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The following is a press release from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation:

A grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation will allow five Illinois College students to conduct environmental internships this summer. 

According to Illinois College President Axel D. Steuer, “The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s grant has allowed us to establish a five-year internship program at Illinois College to support environmental internships. The Foundation’s investment will support Illinois College’s emphasis on experiential learning and provide a valuable complement to classroom learning.”  He continued, “This important grant helps to support Illinois College’s commitment to be an environmentally friendly institution.”

“This new internship program provides a wonderful opportunity for our environmental studies and biology majors,” said Susie Drake, director of career services. “There is great flexibility in the design of these internships. The students were allowed to take the initiative to contact a potential employer, negotiate the terms of their internship, and submit a proposal to the selection committee.” Drake added that each internship includes on-site supervision as well as guidance from a faculty adviser, and academic internship credits awarded by the college.

Nicole Clemens, a senior from Fairview Heights, is interning at The Nature Institute in Godfrey.  In her internship, Clemens is engaging in environmental stewardship and conservation. She also interacts with children in the day camp, teaching them about conservation and how they can contribute to protecting wildlife.

Haleigh Ray and Djenan Mouna Soumahoro are interning at Starhill Forest Arboretum in Petersburg.  These interns are working directly with the Arboretum’s primary scientific collection, a living reference collection of Quercus (oak), that has been recognized by the North American Plant Collections Consortium. Additionally, they assist in maintaining and monitoring herb and perennial landscapes, a native prairie garden, several provenance tests and a conifer plantation. They are helping the Arboretum’s staff to develop a digital library and collect and identify insects for the arthropod collection.  Ray is a junior from Havana and Soumahoro is a junior from Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

April Ross, a senior from Roodhouse, is assisting Dr. Laura Corey, Illinois College assistant professor of biology, to conduct research on the African Clawed Frog. They are studying the morphological changes that occur when frog embryos are exposed to ultraviolet light which is believed to be a possible cause in the rapid decline of amphibians in the world. 

Erin Tighe, a sophomore from Jacksonville, is interning at the Boys and Girls Clubs in Jacksonville. Her internship involves the creation of a “Project Earth” curriculum for the Kid University program at the Boys and Girls Club summer program. She is teaching programs at three grade levels to show children how they can contribute to saving the environment. The program includes classroom instruction, field trips, and the redevelopment and care of the Community Garden that is located at the Jefferson Center.

Founded in 1829, Illinois College is a residential liberal arts college fostering academic excellence rooted in opportunities for experiential learning while preparing students for lifelong success.