Press Release: New Mexico’s Summer Enrichment Internship Program
Student-led projects in Portales address the city’s pothole backlog and create a safer gathering place for local teens
PORTALES, N.M. — September 18, 2026 — This summer, New Mexico’s Summer Enrichment Internship Program placed more than 2,000 high school students in paid, real-world internships across the state, giving young people hands-on experience while completing community impact projects that put them to work on issues in their own communities.
In Portales, two teams of student interns spent several hours each week during the summer tackling local challenges: the city’s pothole maintenance backlog and youth safety. The Portales teams presented their projects: “Patching Portales Potholes,” a plan for sustainably addressing the city’s road maintenance backlog, and “Portales Loft,” a proposed café-style gathering space designed to give local teens a safe alternative to driving around town and to reduce youth-involved violence and car incidents.
“These two projects are a perfect example of why the state’s Public Education Department (NM PED) wanted to add new elements to the New Mexico Summer Enrichment Internship Program this year – giving students the opportunity to combine gaining work experience and earning money while working as teams to solve real problems in their community,” said Jane Swift, CEO of Education at Work. “As AI and automation reshape the nature of early-career jobs, students can’t afford to graduate with only a diploma. They need practical skills, real references, and confidence that comes from having these experiences as early as high school that help them develop valuable and transferable skills.”
Education at Work, a national work-based learning nonprofit partnering with employers, local governments and schools to connect students to paid, career-aligned work experience, partnered with the NM PED to deliver the New Mexico Summer Enrichment Internship Program across the state. The program is available at no financial cost to employers, with the state of New Mexico funding 100% of student hourly wages. 33 students across Roosevelt County participated in the program this summer.
Since launching, the New Mexico Summer Enrichment Internship Program has benefited thousands of high schoolers, employers, and the workforce statewide. Students gain skills, connections, and a clearer picture of where they’re headed, while communities address unemployment and talent shortages in key, high-demand industries, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and technology.
To learn more about how to get involved and host an intern at your business next summer, visit nminterns.com and complete the interest form online here.
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About Education at Work
Education at Work is a national work-based learning nonprofit connecting students with paid employment opportunities at major companies, helping employers fill talent gaps while offering students meaningful, resume-worthy experience that supports their academic and financial success. Since inception, we have awarded over $128 million in compensation to more than 12,000 students nationwide.
