About the Summer Enrichment Internship Program

The goal is to provide high school students and at-risk student youth with the opportunity to participate in high-quality internships, up to 30 hours per week for 6 to 10 weeks, with government agencies and community organizations, including county, tribal, and/or municipal placements.  The College and Career Readiness Bureau (CCRB) of the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) launched the Summer Enrichment Internship Program in the summer of 2021. The federal government initially committed more than $9.89 million for the program, as part of pandemic relief efforts, to cover the cost of summer internships for New Mexico high school students. Thanks to the support of more than $8 million from the New Mexico legislature, as well as cross-agency and community collaboration, thousands of students have benefitted from participating in the Summer Enrichment Internship Program. The Public Education Department proudly continues the Summer Enrichment Internship program this summer.  Thanks to additional support from the State of New Mexico and the New Mexico Legislature,  the New Mexico Public Education Department proudly continues the Summer Enrichment Internship program this summer. 

“After an incredibly difficult year, it was pivotal to provide high school students an opportunity to explore career opportunities while earning a paycheck this summer. I am proud of the collaborative effort between the College and Career Readiness Bureau, county and tribal governments, non-profits, businesses and our high school students to arrange this successful program on short notice.”
​Kurt Steinhaus, Public Education Secretary Designate 

Contacts:

Susan Chaudoir, PhD, Education Administrator New Mexico Public Education Department
College and Career Readiness Bureau susan.chaudoir@ped.nm.gov (505) 795-5211

Judy Cruz, Education Administrator Advanced, New Mexico Public Education Department
College and Career Readiness Bureau judith.cruz@ped.nm.gov  (505) 629-8120  

Marc Duske, Special Projects Manager, New Mexico Public Education Department
College and Career Readiness Bureau Marc.Duske@ped.nm.gov  (505) 490-7804

Karla Meléndez, Work-Based Learning Coordinator, NM Dept. of Workforce Solutions
New Mexico Public Education Department karla.melendez@dws.nm.gov (505) 250-2668

Jennifer Nevarez, Special Projects Support Team. Community Learning Network
Website www.nminterns.com casenevarez@yahoo.com   (505) 699-1503

Denise Ojeda, New Mexico Public Education Department
College and Career Readiness Bureau, victoria.ojeda@ped.nm.gov (505) 490-2160

Claudia Trueblood, Director, Indian Resources Development, New Mexico State University
College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences cmt@nmsu.edu (505) 224-4052  ​