Student Interns Drive Big Energy Savings at NCESD Through Innovative AEM and Wenatchee High School Partnership
This summer, the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) is seeing real results thanks to a unique paid internship program offered by Wenatchee High School and Advanced Energy Management (AEM). Two student interns, Ximena Guerra Carrillo and Isabella Garcia, are spending over 20 hours a week identifying energy-saving opportunities in the NCESD building, and their findings are making a big impact.
Through their work, NCESD has already seen dramatic reductions in energy use: a 24% energy reduction during non-working hours, and an average 52% reduction in overall energy use in the building.
Thanks to these improvements, the NCESD building is well on its way to meeting Washington State’s updated energy compliance requirements.
The internship program, run in partnership with AEM and Wenatchee High School, is designed to introduce students to career paths in energy management while helping local organizations reduce their energy use. Interns serve as an “outsourced energy management team,” conducting audits, recommending updates, and tracking the progress of building performance. It’s hands-on learning with real-world results.
“My favorite part of the internship is that we go out to the community and are the first ones to take leadership in energy efficiency,” said intern Guerra Carrillo during a recent presentation to the NCESD Board of Directors.
This student-led work doesn’t just benefit NCESD. The program has partnered with other organizations across North Central Washington, including Wenatchee School District, NCW Libraries, and the Confluence Technology Center. Interns have been recognized for their leadership and impact, earning the Future Technology Leader of the Year Award from the NCW Tech Alliance in November 2024.
With a new cohort of incoming interns already preparing to join the program next year, this career-connected learning model continues to grow. As perfectly stated by intern Garcia during the presentation: “We are the new workforce.”
NCESD is proud to support programs like the WHS & AEM internship—offering students authentic learning experiences while advancing our region’s future-ready goals and energy efficiency commitments.
For additional information on the internship program, read these articles from local sources:
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