BB2C Project Development - High School Internships

The overarching problem that BB2C works daily to address includes the fact that area students are not aware of the opportunities that exist for them right here in the MOV. How do we make them aware, and then connect them to an opportunity that inspires them? We really feel that an internship experience can open some eyes - not only those of area youth to local career choices, but those of local employers to the vibrant youth being educated in our schools. 

Most importantly, internships will help students become familiar with a company that they may never have heard of, which is the case for a lot of our small to medium businesses. Internships can help students improve their professional/soft skills, open students' eyes to the realities of the workplace, and can help students understand what is needed from them to do a particular job. They can also help students connect what they are learning in the class room to a career and become connected to established community networks. 

An internship can look like whatever it needs to look like. There are no internship police. We want to build experiences for students that are longer than a job shadow placement, which is typically 4-6 hours in one-day. Over the last 2 years we have worked on piloting a High School Internship program that meets the needs of students, schools, and local businesses. What we have found is that all three of the stakeholders need to be involved in the planning for it to be successful. This is why we need YOU to be a part of the development of the whole program.

Please join us as we discuss what is needed to provide more internship experiences for our local students. Come to the BB2C Community Meeting on June 26, from 4:30 - 6:00, at the Washington County Career Center to be a part of the conversation.