Two new excited faces have joined LPS Sustainability this summer! We have asked each of our interns, both new and old, to share a little bit about themselves, their goals within the Sustainability Team, and where they’re headed.
Lydia Lobmeyer: Gardens and Outdoor Learning
Lydia Lobmeyer joined the LPS Sustainability team in May 2026. Lobmeyer is a senior at UNL working toward a bachelor’s degree, double majoring in fisheries & wildlife and forestry. Through her role, she hopes to explore working with natural resources in an urban and educational setting.
“Last year I worked for Cedar Point Biological Station doing trail restoration work, which kept me mostly on my own out in the field. In this role, though, I get to explore working with natural resources in a setting that’s more connected to the community.”
As the Gardens and Outdoor Learning Intern, Lobmeyer helps map LPS sites, supports the maintenance and establishment of gardens across the district, assists with grants such as Farm to School, and organizes garden gatherings. She is most interested in expanding the LPS Tree Inventory and is inspired by the variety of tree species found across the district.
“I love working with trees. I practice identifying trees for fun in my free time, so it’s pretty cool that I get to use that for my job now.”
Currently, Lobmeyer is focused on updating the LPS Garden Dashboard. She believes that raising public awareness of the district’s various school gardens is important for student and community learning, as well as for increasing sustainability.
“I feel like most people aren’t aware of the garden efforts at their schools, and looking at the dashboard can inspire others to implement gardens of their own or become a part of current garden projects.”
After graduation, Lobmeyer hopes to work with parks, trees, and landscape design. She would also love to continue her research on how trees are incorporated into playgrounds and other urban features, and the effects they can have on both the environment and the community.
Lauren Smith: Sustainability
Lauren Smith joined the sustainability team in June 2026. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in environmental and sustainable studies with three minors: advertising & public relations, agricultural & environmental communications, and energy science. Smith became interested in LPS Sustainability because of its hands-on work with waste management and energy conservation.
“I have seen the impact that LPS Sustainability has made on the community and wanted to be a part of that as well as get a wide range of experiences from the educational side to energy efficiency to waste management.”
Currently, Smith is working on building the Eco-Schools cohort, a group of schools taking part in the National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-Schools program. She hopes to encourage staff, students, and schools across LPS to participate in this program to increase cooperation and district-wide sustainability
Smith is also working to develop an educational outline focused on climate education, drawing on action areas in the City of Lincoln’s Climate Action Plan. She also works with solar panel management, composting, sustainable transportation, EnergyStar, and EV sites.
She is eager to gain more hands-on experience in the energy sector, particularly in energy management and renewable energy systems.
“I am excited to work with the solar panels sites at LPS and work with staff on how to include renewable energy in the curriculum.”
After graduation, Smith plans to continue working in sustainability, with a focus on the energy sector or environmental communications, and may eventually pursue an advanced degree in sustainability. She is looking forward to continuing her work to integrate sustainability throughout the district this upcoming year.
Itai Trainin: Outreach and Engagement
Itai Trainin became a member of the LPS sustainability team in May 2025. He is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental and sustainability studies. Trainin says that he appreciates the way that LPS Sustainability operates as a team.
“Working with a close-knit team to make far-reaching changes was exactly the environment that I was looking for and I am excited to see all of the work we do this coming year”
Trainin has worked on a variety of communications based projects this past year including the creation of social media posts, sustainability articles and spotlights, organizing the Students of Sustainability (S. O. S.) Summit, website and digital updates, the 2025 annual report, and advertising for sustainability events. He is excited to continue this work and more during the 2026-27 school year. He also credits his work in this role in the adoption of a community-based environmental focus.
“This role has taught me that it’s not just about what we can do for the environment, but how we can connect people and communities to work towards a better future together.”
He is currently working on connecting students, families, and staff all across LPS with sustainability-based events and resources. Trainin hopes to expand on the success of last year’s S. O. S. Summit and Garden Gatherings and continue to engage the community with sustainability, environmental causes, and each other.
“Seeing all different kinds of people and students engaging with and connecting with each other has been the most rewarding part of this role. It’s so cool to see students at entirely different schools and different backgrounds coming together to make a difference.”
After graduation, Trainin plans on pursuing a Juris Doctor (JD), with hopes to work in environmental policy and law, specifically involved with handling emerging technologies and political divides.
“New technologies have strengthened the need for political, action-based environmental work, and I hope to continue to make a difference in the world through law and policy.”
We are so excited to have such a wide range of interests and expertise on the Sustainability Team! If any of our interns could assist in your classroom, club or event, please feel free to reach out to us at sustainability@lps.org.