and CSFS staff to gain exposure to field projects and forestry work.
   • Optional opportunities to shadow foresters in the field and assist with field activities such as monitoring at ASCC sites.

Stakeholders

The intern will work with a wide variety of local and national stakeholder groups. These include:

• CSU FRS and HDNR faculty
• CSU Extension staff
• Colorado State Foresters and staff
• Front Range Community College
• Borden Memorial Forest staff
• Local landowners and community members
• CO/WY Society of American Foresters
• Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
• ASCC Network scientists, managers, and collaborators in Colorado and across the U.S. and Canada

Learning Outcomes

Through this internship, we anticipate the the student will:

1. Gain an in-depth understanding of climate-adaptive silviculture and Colorado forest management, including terminology and climate change impacts on Colorado forest types.
2. Build skills in applied research synthesis and science communication for diverse audiences.
3. Develop competency in environmental education and science interpretation and visual design.
4. Produce tangible education products to develop a professional portfolio. The BMF signage is funded by a Foresters’ Fund grant through the Society of American Foresters.
5. Gain field skills and experience in forestry mensuration and monitoring at both the BMF and CO ASCC sites.
6. Gain professional development skills in collaborating with forest management professionals and other forestry students across Colorado working on climate-adaptive forest management.
7. Build professional relationships with CSU faculty, Extension partners, CSFS collaborators, and additional natural resource practitioners.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Dan Preston
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Urban aquatic waterbodies provide important ecosystem services including nutrient/pollutant retention, flood control, recreational opportunities, and habitat for biodiversity. Yet urban waterbodies are often overlooked in conservation planning because they are small in size and embedded within a matrix of other land uses. Our project aims to survey urban aquatic waterbodies in Fort Collins to identify the factors that influence local biodiversity of aquatic organisms. The intern will be based in Ft. Collins and will participate primarily in field research (85%) with some opportunities for laboratory research based at Colorado State University (15%). The field research will involve working with a field crew to survey freshwater ponds, canals, and streams in and around Fort Collins. Survey work will focus on characterizing aquatic community structure (fish, amphibians, aquatic macroinvertebrates) and selected habitat variables. Intern will need to be able to walk short distances to field sites and be able to carry equipment. Laboratory work may involve sample processing of aquatic invertebrates.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The main goals for the internship are to:

1. Provide training and exposure to field sampling methods in aquatic ecology
2. Develop connections with research mentors and external stakeholders that will facilitate career development
3. Develop skills in science communication via presentation of a scientific poster and participation in outreach opportunities

The broader goals for the research project are to:

1. Evaluate factors that shape community structure of urban aquatic waterbodies
2. Understand how we might maximize provisioning of ecosystem services while still allowing urban waterbodies to serve as useful wildlife habitat

Stakeholders

The main stakeholders that the intern will interact with include the

• US Geological Survey
• The City of Fort Collins
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcomes will include:

1. Development of field survey skills in relation to aquatic ecology. This will include techniques for fish surveys, aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, and pond/stream habitat variable measurement.
2. Development of aquatic insect identification skills using a dichotomous key in the laboratory.
3. Networking and connections with local natural resource managers, as well as CSU faculty, grad students, and CSU Extension staff.
4. Development of oral, written, and visual science communication skills.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Josey Pukrop
• Other Topics: 4-H & Youth
• Primary Location: Jefferson County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

If one of your fondest childhood memories is about going to camp, then this internship is for you! ENOR (Eagle’s Nest Owl’s Roost) has been providing quality education for 52 years as an environmental day camp for youth in or near Jefferson County. Through this internship you will bring the magic of camp to youth, while educating them about important environmental education topics. This day camp is offered Monday-Friday for four weeks over the summer with campers being in session from 8-4:30 daily.

What sets ENOR Camp apart from other outdoor summer programs is our strong commitment to environmental education, active outdoor experiences, genuine care, and community partnerships.

FOCUS: At ENOR, we go beyond simple recreation. Our primary goal is to inspire a deeper understanding of the environment and foster youth development. Each day is centered around engaging themes that blend science, math, history, art, drama, and teamwork, creating a dynamic and enriching learning environment for every camper.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE: Campers spend each day hiking through beautiful local parks and open spaces, staying physically active while developing resilience and a lifelong love of nature. Every day offers a new trail and a new opportunity to explore.

CARE: Each camper is paired with a dedicated educator for the entire week, building strong, supportive relationships in a safe and welcoming atmosphere.

PARTNERSHIPS: Our valued partnerships with local experts and organizations bring specialized knowledge and unique experiences to camp, broadening horizons and deepening learning.

ENOR has positively impacted over 20,000 children over the past 50 years. Will you be our next teammate that helps youth find their spark in environmental education?

Please note: Due to daycare licensing requirements, a successful applicant must be able to provide documentation of 455 verifiable hours of working with school-aged children or have a degree in a related field.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will include camp preparation, camp delivery and post-camp evaluation duties. For the majority of the internship you’ll serve as an educator for camp, and will be an integral part of the team. Curriculum is already created, but you’ll be able to provide key feedback on changes to strengthen the program for future years. Additionally, you’ll learn about camp daycare policies and safety measures while in the field, and support planning, implementing, and evaluating camper’s experiences and level of learning post camp.
2. Required dates include:
   • Training week: June 1-5, 2026
   • Camp weeks: June 8-12, June 15-19, June 22-26 and July 6-10, 2026
3. Your remaining 300 hours can be completed on a flexible basis.
4. Through serving as an educator, you will build skills in leading hands-on activities, such as the identification of Colorado flora and fauna and leave no trace principles.

Stakeholders

• ENOR has dynamic relationships with a number of community partners and natural resource professionals that support the camp annually through hosting campers, providing hands-on activities and presentations and providing other educational materials. The intern will be in a unique position to connect with these partners while engaging in meaningful learning experiences with the campers. ENOR has had a consistent relationship with Jeffco Open Space Rangers, Colorado School of Mines mining engineers, Gilpin Historical Society, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Denver Water to name a few. These partnerships allow for professional networking for post-graduation employment opportunities.

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will learn the in’s and out’s of running, delivering and evaluating an educational camp. You’ll get to form great relationships with campers of several ages and present environmental education programming while serving in an outdoor educator role. If curriculum development is of interest, intern can focus post-camp time on revamping curriculum or developing new lessons as determined by camper evaluation surveys. Throughout the internship, the student will be engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders and community partners. They will build professional relationships and practice their networking skills while in a supportive environment. This internship is sure to diversify your resume!

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Yoichiro Kanno
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Grand County
• Other Locations: Larimer and Summit County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship focuses on fisheries restoration and community development, and the intern will be mentored by a campus faculty mentor (Kanno), field-based Extension agent (Schroder), and a private-sector stakeholder (Rose). The intern’s time will be split between fisheries and aquaculture fieldwork at the Blue Valley Ranch in Kremmling, Grand County (8-9 weeks), community development and engagement in Grand and Summit Counties (1-2 weeks). Housing will be provided on the Blue Valley Ranch for up to 10 weeks. Additional field and laboratory work is available beyond the 10-week period covered by CSU Extension, if the intern is interested.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The goal is to provide the intern with inter-disciplinary natural resources experience to equip them with a variety of skills to be successful in our field. The primary part of this internship builds around fisheries restoration on Blue Valley Ranch.
2. The intern will learn fish and stream sampling techniques (e.g., electrofishing, aquatic insects) and operations of their hatchery system to support fisheries management (e.g., tank maintenance and fish feeding).
3. A limited amount of time will be spent on other day-to-day working ranch operations as needed (e.g., tree planting, cattle maintenance).
4. The student will also intern directly with the local Extension agent for 1-2 weeks to engage local stakeholders in river management and other community development and engagement topics in Summit and Grand Counties.

Stakeholders

• Blue Valley Ranch
• Trout Unlimited
• Colorado Parks and Wildlife
• Blue River Watershed Group

Learning Outcomes

1. The multi-faceted, integrated structure of this internship should offer broad training opportunities in natural resources management through hands-on experience. As a result of this summer opportunity, the intern will learn fisheries field techniques and the role of extension and engagement in a complex river management issue. Besides presenting a poster at CSU Extension’s Annual Forum, previous interns of this project have presented their research at professional society meetings (e.g., annual meeting of Colorado-Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society). One previous intern has recently published her research in a peer-reviewed fisheries journal by estimating age of small-bodied fish species using fish ear bones (otoliths). Since 2025, we have integrated CSU main campus, field-based Extension, and the private stakeholder more fully than any previous year. Thus, this internship is suitable for students seeking inter-disciplinary training and experience in natural resource management.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Lyndsay Gonzalez
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Boulder County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

This internship program will help provide valuable and relevant data and material on a topic of growing interest: using small ruminants for vegetation control to reduce weed pressure and for fire mitigation efforts. The intern will get hands on experience in the fields of natural resources, animal science, horticulture, and agriculture. The mentor team is a diverse group of professionals that will increase the benefits and networking opportunities for the intern. The intern will have the opportunity to spend time working with community members, CSU Extension employees, Parks and Open Space staff, and other stakeholders.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The intern will work on a research project that will measure and record plant species composition, total biomass, and soil analyses before grazing goats and after as well as looking at regrowth and recovery of plants after grazing. They will document with data and photographs. The intern will create a poster on this project, and the mentor team will create a fact sheet.

Stakeholders

• CSU Extension
• NRCS
• Boulder County Parks and Open Space
• Private landowners
• CSU Department of Clinical Sciences
• CSU Restoration Ecology Lab

Learning Outcomes

1. The student will learn more on how local government and public input effect outcomes in how public spaces are managed. Additionally, they will learn plant identification, interpreting a soil test, measuring biomass, goat grazing behavior, requirements for owning, managing, and maintaining a herd of small ruminant animals, livestock health considerations, and environmental impacts of ruminant livestock. The student will learn how to collect and interpret data.
2. There are abundant professional development opportunities for the student including networking with other agencies in the areas of natural resources, local government, and agriculture. The intern will have the chance to attend several educational events from different agencies including CSU Extension, conservation districts, and NRCS. The student will be able to spend time in the Extension office and meet other specialists and will attend site visits to privately owned land and meet various landowners.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Derek Lowstuter
• Other Topics: Community & Economic Development
• Primary Location: Grand County
• Other Location: N/A
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

The Grand County Wildfire Council Community Wildfire Preparedness Internship provides students with a hands-on introduction to wildfire science, community risk reduction, and collaborative mitigation planning within Grand County. Throughout the internship, the student will become an active contributor to the countywide wildfire risk assessment program, where they gain practical experience evaluating both home-level and broader community wildfire vulnerabilities. In doing so, they will deepen their understanding of the factors that shape local fire risk and the tools used to assess and reduce it.

In addition to technical skills, the intern will learn best practices for engaging with community members when developing projects that serve the public interest. They will observe and participate in outreach strategies that build trust, promote understanding, and support shared decision-making around wildfire preparedness. This emphasis on community-centered approaches is further strengthened through the intern’s involvement in public education events held throughout the summer. By helping deliver wildfire preparedness messages at these events, the student will have opportunities to apply the knowledge they have gained while also developing confidence in communicating complex information to diverse audiences.

The intern will also explore the principles behind designing and implementing large, landscape-scale mitigation projects. Through exposure to multi-agency planning processes and collaborative project development, they will learn how fuel treatments, ecological considerations, and cross-boundary partnerships come together to reduce risk at meaningful scales. This combination of technical training, community engagement, and project-based learning equips students with a well-rounded foundation in wildfire preparedness and mitigation practice.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. The internship is designed to provide the student with meaningful field experience while deepening their understanding of wildfire resilience and supporting the creation of a safer, more prepared Grand County. By the end of the program, the intern will have built a strong foundation in wildfire science, risk assessment, and community preparedness. They will also gain a nuanced understanding of challenges unique to Grand County, including local fuel conditions, past fire history, diverse landscapes, and the social and logistical factors that shape community vulnerability. An essential component of the program is helping the intern learn how to raise public awareness of wildfire preparedness and risk-reduction strategies through direct involvement in community events and the county’s wildfire risk assessment program – skills that are transferable to a wide range of public-interest issues. Ultimately, the internship aims to cultivate future workforce capabilities related to strategic wildfire mitigation and to foster long-term interest in wildfire resilience.
2. The program’s scope encompasses both technical fieldwork and community-focused activities. The intern will assist with countywide wildfire risk assessment efforts, including data collection, mapping, documentation, and field verification. They will participate in public outreach and education initiatives such as community events, trainings, fire restrictions education, and preparedness campaigns. Throughout the summer, the intern will learn about local wildfire issues specific to Grand County, including fuels conditions, historical fire patterns, and regional mitigation priorities. They will also have opportunities to observe how large, strategic wildfire risk-reduction projects are planned, gaining exposure to partner meetings, project scoping, and field evaluations. All work will occur under the guidance of wildfire staff and partner agencies, providing the intern with experience collaborating with local organizations, nonprofits, and community groups.

Stakeholders

• The intern will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders who contribute to wildfire preparedness and resilience across Grand County. Their primary connection will be with the Grand County Wildfire Council’s staff and volunteers, including regular interaction with the Council’s small professional team and its active Board of Directors. This engagement will give the intern insight into how a community-based wildfire organization operates and how volunteers and leadership collaborate to meet shared goals.
• Beyond GCWC’s internal network, the intern will also interact with numerous partners and collaborators who play essential roles in wildfire mitigation and emergency response. These include all five local fire districts, Northern Water, the Colorado State Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, municipal and county governments, and regional initiatives such as the Northern Colorado Fireshed. Through these relationships, the intern will observe how multiple agencies coordinate across jurisdictions and land types to address wildfire risk at both local and landscape scales.
• The internship will also involve direct engagement with Grand County residents and visitors, who form the core of GCWC’s educational mission. By working with community members during assessments, events, and outreach efforts, the intern will develop practical experience in communicating risk-reduction strategies, understanding community concerns, and supporting public involvement in wildfire preparedness.

Learning Outcomes

1. By the end of the internship, the student will be able to demonstrate a range of technical, communicative, and professional competencies. They will understand the fundamentals of wildfire risk assessment and how these assessments inform mitigation planning. The intern will be able to identify common home and community wildfire vulnerabilities and communicate these findings to property owners and neighborhood associations through the wildfire risk assessment program. In terms of community engagement, they will be prepared to convey key wildfire preparedness messages confidently, support outreach initiatives promoting defensible space and home hardening, and interact effectively with residents and partner organizations during events.
2. The intern will also gain insight into the planning and design of large-scale wildfire mitigation projects, including the importance of collaboration, cross-jurisdiction coordination, and data-driven decision-making. Through these experiences, they will strengthen their communication, fieldwork, and organizational skills while gaining practical exposure relevant to careers in forestry, natural resource management, emergency management, or community resilience. Finally, the intern will become familiar with GCWC’s curated resources on wildfire risk reduction and will learn how to identify additional trainings and educational materials to support ongoing learning in the field.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: John Mola
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Boulder, Delta, Denver, and Mesa County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Populations of insect pollinators are changing across the world from stressors like climate change, urbanization, and the rise of invasive species. European honey bees have faced increased overwintering losses due to pathogens; thus, conservation efforts have been targeted to support their populations, including urban honey bee keeping. Despite their importance economically, honey bees are not a native species to the United States, and introducing them to urban environments may pose a distinct ecological threat to the 1008 bee species native to Colorado.

The effects of honey bees on native bee communities in urban areas have rarely been explored, and additional data are needed to support both native bee conservation and better honey bee management practices. In this study, we aim to collaborate with local beekeepers and municipalities to explore native bee-honey bee competition across an urban-rural gradient in the Front Range. We also intend to pilot an outreach effort to encourage honey bee hive registration in counties across the Front Range and Western slope to improve our estimates of hive density and future management to limit or improve honey bee management practices. Nicki Bailey (PhD student, Mola Lab), Dr. John Mola (Assistant Professor), and Melissa Schreiner (Extension Specialist) will serve as mentors for the 10-week project to support a student’s independent research project, outreach skills, and creation of a poster to present their findings.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The intern will collaborate with university graduate students, scientists, Extension Specialists, commercial beekeepers, and other stakeholders to:

1. Gain a baseline understanding of pollinator communities in both urban and rural systems in Colorado
2. Learn field practices, including insect netting, collection, curation, floral identification, insect photography, and data management
3. Collaborate with stakeholders in Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, and the Tri-River Area/Mesa County to improve understanding of insects and management practices
4. Develop and distribute outreach materials to document honey bee hive abundance across the Front Range and Western Slope
5. Analyze data and create a research poster detailing findings

Stakeholders

The intern will work directly with:

• CSU graduate students, faculty members
• CSU Extension
• Beekeepers affiliated with Boulder and Northern Colorado Beekeepers Association
• The Valley of Organic Growers Association in Delta County
• Parks and recreation staff

Learning Outcomes

1. The primary outcome we anticipate for this internship is for the student to learn how the scientific method works in a condensed field season, helping empower them to feel confident working in any new scientific position, regardless of the subject matter. The student will help to develop protocols to test a complex research question, collect data, analyze it, and disseminate the results to stakeholders. In addition to insect-specific skills, they will learn transferable skills, including data management, collaboration, and field safety protocols.
2. They will learn the consequences of unclear management practices in cities, and how honey bees can serve as a model species for biological invasion. The student will also get to communicate directly with scientists and honey bee keepers, gaining experience looking at research through the lens of stakeholders with very different goals. The student will have the opportunity to join the Mola lab in outreach efforts throughout the summer and present in lab meetings to gain experience with public speaking. The intern will benefit from participating in a field trip to western Colorado to shadow mentor, Melissa Schreiner, and to participate in an outreach event in the Tri-River Area of Colorado. The selected student would gain insight to ongoing Extension entomology projects involving pollinators in western counties.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Sara L. Rathburn
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Grand County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Beavers build dams that pond water, slow stream flow, allow sediment to deposit, and push water out onto the floodplain and wet riparian areas. River restoration often includes building beaver-like structures (Beaver Dam Analogs; BDAs) to mimic the benefits of beavers. In fall 2024, 29 BDAs were constructed along tributaries of the Upper Colorado River in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) to restore the tall willow and beaver wetland ecosystem that was once abundant in the valley. The restoration was conducted by a community partnership, the Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative (KVRC), consisting of city, county, state, federal, and university participants building cross-disciplinary ecological and community bridges. The intern will work with KVRC partners to monitor the effectiveness of restoration structures in creating beaver-like conditions within the Upper Colorado River basin.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The main goals of this internship are twofold:

1. To quantify restoration monitoring metrics along tributaries with BDAs to document their effectiveness at various flows
2. To work collaboratively with KVRC partners to collect, analyze, and present results to support future river restoration in RMNP that promotes wetland habitat and eventually beaver recolonization in the Kawuneeche Valley. The restoration metrics to be measured for comparison between pre- and post-BDA construction include:
   • Area of floodplain inundated
   • Changes in stream flow and stream channel cross section
   • Volume of sediment deposited at BDAs
   • Changes in grain size of bed sediment
3. The second goal of working collaboratively with KVRC partners will be achieved through shared field time, shared data, outreach field visits, fireside talks, and local presentations. In this way, the intern will get exposed to the larger scope and objectives of the project, contribute to the ongoing restoration efforts planned for two more tributaries of the Upper Colorado River, and to meet the KVRC partners working on other components of the restoration (e.g. vegetation, amphibian recovery).

Stakeholders

• The intern will work with the Kawuneeche Valley Restoration Collaborative (KVRC) including representatives from Rocky Mountain National Park, US Forest Service, Grand County, Town of Grand Lake, Town of Granby, Northern Colorado Conservancy District, Colorado River Water Conservancy District, The Nature Conservancy, and graduate students and faculty at Colorado State University. The student intern will also work with Grand County CSU Extension personnel and the local agricultural community. Relevant websites include: https://www.kvcollab.org/ and https://www.nps.gov/romo/the-kawuneeche-valley-restoration-collaborative.htm and https://grand.extension.colostate.edu/

Learning Outcomes

The student learning objectives are as follows:

1. To gain proficiency in BDA/wetland geomorphic and ecological assessments through river wading techniques, stream discharge measurements, sediment probing, topographic surveying using state-of-the-art equipment, and stream stage logger installation and data retrieval.
2. To learn and practice data analysis, visualization, interpretation, and scientific communication to specialist and nonspecialist audiences.
3. To participate in community-engaged research as part of a diverse collaborative of local, county, state, federal, extension, and university partners.

Professional development will occur through participation in applied, interdisciplinary research and interactions with diverse faculty and extension mentors, graduate students, and park staff and visitors. In addition to creating a poster for the Extension Internship Symposium, the intern will help co-author an end-of-summer report to KVRC. Finally, depending on the intern’s interest, there are opportunities for continued involvement with the project including data processing, GIS analysis, and using the data and analysis in classes after the internship is over.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Lisa Mason
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Larimer County
• Other Location: Arapahoe County and Statewide
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? No

Internship Overview

Native Bee Watch (NBW) is a statewide community science program offered through CSU Extension that trains and supports volunteers to identify and monitor bees. As a multi-disciplinary collaboration, NBW’s overarching goal is to create a ripple effect of engagement and education based on three research areas: ecology, social science/adult learning, and AI/computer science research. This internship will support the program’s educational efforts, volunteer coordination and engagement, and data collection/research. Visit NativeBeeWatch.org for more information.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

The overall goal of this internship is to immerse the student in the topic of pollinator conservation while providing experience and professional development in all aspects of Extension programming and applied research.

Objectives for this internship include the following:

1. Participate in educational program planning, implementation, and evaluation based on community needs.
2. Gain experience in volunteer management.
3. Contribute to the ecological and social applied research projects with community involvement.
4. Create an educational product based on community need.

The scope of work for this internship includes the following tasks:

1. Deliver virtual and in-person educational programming depending on the program needs and intern’s interest.
2. Coordinate and support volunteers statewide in training, educational events, data collection, and maintain continued engagement through answering one-on-one inquiries, writing newsletters, engaging on social media, etc.
3. Assist with data quality control (e.g. work on photo data and/or spot-checking data accuracy and working one-on-one in the field with volunteers).
4. Collect native bee data at a public garden site.
5. Participate as a member of the NBW research team conducting research on incorporating AI into volunteer learning and training.
6. Create an educational product/deliverable to help educate communities. Depending on the intern’s interest, examples could include new or updated volunteer training materials, new curriculum, presentation, continuing education for volunteers, videos, marketing materials, fact sheet, informal science writing, or potentially a peer-reviewed journal article.

We have flexibility to adjust the goals and objectives for the internship based on the interests, skills, and career goals of the intern.

Stakeholders

The intern will work closely with:

• Arapahoe County Extension
• Native Bee Watch volunteers
• Colorado Master Gardener volunteers

We work with other organizations depending on their needs. We accommodate presentation and training requests for partner organizations, as well as support partner organizations in collecting data at their public gardens.

Learning Outcomes

1. The intern will gain experience with verbal and written communication, working as a team, conducting applied research, and problem solving.
2. They will also gain knowledge in the areas of pollinator conservation and horticulture topics as it relates to individuals and communities. Skills developed during the internship will be transferable to other jobs and projects the student may pursue.
3. The intern will also have professional development opportunities to shadow staff in other program areas and will gain a broader understanding of the role of Extension interfacing with research and the community. We will do our best to offer professional development that aligns with the intern’s career goals.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Perry Cabot
• Other Topics: Agriculture
• Primary Location: Mesa County
• Other Locations: Delta, Dolores, and Montrose County
• On-Campus/In the Field: In the field
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship provides a graduate student with hands-on experience at the forefront of agricultural water management using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) across Western Colorado. Working closely with researchers, Extension professionals, and regional partners, the intern will support UAV deployment, collect multispectral and thermal imagery, and integrate aerial observations with ground-based sensors and crop water-use models. This combined workflow is essential for improving estimates of evapotranspiration (ET), diagnosing crop stress, and developing the data foundations needed for future AI-driven irrigation prescriptions.

A central objective of the internship is for the student to obtain their FAA Part 107 pilot certification, enabling full participation in flight operations and data-collection activities. The intern will also have the opportunity to assist with the CSU Drone Center’s West Slope training course, gaining direct experience in technology outreach, producer engagement, and applied problem-solving.

Throughout the summer, the student will develop competencies in spectral signature interpretation, energy and flux-footprint concepts, image processing, and geospatial analysis, which are skills that are increasingly vital for addressing drought, limited consumptive-use conditions, and evolving production challenges in the Colorado River Basin. By contributing to Extension-ready products and decision-support tools, the intern will help strengthen CSU’s statewide capacity for data-informed, resilient agricultural water management. As Pink Floyd put it, the journey may start as “a soul in tension that’s learning to fly, condition grounded but determined to try,” but in this internship the student won’t stay an “earthbound misfit” for long — they’ll be in the air, certified, and flying real missions that push agricultural innovation forward.

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship will immerse a graduate student in cutting-edge drone applications that directly influence agricultural water management in Western Colorado. Working with researchers and Extension professionals, the intern will help deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) across CSU research facilities and study locations to address complex regional challenges, optimizing crop production under water scarcity, improving soil and environmental stewardship, and advancing sustainable food systems. UAV-based imagery is rapidly becoming indispensable for understanding crop water use, diagnosing plant stress, and informing more precise irrigation decisions, and this internship places the student at the center of that emerging toolkit.
2. A central goal of the internship is for the student to obtain their FAA Part 107 remote pilot license, enabling them to participate fully in flight operations, data collection, and workflow development. The intern will also have the opportunity to assist with delivery of the CSU Drone Center’s West Slope training class, contributing hands-on expertise while gaining experience in technology outreach and producer engagement.
3. Throughout the summer, the intern will work with the project team to build proficiency in spectral signature interpretation, energy and flux footprint concepts, crop stress indicators, and targeted UAV evaluations that support broader-scale applications. The student will also play an active role in demonstrating these tools to local producers and translating technical insights into practical guidance for on-farm decision-making.
4. By the end of the internship, the student will contribute to Extension and Engagement materials that strengthen CSU’s statewide capacity to support more efficient, data-informed water and crop management. The UAV imagery collected through this internship will be directly compared with ground-based sensor measurements and existing crop water-use models, serving as a critical precursor to the data streams required for developing AI-driven irrigation prescriptions that integrate spatial crop stress patterns with real-time field conditions.

Stakeholders

Access to state-of-the-art UAV imaging and data-processing capacity will significantly enhance the Western Colorado Research Center’s ability to generate actionable insights for Western Slope agriculture. This technology is especially important for improving estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) and crop stress under limited consumptive use conditions, information increasingly needed by producers and water managers navigating drought, conservation programs, and shifting irrigation strategies. The work will be anchored by strong local partnerships:

• Mesa County farmers and producers will guide the research toward practical on-farm challenges.
• The Colorado River District brings essential expertise in regional water management and the evaluation of consumptive-use outcomes.
• The Nature Conservancy adds perspective on landscape-scale conservation and ecological co-benefits.
• The Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) will be an important stakeholder given its leadership in statewide water planning and investment in the science of agricultural water use.
• Colorado State University is well positioned to deliver this work, supported by UAV pilot training through the CSU Drone Center. Building this capacity at WCRC will allow CSU to collect high-quality imagery, evaluate ET with greater precision, and provide producers and partners with tools that directly support resilient agricultural water management in Western Colorado.

Learning Outcomes

1. Develop practical and analytical skills in UAV-enabled agricultural water management, including the collection and interpretation of multispectral and thermal imagery to evaluate evapotranspiration (ET), crop stress, and water-use efficiency under limited consumptive-use conditions.
2. Learn to integrate UAV data with ground-based sensors and modeling frameworks, gaining firsthand experience with workflows that support research, producer decision-making, and Extension programming.
3. Conduct QA/QC on raw imagery and field data to support future fact sheets, technical reports, and peer-reviewed publications.
4. Professional development will be strengthened through direct engagement with Mesa County producers, the Colorado River District, The Nature Conservancy, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board — partners who actively shape water and land management in Western Colorado. The intern will also have the opportunity to pursue their paid FAA Part 107 certification and receive pilot training through the CSU Drone Center, positioning them competitively for careers in consulting, government agencies, ag-tech firms, and graduate research. They will work with industry-standard tools, including DJI and MicaSense multispectral cameras and stitching/processing software such as PIX4D and Agisoft, gaining experience with technologies widely used across the agricultural and environmental sectors.

Key Information

• Lead Mentor: Melissa Schreiner
• Other Topics: Horticulture
• Primary Location: Mesa County
• Other Locations: Delta, Montezuma, Montrose, and Ouray County
• On-Campus/In the Field: Equal time spent
• Does this internship have access to housing? Yes

Internship Overview

This internship invites students to discover the rich and often overlooked insect biodiversity of Western Colorado while developing a highly marketable set of field and laboratory skills. Working within our 30+-year insect teaching collection in Grand Junction, the selected intern will gain hands-on experience with insect curation, microscopy, taxonomy, and digital databasing to iNaturalist. This will ensure this long-standing resource continues to support research, education, and conservation. Beyond the lab, interns will have opportunities to explore a new region of Colorado through field biology work across desert, riparian, mountain, and agricultural habitats. The intern will build essential skills in field safety, insect survey techniques, photography, insect collecting, and insect identification. When entomologist Tristan Kubik conducts insect surveys in the region, the intern will join those efforts, contributing to initiatives that seek to rectify data inequities by empowering underserved counties with critical biodiversity data. This multifaceted position provides a rewarding balance of museum-based work and immersive field experiences so flexible, hardworking, organized interns are encouraged to apply. Interns interested in insect ecology, invertebrate conservation, pollinator biodiversity, insect monitoring, or science communication will find meaningful opportunities to grow. Additional outreach events will offer the chance to develop teaching and public engagement skills working with CSU Extension Entomology. The intern will assist with insect documentation and cataloging, and will join surveys supporting the Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) and its five-year Statewide Natural Heritage Survey (SNHS).

Goals, Scope, and Objectives

1. This internship offers an exceptional, dual-focused experience designed to build strong foundations in field biology, entomology, and invertebrate conservation. Through CSU Extension, the intern will play a key role in modernizing and databasing the Western Colorado Insect Collection – advancing specimen curation, refining taxonomy, and expanding the collection’s value as a research and teaching resource. This work directly strengthens regional biodiversity monitoring and supports long-term conservation infrastructure across western Colorado.
2. Concurrently, the intern will assist the CNHP with its SNHS. The Statewide Natural Heritage Survey, funded by Great Outdoors Colorado, was initiated to empower historically underserved counties with equity in the form of biodiversity data so that they can make informed conservation decisions. The intern will work in conjunction with rare invertebrate biologist Tristan Kubik on targeted insect surveys across five western counties: Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Montrose, and Ouray Counties. Their work will empower these counties. It will also contribute essential data to Colorado’s statewide inventory of rare and sensitive invertebrates, advancing their conservation with rigorous data and an increased understanding of these sensitive species’ biogeographies. These complementary experiences provide hands-on training in field methods, taxonomy, curation, and scientific communication while also offering meaningful engagement in applied research, public outreach, and professional mentorship. This is a competitive, high-impact opportunity for a student seeking substantive experience in biodiversity science, natural resources research, and conservation. Further, this experience will provide solid foundation and professional entry to early-career entomologists and conservation scientists.

Stakeholders

• The intern will collaborate with CSU Extension specialists, CNHP scientists, and local land managers to facilitate insect collection and ensure their work aligns with state and regional conservation efforts. They will engage with farmers and rural community members, exploring the vast, critical, and numerous ecological roles of insects in local ecosystems.

Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. The intern will gain skills in insect identification, curation, field collection, and digital data management. They will deepen their understanding of biodiversity, focusing on insects’ roles in rural, undersurveyed areas. Collaborating with mentors and stakeholders will enhance teamwork, communication, and scientific outreach skills as well as begin establishing a robust professional network. The student will participate in at least one outreach teaching event with the insect collection and will be expected to engage youth in the community.

Opportunities for Professional Development:

1. The intern will gain hands-on experience in entomology, fieldwork, and engaging with ongoing biodiversity surveys. They will present their work at the CSU Forum, improving their communication and networking skills. Mentorship will provide insights into career opportunities in entomology and conservation, preparing them for future roles in the field of natural resources.