After noticing a disconnect between students and administrators earlier this year, student Board of Education representatives Penn Shapiro and Scarlet Strogov began developing a new pilot student internship for the District, with the hope of increasing student pride and easing the workload of administrators.
“I feel such a stronger connection to the school district now that I am on the Board of Education… I think that if everybody gets to have a little piece of that, that will increase a lot of students’ connection to the school,” Strogov told Village Green.
Additionally, Shapiro said in an interview with Village Green, he and Strogov had received complaints from students that various departments were slow to complete tasks. So Shapiro and Strogov thought it made sense to have students help carry the load while gaining helpful experience.
After pitching the program to the District in December, the pair hand-selected two starting interns: Nathaniel Wallace and Jade Meier. However, there are hopes to expand the project by next school year.
CHS Student Reps Penn Shapiro and Scarlet Strogov recently updated the Board of Education on the pilot internship program they created.
“Right now, we’re doing our best to match students we know who are very good workers with the best department head that matches their skill set,” Shapiro said.. “We’re still working on a proper website to do admissions and submitting resumes to make it open to all students.”
Despite the small starting size, Strogov stressed that any student could contact her if interested.
Though the program is still early in development, those participating have already noted positive change. As upcoming intern Jade Meier prepares to start in the Communications Department in a few weeks, Nathaniel Wallace has had notable success in his efforts to develop a new cyberbullying presentation.
Wallace’s department supervisor Dr. Kerri Waibel praised his research, which will be presented in a virtual “Lunch and Learn” and educate parents on cyber safety.
“Nathaniel has done a wonderful job… his work has been thoughtful, thorough, and aligned with our goal,” Waibel said.
Both Waibel and Wallace also noted the importance of students having these programs available, with Waibel emphasizing its impact in uplifting student voices.
“When I discovered this opportunity, I immediately knew it would be for me,” said Wallace, who has since been hired for a paid BOE position. “I would heavily recommend this program to any student for a lot of good connections and experience.”
Writer Lilah Gottesman an 11th grade Columbia High School student, who is working with Village Green as a paid freelancer through a grant from the NJ Civic Information Consortium.
