School-to-Career: Internships & Work-Based Learning

Changing the High School Experience

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January, 2016: At Lockheed Martin, High School Internships Take Flight from a Rigorous Engineering Curriculum, Change the Equation blog, January 5, 2016. See also Change the Equation's Work-Based Learning: An Employer's Guide.
October 30, 2014: National Academy Foundation's Work-Based Learning Tools and Resources
September 10, 2014: Internships and Mentors make the Difference, By Tom Friedman, New York Times. Friedman cites data from Gallup organization.
August, 2014: Linked Learning Launched at 8 Houston ISD Schools
August, 2014: Learning Through Internships Toolkit, a Project MASH toolkit written by Big Picture Learning.
August, 2014: Linked Learning's Return on Investment video, from the Linked Learning Alliance.
July, 2014: Great new video on Student Internships at The Met

July, 2014 -- No reform in education has accomplished as much and received as little recognition as School-to-Career (STC). Launched by the Federal Government in 1994, STC enhanced the high school experience for millions of young people and brought about about more positive business involvement with schools and with young people than any education reform in U.S. History. The federal law sunset in 2002 and few states took up the torch. Many of the STC partnerships and intermediary organizations have now lapsed. Great educators and business leaders across the country, however, have worked to sustain this important reform. In many cases they "re-invented" STC as a key component of high school reform. Today's Linked Learning movement in California is a great example of this re-invention, as are the practices of the Deeper Learning school networks and the long-running National Academy Foundation's work-based learning programs.

  1. The Academy X Internship Experience
  2. City Arts and Technology Video
  3. The MET and Big Picture Learning
  4. National Academy Foundation's Work-Based Learning Tools and Resources
  5. Linked Learning
  6. Vantage, Minnetonka's Advanced Professional Studies Program for juniors and seniors
  7. Marin County School-to-Career Forms and Guides
  8. Return-on-Investment on Internship programs

1. The Academy X Internship Experience

Watch and listen to the stories students tell about their experiences in the Academy X high school internship program. See the enthusiasm and interest these young people have in learning. Learn how this model high-performance internship program challenges students to meet high standards and develop personal qualities that will help shape their future for success. This video, made by Drake student Matt Cohen in 2000 as his internship with film producer Fred Cohen (His father), is one of the best videos on high school internships ever made.

2. City Arts and Technology Video

Workplace Learning Experience at Envision Schools produced by a City Arts and Technology student Jasmine Kamariotis (2008).

3. The MET and Big Picture Learning

 

This video was produced by Met Student Eddy Dominguez as his Senior Thesis Project. Learn more about The MET and Big Picture Learning here.

Also see the Learning Through Internships Toolkit, a Project MASH toolkit written by Big Picture Learning.

4. National Academy Foundation's Work-Based Learning (WBL) Tools and Resources

NAF's Work-Based Learning Center

NAF's Work-Based Learning Tools

NAF WBL Publications

Preparing Youth for life – The Gold Standards for high School internships (2010)

Work-based Learning Exemplars: Worthwhile Internship Experiences for Students, Local Employers and the Community (2013)

Twitter: @NAFCareerAcads, #WBLInstitute

5. Linked Learning

Linked Learning is a high school improvement approach in California that makes learning exciting and challenging. It connects strong academics with real–world experience in a wide range of fields, such as engineering, arts and media, and biomedical and health sciences—helping students gain an advantage in high school, college, and career. For more information on Linked Learning in California, see the Linked Learning Alliance.

 

Connecting the classroom to promising health careers at Oakland’s Life Academy via @linkedlearning PBS @NewsHour. Also see Developing a Performance Assessment System From the Ground Up: Lessons Learned From Three Linked Learning Pathways in California, from the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

 

Linked Learning Launched at 8 Houston ISD Schools, August, 2014

Linked Learning from Houston ISD on Vimeo.

Houston ISD's Linked Learning page.

6. Vantage, Minnetonka's Advanced Professional Studies Program for juniors and seniors

7. Marin County School-to-Career Forms and Guides

Excellent set of forms and guides for managing all aspects of an effective STC and internship program.

8. Return-on-Investment on Internship programs