Article 6. Summer Environmental Internship Program of California Education Code >> Division 4. >> Title 2. >> Part 28. >> Chapter 9. >> Article 6.

Upon the approval of appropriate school district personnel, or the approval of the county superintendent of schools as to students under his jurisdiction, and with the written approval of the parent or guardian of the student, a student in grade 11 or 12, who will be at least 17 years of age at the commencement of his junior year, may be employed as an environmental intern by a federal, state, or local agency in California concerned with the regulation of natural resources or with the protection of the environment during the summer vacation period. These agencies shall include, but not be limited to, the Resources Agency, the Agriculture and Services Agency, the Business and Transportation Agency, the Department of Fish and Game, the Department of Conservation, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Water Resources, the State Water Resources Control Board, the State Air Resources Board, the State Lands Division, California regional water quality control boards, air pollution control districts, mosquito abatement districts, soil conservation districts, local planning agencies, and county and city park and recreation departments.

Duties of environmental interns employed pursuant to this article shall be established by the employing agency in conjunction with the local school district or the county superintendent of schools and shall be oriented toward providing maximum exposure to problems of environmental control and resource use.

Approval of environmental internships shall be required by the district superintendent or the county superintendent of schools.

Successful completion of a summer program and submission by the environmental intern of a suitable project report to the school district may result in academic credit toward graduation from high school. Such students may be deemed to be temporarily employees of the agency involved for purposes of social security, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation or may be deemed for these purposes to be employees of the school district or the county superintendent of schools.

The school district or county superintendent of schools and the employing agency shall jointly apply to the Conservation Education Service for funds. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, upon the recommendation of the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission, and with the approval of the State Board of Education, is authorized to make grants for the purposes of this article, and for remuneration of interns and for travel and other job-related expenses, in an amount per person not to exceed three hundred twenty dollars ($320) per month.