Four Washington High School students who are participating in internship of United Water program. The program gives students a "hands-on" experience in conservation that includes trail restoration and maintenance of natural habitats.

Seventeen-year-old Sparkle Jenkins knew just what she would do during the summer, the eve of her senior year--nothing. That was until she interviewed for an internship with her high school and United Water.

Fortunately, she excelled in her academic subjects, especially Spanish and Chemistry, which is one requirement for winning the chance to even interview for the paid eight-week internship.

Washington High and its three schools within that campus has participated in United Water’s Internship program for seven years and with eager students like Jenkins, the program is sure to continue its growth. The educational partnership is one of many community benefits of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) contract with United Water.

In 1998, United Water entered a 10-year Operations, Maintenance and Management contract with MMSD to operate its two-wastewater treatment plants.

Because United Water is committed to active participation and implementation of good corporate citizenship, the Adopt-A-School program sought out Washington High School based on its career academics focus, which complemented United Water’s educational program objectives.

Since June of 2000, over 76 students have participated in the program that provides students with an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in a real work place environment, as they learn about career opportunities within the wastewater industry.

"In addition to its summer internship program, United Water Milwaukee provides programming support to several community-based organizations. Through these relationships, United Water looks for ways to increase community and environmental opportunities for the students of the Washington Campus," this according to Jane LeCapitaine, community relations manager.

"The River Revitalization Foundation relationship provided United Water with such an opportunity," LeCapitaine continued. "Its trail restoration project along the banks of the Milwaukee River need dedicated young people interested in restoring natural habitats.

"United Water was interested in expanding internship experiences," she said. "The collaboration between the RRF and United Water resulted in a ‘win’ for all involved, the RRF benefits from the work of the interns (they are highly productive), the interns learn about urban environmentalism and United Water is able to achieve its programming goals."

Halfway through this summer’s program, four interns take time out of their busy days to talk about their expectations and lesson as they work closely with the River Revitalization Foundation. The students are active in a river restoration project of the Milwaukee River, from Locust to North Avenue.

"I wanted a way to build my communication skills and to just have something to do," says Jenkins smiling, "and I have been able to do that." The internship was important to her because she knew that doing nothing for an entire summer would not bring her closer to her goals.

Transplanting violets, green headed cornflowers and trees have been highlights for her. Despite the beauty and calm of the water and its surrounding plant life, she admits that the job doesn’t go without its challenges.

"Pulling out buckhorns is hard. There are spiders and at first it was a mess down there, but we’ve gotten comments that it looks better," Jenkins beams.

Developing a work history and establishing a work ethic isn’t totally new for her, as she has served as a volunteer in the past, but this is her first paid position. Fortunately, she has moved from tentative to willing.

Brittany Clay, also 17-years-old, shared some of Sparkle’s initial apprehension and surprising successes.

She has worked for pay before, but said that working for United Water is harder than she expected. Luckily, she has experience planting since the age of 5- or 6-years-old.

At first, she regretted not having an office job for the summer but admits that working alongside her friends makes the experience more palatable.

Weeding in the heat was still a hard pill for 14-year-old Brianna Phillips to swallow. Unlike her academic success in Math and Citizenship, helping to restore the river is markedly different.

"It’s hard, but fun. I was kind of surprised to be pulling up weeds and stuff," reports Brianna.

Though she says she was surprised at her job duties, students were prepared for their roles beginning with an all-day orientation that included meeting their supervisors and mentors, and safety training.

Other students like Zahrah Dillard are getting exactly what they expected out of their internships. Dillard wanted to gain a better knowledge of what to expect when working in the environment. While she could have worked for Summerfest and/or joined the Boys and Girls Club, "pumping the water from out of the river and planting plants," is interesting and motivating.

Maintaining momentum is not just a job for students. Jamie Brady, supervising teacher for the program, is charged with that daunting task.

"In the early days, the interns were terrified of bugs and there was a lot of screaming. After two weeks, they were playing with snakes and touching the baby mice that they came across while doing trail restoration or tree planting," she comments.

Watching students develop confidence, take pride in their work and become physically and emotionally stronger have been rewarding for Brady, who is a teacher at the High School of Law, Education and Public Services (LEAPS) in Washington’s campus.

Long after the complaints of backaches subsided and students began to learn how to prune a tree, identify invasive and native species of plants and animals, Brady sees what the young United Water summer employees don’t yet see.

She explains, "Regrettably, the interns don’t realize how much they have changed and grown.

"They had a lot to learn in a short amount of time but are beginning to understand that their work is contributing to a better urban environment."

For these students, hard hats, steel-toed boots and safety goggles are a far cry from the fashionable outfits that signature their personalities in the sanctuary of the school corridors. They have seen first hand how their involvement or lack of it impacts the ecology of the Milwaukee River and contributes to the community of life, according to Brady.

It is not just another summer job; it is an internship, a practical extension of environmental science that picks up where the textbooks leave off.