Internships
Student Skills Assessment
An internship is an experience in which a high school student takes a responsible role as a worker in a company or organization and then reflects on the experience. The Internship Program is a supplement to formal classroom instruction. The intent is to significantly add to the vitality of the instructional program and to impact the courses that a student has taken. The Wake County Public School System requires all students enrolled in a Career Academy to complete an internship before graduation to be eligible to graduate with the academy distinction. Most students choose to complete their internship in the summer between their junior and senior years.
Expected outcomes of this experience for the students include:
- Increased self-esteem and personal growth derived from successfully meeting new interpersonal and intellectual challenges.
- Acquired new skills and knowledge.
- Increased exposure to various work roles and career choices.
- Increased understanding of the relationship between school-based learning and work experience.
- Increased opportunities for high school students to explore areas of academic career or service interest.
- Development of positive relationships between the internship program, the school, and the community.
The goals of the internship program are to help the student:
- Develop good work habits.
- Experience personal growth.
- Strengthen communication skills.
- Gain an awareness of the community's vast resources and the world of work.
A student must complete a minimum of 120 hours of on-the-job experience while working on a project of value. In addition, students are required to reflect upon their experience through journal entries and other assignments. Students will receive high school honors credit. Credit and grades are assigned after the student completes all requirements and submits all work to the Academy Director.