Ogallala Commons places 4 interns in Phillips County

    Phillips County Economic Development is welcoming two more interns on board for the local Ogallala Commons internship program, representing a doubling in size from last year.
    The program, which began collaborating with PCED in 2018, places interns in paid positions with local businesses and government departments.
    PCED Executive Director Trisha Herman said she believes the program is useful not only as an opportunity to give interns a more in-depth understanding of their communities, but also as a source of motivated summer help for businesses.
    “We’re hoping this will help draw our college students and graduates back to Holyoke, and down the road everyone will know what the Ogallala Commons is all about,” she said.
    The program is named for the Ogallala Aquifer, which sustains agriculture across much of the High Plains. It is rooted in the concepts of the “commons” and “commonwealth,” made up of the kinds of assets shared by every High Plains community.
    Interns are deployed to communities on or near the aquifer to develop these assets and identify local challenges According to the Ogallala Commons website, interns have worked in seven of the eight states crossed by the aquifer. This year’s crop of interns includes residents and former residents of Holyoke, Haxtun and Fleming.

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