Janet Delgado, a representative of the Rio Grande Agriculture Internship Program, told the Bernalillo County Commission during a brief presentation that the program has operated for five years and provides paid summer internships that can earn participants up to one elective credit.
"It is primarily a summer internship program which pays our interns," Delgado said. "They also get elective credits up to one full elective credit throughout the summer. They get to integrate with our community partners, learn work-based learning skills, and also they get to be engaged, which helps them with learning loss over the summer." She added that the program includes "a food and nutrition component" to ensure students are fed while participating.
Paul, who identified himself as with Bernalillo County, introduced Delgado and thanked her and the students for coming to the commission. After the presentation the group closed with a brief cheer, "go Ravens." No formal action or vote was recorded on the presentation; the commission's remarks were limited to thanks and well wishes.
The program's stated features — paid internships, academic credit, community placements and food support — are intended to give students hands-on experience and mitigate summer learning loss. The presentation did not specify program funding sources, the number of interns this year, or whether the commission would take any follow-up steps.