AMES, Iowa --Iowa State University's Life in Iowa program and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture have awarded one of 12 statewide educational grants to Jones Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Jones County Conservation. The grants fund student interns working in sustainable marketing and local food systems and environmental and community development. This is the second year the two Jones county organizations have shared a Life in Iowa intern.

Life in Iowa student, Heather Reid, a senior at Iowa State in public service and administration in agriculture, will work as a conservation/mapping specialist. She will help federal, state, and district employees implement conservation practices on private and public lands at the Jones SWCD and develop and format maps for Jones County Conservation.

Each Life in Iowa intern also donates 10 hours per week to a community volunteer project. Reid will help the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Earth Team Volunteer Program incorporate conservation education into children's activities to improve the outreach and education program.

The internships supported by the Leopold Center help students learn and understand local and regional cultures and ecosystems, and further efforts to create a sustainable quality of life in Iowa. The education grants provide up to $1,500 for each Life in Iowa internship. Employers match the funds to provide the intern salary and associated project costs. The students spend 10 weeks in the community during the summer.

Life in Iowa is a program of Iowa State University Extension. It introduces undergraduate Iowa State students to community-based learning to develop leadership and service skills for the future. The Leopold Center, created by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, supports the development of profitable farming systems that conserve natural resources and strengthen Iowa communities. For more information on the Life in Iowa program, visit www.lifeiniowa.org.