The Lake-Lehman Foundation has found numerous ways over the years to give back to the Lake-Lehman School District, and the organization gives high school students the opportunity to do the same.

The Lake-Lehman Foundation internship program started just a year after the foundation’s inception. Kelly Stepanski, intern and alumni coordinator for the foundation, said the goal was to show students what the foundation does and how young people could help.

In addition, the intern program provides sophomores, juniors and seniors at Lake-Lehman Junior/Senior High School with invaluable experience in office work and public relations to add to their professional resumes.

“We started with one student intern and this year we have seven, with four more interested,” said Stepanski.

Interns have performed a wide range of duties throughout the years, including helping with the foundation’s annual tea at the Hayfield House on the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman Township and emceeing at the first annual “Battle of the Bands” competition at the football stadium last summer.

“They get to learn things like how fundraisers work and how the meetings are run,” said Deb Anderson, the Lake-Lehman Foundation’s public relations coordinator.

Seventeen-year-old Lauren Boyle, of Sweet Valley, has been working with the foundation for the past year, but already has experience with nonprofit organizations.

“I do volunteer now - my mom has a charity organization,” she said. “I just like to help people any way I can.”

Eliott Anderson, Deb Anderson’s 17-year-old son, learned about the foundation through his mother, but that didn’t stop him from applying for the intern program anyway.

“I enjoy helping out the school and anything to better our community,” he said.

Eliott Anderson, of Shavertown, said his position within the foundation has helped him gain experience in his chosen field of creative writing and marketing. He plans to attend Penn State Wilkes-Barre in the fall.

“It helped me see a lot of what goes on behind the scenes and what trials and obstacles people face to get things done,” he said.

Boyle said her foundation experiences will be helpful to her college resume, but she states that’s not the reason she decided to work for the organization.

“I just like to volunteer,” she said. “If no one does it, then who will?”

Deb Anderson said there are many Lake-Lehman alums who return to the campus during certain events to help out the foundation.

“It’s wonderful to see,” she said. “We don’t just have kids volunteering - we want all ages to be involved.”

Boyle said she’s always telling her friends about the foundation, and tries to encourage them to also get involved.

“It just teaches you so much,” she said.