Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the
links internship activities with
the Massachusetts curriculum
frameworks. Some also have an
explicit remediation component
for students who scored below
proficient on the state’s high
school Competency Determination exams.
The New Hampshire
Department of Education allows
schools to grant credit for
internships and other “extended
learning opportunities.” One
student earned science credits
by interning with an infection
control nurse at a hospital, conducting an empirical study of
staff hand-washing practices,
and presenting his findings to
the hospital’s infection control
board. Each school district
defines local policies regarding
extended learning opportunities,
but all are required to assign
credit based on measurable standards and course competencies.
New Hampshire’s reforms
provide an example for states
that want to help their schools
expand learning beyond the
usual boundaries.
[and realizing] how hard it is to
do something well. (Washor &
Mojkowski, 2006/2007, p. 85)
photo courtesy of andre w frishman and katy hensley
The extent to which this vision
is realized depends on the
internship’s scope and use of
effective work-based learning
practices (Hamilton & Hamilton, 1997; National Academy
Foundation, 2010).
Simply spending time in a
professional setting is valuable
for teenagers, but interns also
routinely take on active and
valued roles such as repairing
bicycles, leading math groups,
or reconciling accounts payable
records. Students complete
internship projects and research
papers that demand both academic and professional skills,
and for their exhibitions they
teach their classmates about
topics ranging from Alzheimer’s
therapy to environmental
policing to making neon signs.
The Rationale
for Internship Programs
By immersing students in work
related to their interests, internship
programs aim to increase student
engagement and promote skills and
knowledge needed for achieving life,
career, and civic goals. Progressive edu-
cators have long argued that students
learn best by confronting problems
that arise while doing things they
find meaningful (Dewey, 1938), and
mainstream education groups are now
adopting positions that reflect this
perspective. The National Association
of Secondary School Principals (2004)
recommends taking advantage of
learning opportunities outside the high
school building, providing real-life
applications that help students see con-
nections between their education and
their future, and engaging students in
ways that foster critical-thinking and
problem-solving skills.
Rigor
Internships embody a view of academic
rigor that refers not to packing an extra
advanced placement course into stu-
dents’ senior year, but to
deep immersion in a subject over time,
with learners using sophisticated texts,
tools, and language in real-world set-
tings and often working with expert
practitioners who serve as mentors . . .
encounter[ing] complex, messy problems
photo courtesy of tess grogan
Equity
Internship programs promote
equity and reduce the expe-
rience gap by providing access
to settings that are often closed
to students from less privileged
backgrounds. This is particu-
larly true of schools where internships
are mandatory and students receive
adequate support in obtaining them.
When internships are optional or
unsupported, students can opt out or
be left out due to competition, pre-
requisites, or challenging application
procedures (Kemple, Poglinco, &
Snipes, 1999).
School Culture
An easily overlooked advantage of
internships is their contribution to
school culture. The internship process
enlivens the rhythm of the school year,
and seniors working on internship
