b'S T U D E N TCO R N E RS chools are for learning, growing and preparingwork. There were quite a few students who were interested students for the future. Have you ever thought aboutin doing the work but were VERY limited in transportation how Maintenance & Operations can be part of theiroptions. Some of them have drivers licenses, some of them education, not just supporting their environment? have bicycles, while others really have nothing, he said. With the advent of one-to-one deployment of devices inIn my opinion, having student intern custodians during the schools, many Technology departments brought in studentschool year is much easier to manage as they typically work workers to help clean and prepare devices for the newin their home school (or neighborhood) so transportation is school year. The success of those programs introducednot as big of an issue.tech interns into some departments. The Sumner-BonneyAnother challenge is that the interns also like to Lake School District has taken that model a step further andparticipate in sports, clubs and other activities. We require integrated students intoa full 3 hours, 5 days many aspects of M&Ocommitment and in operations. doing so, we weeded out some of the CUSTODIAL INTERNSexcellent candidates.Now when the summer tech studentCOMMUNITY BASED jobs are posted inTRANSITION STUDENTSSumner-Bonney Lake,The students in postings for custodialSumner-Bonney Lake interns appear as well.School Districts These interns are highCommunity Based school students whoTransition program are work part time withthose special needs the building custodialstudents between the staff 4 hours per dayage of 18 and 22 who in the summer.learn job and life skills. This past summer,The words of Director 11 students applied forCoutts speak volumes 7 positions. Custodial Supervisor Ernie Hecker said, Theabout the program and its impact: interviews were a great experience for the applicants. ItWe currently have 2 interns working as fully-integrated was first for the majority and a taste of a real life experiencemembers of the M&O Grounds team. for entering the job market. In addition, Hecker reportsThey are gaining lots of real-world experience and that interns received basic knowledge of safe practices,contributing to their own community on a whole new level. custodial procedures, and general maintenance knowledge.They participate in safety briefings, assess the job sites, They also learned to collaborate with team members (Headoperate various groundskeeping equipment, keep day custodians etc.) to complete tasks and meet expectations books to log the work that they do and perform minor M&O Director David Coutts shared some of theequipment cleanup and maintenance. They even have challenges of working with student custodial interns. Theopportunities to take breaks and eat lunch with the crew. most difficult challenge with operating a student internTalk about highlights on a resume!program in the summer is the students ability to get toThe CBT program has other interns who work on various 18 WAMOA JOURNALFALL 2024'