Internships and Fellowships
Facilities Planning & Management Department Internships and Fellowships
High School Internships
OUSD Facilities Planning & Management partners with internal and external teams to create opportunities for Oakland’s next generation of leaders to gain hands-on experience in industries related to the built environment, including architecture, engineering, sustainability, program management, construction trades, and more. Through these experiences, students actively contribute to shaping Oakland school communities into wonderful places to learn, grow, and thrive.
Our summer interns come from high schools across the District and represent a wide range of College and Career Pathways. Their participation in Facilities internships provides additional opportunities to refine the skills they developed throughout the school year while applying them in real-world settings.
The summer internship experience includes professional development through OUSD’s ECCCO Program and spans five (5) weeks or more. The program culminates in interns presenting an overview of their summer experiences and showcasing the skills and knowledge they gained.
Take a look at some of our past interns’ end-of-summer presentations below. Click on a presentation for an expanded view.
“This internship impacted me greatly because I now realize there are so many
career opportunities within the design and construction industries.”
- Neveah, former high school intern
Fellowships
Over the past several years, OUSD Facilities has hosted a number of fellows—primarily recent college graduates and graduate students—who have supported key sustainability and schoolyard initiatives across the department. These fellowships, including placements through the SEI Climate Corps program and graduate policy and public health programs, have provided valuable capacity in research, policy development, and community engagement.
SEI Climate Corps Fellowship
Through the SEI Climate Corps program, OUSD Facilities hosted Thora Butler, who served as the Sustainability and Equity Fellow from August 2024 through April 2025, reporting to Hannah Press, Assistant Project Manager, Energy & Sustainability. During her fellowship, Thora led several important initiatives to advance the district’s sustainability goals. She conducted a comprehensive Sustainability Survey, which received more than 700 responses from the school community. She also supported student engagement efforts related to the district’s Sustainability Policy, facilitated community engagement, and contributed to the Board's approval of the policy. In addition, she conducted baseline data analysis to inform the district’s sustainability planning and implementation.
Living Schoolyards Fellowship Support
OUSD Facilities has also benefited from fellows supporting the Living Schoolyards initiative, working in collaboration with teams across Facilities, Community Schools, and Student Services.
- Joyce Talavera, a Master of Public Policy (MPP) fellow from the Goldman School of Public Policy, worked with the Living Schoolyards Team and reported to Megan Allegretti, Director of Program Improvement, on the Systems and Services team. Her fellowship concluded in May 2025. Joyce’s work focused on collecting and analyzing data on the impact of Living Schoolyards, helping the district better understand outcomes and inform future program development.
- Kit Gardner, a Master of Public Health (MPH) fellow, also supported the Living Schoolyards team, reporting to Kat Romo, Living Schoolyards Coordinator within the Community Schools and Student Services Department. Kit’s fellowship ran from January through May 2025. Their primary contribution was developing the administrative regulations for the Living Schoolyards Board Policy, helping translate the policy into actionable guidance for implementation across the district.
Together, these fellows have strengthened OUSD’s capacity to advance sustainability initiatives, develop policy frameworks, engage the community, and evaluate the impact of Living Schoolyards. Their work has contributed to both strategic planning and the operationalization of key district policies.
