Summer is kicking off to a great start and it makes sense that our programs are heating up as well! The 2023 Municipal Intern Program is well under way, and we took it to another level with the Interns and the Placement Site supervisors, pushing their comfort zone with this year’s professional development sessions!

Our traditional approach to the Municipal Intern Program mainly focused on teaching the students about local government, refining resumes, improving interviewing skills, and network building within their peer group. All well and good but this year we shook it up!

For the June Development Session, which was hosted by ALCOSAN, both the Intern and the Placement Site Supervisor were required to attend. We witnessed relationships being built from the start as each placement site shared their project with the group. At the networking sessions, spread throughout the morning, business cards were exchanged and friendships formed. Later that afternoon, the group toured the plant to learn more about water treatment and the regional Clean Water Plan.

For the second and final Development Session, we really did things differently by chartering a bus to take the interns out of the city setting and into the beautiful countryside of Washington County. Graciously hosted by Chartiers Township and Canonsburg Borough, the Interns were exposed to a growing suburban township and later the smalltown appeal of a thriving borough business district.

The recent heat wave hasn’t slowed anyone down even if the intern’s projects have been taking place outdoors. In Edgeworth, intern Alexander Clifford has been doing a major sidewalk inventory for the borough, walking and marking every crack and blemish in the ground. The same goes for Conor Kelly in Leetsdale, who has mapped and measured the circumference of every tree in the borough! Working with a local arborist, Conor is helping to ensure a healthy future for the community.

Finally, we can’t forget all the interns who have been working on mitigating blight in their communities. Interns working at the Tri-COG Land Bank and Turtle Creek Valley COG, or in the Borough of Avalon and City of Meadville have been travelling on foot- clipboard in hand- to inspect properties and provide a proper blight rating. From sidewalks to trees- these interns have been getting to know local government both inside and out.

The greenery, parks, roads, and benches are all an important part of what municipalities provide to their residents. The next time you’re walking down the street or taking a break to beat the heat on a comfortable park bench, remember that it came to you courtesy of local government and the hard work of municipal employees!

Stay cool🌞😎

Joy