COLTON - For high school students, the educational experience of a summer internship can provide authentic learning, opportunities to be part of the decision-making process, a chance to work closely with community members, some money for their efforts, and an opportunity to build confidence.

The Sunday Rock Legacy Project (SRLP) – an organization bringing together theatre, history, and education in the Town of Colton - has provided a variety of learning opportunities for more than two dozen high school students since its inception in 2012. Many of the paid internships have been made available thanks to a generous annual donation from descendants of Bill and Evelyn Riehl.

Noah Rousell, a rising senior at Colton-Pierrepont Central School, can speak from experience about the SRLP internship. For two summers Mr. Rousell was actively engaged in the project. “The first year I worked mostly with Jim (Wildman) on sound. I put mics on the actors and checked that they were working, among other things. The second year, I mainly operated the spotlight, which we used to create a lightning effect. I also helped paint some of the set.” Mr. Rousell learned the technical aspects of lightboard operations and the dynamics of sound by running the controls. “It was very interesting to see the behind-the-scenes of real productions, especially all of the work that goes in and the technical aspects of audio and lighting. I'm a little bit of a nerd and enjoyed learning how to work the audio / light system.”

Lauren Buckley, an alum of Colton-Pierrepont Central and a student at SUNY Canton, got involved in the SRLP in connection with her work on the Town of Colton Tourism and Beautification Committee in her freshman year of high school. “I began attending the monthly (SRLP) meetings and became a part of the larger picture of what the Sunday Rock Legacy Project meant to the community. When the local performers and producers decided what musical they wanted to perform, they would reach out to us about their plans for the set. I took part in painting sets and finding objects and items that would help create the scenery. Once the signage and tickets were developed, I began reaching out to people through social media to make sure it was known to the community that there was a musical about the history of Colton in the making.”

Ms. Buckley made close connections in the community through her internship. “The fact that I was given the opportunity to work with the Sunday Rock Legacy Project, I could not say no because I knew that I could continuously make people happy. I also knew that I would be working alongside some amazing and passionate role models.”

Both Mr. Rousell and Ms. Buckley learned first-hand of the importance of the goals of the SRLP - which brings together theatre, history, and education through a collaboration with the Grasse River Players, The Colton Historical Society, and Colton-Pierrepont Central School. They also saw how the performances and historic elements delighted audiences.

Rousell noted, “As far as I know, there aren't many theatrical productions in the North Country. This project has served to bring people together and show them what good theater looks like. It's an experience that we don't get often, and it's a blast.” Ms. Buckley agreed, “I believe that having local actors in the musicals really gives a hometown vibe. Every performance was based on some point in the history of Colton. The way the history was relayed to others was interesting and entertaining. Also, having high school students involved made it feel like the history of Colton is so important that people of all ages should know about it. It gave the younger generations a lot more to think about and it helped develop more respect for older generations. At least for me it did!”

Mr. Rousell has plans to work on web development for a local business this summer. As he reflected on his SRLP experience, he said, “Honestly, I was really impressed by the commitment and work that they put into it. A lot of people had to come through and figure out hundreds of tiny problems together in order for the show to go smoothly. Organizationally, the project was impressive as well.”

Ms Buckley continues to use what she learned as an intern with SRLP.” Since I graduated high school, I have used many of the skills that I developed through the opportunities I was lucky enough to be a part of. My communication skills have become stronger. I moved to Plattsburgh and wanted to learn more about the history here because there is so much history ‘behind the scenes’ that not many people know. I was able to research some hidden facts using the research skills I learned while part of the Sunday Rock Legacy Project.”

This project is made possible in part with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature and administered by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.