Stefanie Merrill is the K-12 Work Based Learning Business Liaison for the region, whose role involves substantial interaction with businesses every day. With an extensive background in education and business partnerships, Stefanie is dedicated to enhancing the relationship between high school students and the business community by facilitating work-based learning opportunities.

Nick Peterson serves as the Community and Business Development Coordinator for the Poudre School District. His expertise lies in bridging the gap between educational institutions and businesses, ensuring that students gain real-world experience and the necessary skills to thrive in the workforce. His role is pivotal in making the school systems more accessible and beneficial for students and the business community alike.

In this episode of the Founded in Foco podcast, host Nick Armstrong sits down with Stefanie Merrill and Nick Peterson to delve into the concept of work-based learning and its impact on students and the business community. The discussion offers an intriguing glance at how local businesses can integrate high school interns into their operations during the school day, disproving common misconceptions and exploring the plethora of benefits this collaboration provides.

Stefanie and Nick shed light on their work in forging partnerships between businesses and educational institutions, presenting their NoCo collaborative as a beacon in the community for connecting talented high schoolers with real-world business experiences. They discuss the benefits of internships for both businesses and students, the flexibility and potential of work-based learning, and provide insightful strategies for businesses to set up successful internship programs.

Learn more about the work-based learning program at: https://www.psdfutureready.org/ and https://www.psdschools.org/CTE

The Founded in FoCo Podcast is hosted by Nick Armstrong, Lead Organizer of Founded in FoCo and Geek-in-Chief of WTF Marketing (⁠⁠https://wtfmarketing.com⁠⁠). Hear more great interviews with founders in and around Fort Collins at: ⁠⁠https://foundedinfoco.com