Each year since 1998 20 to 25 University of Montana students have gotten hands-on intern experience that for some might lead to fulltime employment in a field they love.

It happens through the Wildlands Community Project, a collaborative effort of the University of Montana's Wilderness and Civilization program and numerous Missoula-area organizations.

Instructor and program coordinator Nicky Phear says it gives students more meaning to their class work.

"It's often the best part of their academic year," Phear said Monday. "Very fulfilling and rewarding for them because they work on issues that are of concern to them. They get connected into the community and their learning becomes much more real."

The internship program was the brainchild of Laura Young who started it in 1998. Phear has expanded it, involving more community organizations and creating more opportunities. Student interns work six hours per week during the spring semester to supplement their course work.

"We're all part of a community and they (the organizations) all have more work than they have workers," Phear explained. "They're looking for energetic, motivated students to help fulfill their own missions."

Phear mentioned three students who have turned internships into fulltime jobs. One - Bryce Christiaens - interned with the Missoula County Weed District and is now noxious weed coordinator for the Ravalli County Weed District. Beau Larkin continues to work at the Willard Alternative School in Missoula where he interned, as does Bob Whitney with Home Resource, a Missoula business which collects building materials for reuse.

While most students have found the internships fulfilling, Phear said some students have been disappointed.

"There were students last year who became disillusioned with the whole nonprofit world and felt that a lot of the organizations had huge visions and not a lot of capacity to follow through," Phear explained. "So I try to recruit supervisors who have the time to supervise and a project that's reasonable to do in six hours a week.

"Part of it is my responsibility to come up with jobs that will be successful for the students."

Monday students heard from representatives of many of the 22 agencies or organizations Phear has lined up for the 2006 program and had the opportunity following the presentations to meet with them. Phear can be contacted at 243-6932 or at nicky.phear@cfc.umt.edu.

For a more complete look at the Wilderness Community Project, watch for Michael Moore's story later this week in The Missoulian.