Greeley students describe internships and independent-study 'silos' in Pathways presentation

Pathways Coordinator Andrew Fersch told the MSAD 51 Board on April 1 that the district’s multiple-pathways program has supported more than 80 students in credit-bearing independent-study courses known as 'silos.' The program connects students with internships, job shadowing and professional mentors.

Students at the meeting gave specific examples of their work. Brady Hale described an internship with USA Swimming where he worked on diversity, equity and inclusion projects and shadowed the town manager; Lauren Hester recounted grant research and youth-activism work with Maine Youth for Climate Justice; Chloe and Alina Schumann discussed a filmmaking silo that included a professional filmmaker mentorship; Violet described writing a 70,000-word novel with support from a professional editor; Audrey Cohen described over 200 hours of medical internships, volunteer work at MaineMed and a card‑making campaign for a children's hospital.

Coordinator Fersch said the silos give students experiential learning, professional certifications and community connections that many students described as 'transformative.' He said the program has facilitated internships spanning topics from environmental remediation to drone‑pilot licensure.

Why it matters: board members praised the program as a valuable supplement to classroom learning and recommended continued district support and outreach to increase pathways programming. Students and presenters framed the pathways offering as both a career-exploration tool and a means of strengthening civic engagement.

Evidence: student remarks were delivered directly to the board during the presentation; the coordinator listed specific partner organizations and described program reach and outcomes.