Internship Capstone

Try It

Nothing prepares students for their futures better than getting out into the work world and exploring their options. Students connect with their communities and learn valuable life skills in an engaging environment. Internship capstone is one way to bring this opportunity to your school. In this version, high school seniors receive ownership over designing and participating in a two-week internship during the “down time” between the end of exams and graduation. At the end of their internship, students participate in an exhibition night to share their experiences with other students, faculty, family members, and the community. Ready to make it happen? Here’s your guide to getting started.

Discuss It

  • Interview students, parents, faculty, and community members after the exhibition. What did they learn? What did you learn?
  • The educators in the video stress that you should expect and welcome road bumps in the process. What road bumps did you encounter? How will you design future experiences to make things run more smoothly?
  • What effects did this experience have on your school’s relationship with your students? Their parents? Community members?

Go Deeper

  • This model focuses on high school seniors in the pause between exams and graduation. Would you wish to expand the opportunity to other grade levels and/or longer time frames? Why or why not?