Exploring College & Career Options

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Exploring College & Career Options

Guide for Internship Hosts

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OVERVIEW

HELP OUR STUDENTS HELP YOU!

The Exploring College and Career Options (ECCO) program seeks to strengthen the capacity of career academies and pathways to offer quality work-based learning and college preparation experiences. ECCO helps more students become engaged in high school, make informed choices about their future, and learn the skills they need to succeed in career and

post-secondary education. In 10th and 11th grade, ECCO students visit worksites, colleges, and participate in career development workshops. In the summer before their senior year they are placed in an internship.

WHAT IS AN INTERNSHIP?

Internships are critically important for young people as they prepare for life after high school. An internship that provides a rich learning environment sends an important message to students: learning and earning are intrinsically related. We’re looking for internships that will teach and develop critical work-based skills needed for success. Our students are the future and we need your help to prepare them to be their best! The goals of our summer internship program are to promote students’ interest in post-secondary education and to develop the skills that are required to be successful in the 21st century workplace. You’ll be helping our students AND helping your business by tapping into this excellent source of energetic young talent!

An internship is:

 Hands-on: Internships combine hands-on learning and skills development with real-world work experience under the guidance and supervision of supportive adults.

 Project-based: Internships are project-based and should result in a tangible benefit to your business that the student intern can be proud to share.

 A fair exchange: An internship is a work/learn exchange between a student and your business.

 Student commitment: Students will be your interns for 4 to 5 days a week for roughly 5 weeks. They will need to attend their Internship Seminar one day a week.

ABOUT THIS BOOKLET

This booklet is an introduction to the Exploring College and Career Options (ECCO)

Internship Program. We hope it will help you provide meaningful work experiences for our talented and enthusiastic students. We invite your participation and we thank you for your support.

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THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

The ECCO Internship is an experience during the summer after the junior year or during senior year when a student spends an extended period of time working with and learning from an adult in a local business or not-for-profit organization.

The essential ingredients of the program are:

 The student applies formally and completes an informational interview to qualify for the internship.

 An Internship Agreement is signed by both the student, Host Site Mentor, Parent/Guardian and Supervision Teacher.

 The student participates in the weekly Internship Seminar, which includes research, reflection, writing, problem-solving, presentations, and portfolio development.

 Rigorous and challenging learning goals are specified, monitored, and assessed on an on-going basis.

 The internship culminates in a product or demonstration of learning that is evaluated by the internship supervisor and the school’s Internship Supervising Teacher.

 An internship ends with an exit interview and a mastery demonstration showcase.

WHAT TEENS NEED TO SUCCEED: WORKPLACE “KNOW HOW”

For today’s teens to be successful both in college and in the world of work, they need a solid foundation in basic literacy, thinking, and communication skills, as well as the personal qualities that demonstrate the ability to be reliable and trustworthy. Structured and documented internships are among the most effective strategies to teach and reinforce these skills. When students work with and learn from employees in their local communities, their motivation and learning increases.

AN INTEGRATION OF WORK AND LEARNING

The Internship Program integrates work and learning in order to: 1) promote students’ interest in post- secondary education,

and

2) develop the skills that are required to be successful in the 21st century workplace.

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SKILLS FOR SUCCESS

21ST CENTURY SKILLS

The Skills for Success listed below are based on the nationally respected Partnership for 21st Century Skills. They reflect what business and education leaders agree are critical for success as citizens and workers in the 21st Century. The ECCO Internship Program gives students opportunities to learn and practice these skills.

CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING

 Solve problems and make decisions  Think creatively

 Learn through research  Reflect and evaluate COMMUNICATION

 Write clearly  Speak distinctly

 Listen carefully and ask good questions  Observe effectively

COLLABORATION AND TEAMWORK  Cooperate with others  Give and receive feedback  Negotiate challenges and resolve

conflicts

 Plan and prioritize to reach a goal MEDIA and TECHNOLOGY

 Use new and emerging technology  Use responsible behavior regarding

technology (“digital citizenship”)

PERSONAL QUALITIES

 Manage time effectively

 Demonstrate appropriate behavior and attire

 Recognize and respond appropriately to workplace challenges

 Show initiative and work independently  Be reliable and dependable

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YOUR ROLE IN INTERNSHIPS

BEFORE THE INTERNSHIP Establish a learning project

We want our students to work for you and learn from you. As part of the planning process, the ECCO Lead Teacher will help you design a project for the intern that is worthwhile for you and a rigorous learning experience for the student. See examples of past learning projects on page 7 of this guide.

Sign an agreement

You will sign an Internship Agreement that outlines the position description, work hours and the learning project.

Interview the student

Before a student is placed with you, we hope they will meet with you at your company. These interviews are designed as “get-to-know-you” sessions, and as a way for both you and the student to make sure that the match is a good one. Students may bring sample resumes, along with prepared questions. During this interview, we suggest that you provide information about the following:

 The organization’s purpose and activities  Your job duties, tasks and responsibilities  What you want the intern to do

 Other employees who may be working with the intern  Where the intern will work

DURING THE INTERNSHIP

Provide an orientation

The sooner the student understands what the organization does and how it operates, the sooner he/she can assume assigned responsibilities and be productive. To help make that happen, you should make your co-workers aware of the arrival of your intern and plan an orientation session. The orientation might include:

 A tour of the facilities

 An introduction to other employees  Reading materials about the organization  Introduction to the intern’s workspace

 Explanation of company policies, e.g. attire, behavior, cell phone and e-mail do’s and don’ts, etc.

 Explanation of work standards and procedures

Supervise the intern

As the Host Site Mentor, you will use all the skills that apply to any effective supervisory relationship: motivating, modeling, communicating, delegating, training, coaching, and

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evaluating. The intern will look to you as a mentor who will assist in making the transition from high school to post-secondary education and work environments. The students will additionally be supervised by an OUSD Internship Supervising Teacher who will be the point of contact and will visit students at the work site.

Your intern will ask you to sign weekly time sheets. Additionally, we expect that you will meet with your intern regularly to provide feedback concerning their performance. During these meetings, the student can: report on the status of their work, ask

questions, learn how they are contributing to the organization, consider why the work needs to be done and who benefits from it, participate in periodic assessment of their strengths and areas needing improvement, and get a sense of work that lies ahead.

Support student participation in the weekly Internship Seminar

Student work hours will need to accommodate their participation in the weekly Internship Seminar taught by their OUSD Internship Supervising Teacher. The seminar teaches topics such as time management, diversity, leadership. It engages the interns in research, problem-solving and critical thinking related to their work projects and reinforces the Skills for Success.

Support student research and reflection

Interns will have a Research and Reflection Log that is part of their weekly seminar. Each week they will have an assignment that requires them to speak with you and/or co-workers about a specific topic. We ask that you provide time each week for interns to speak to their colleagues, talk to you, and record what they learn in their Log. Students will receive credits and a grade for their work in this weekly seminar.

AFTER THE INTERNSHIP

Conduct brief exit interview and evaluate intern At the end of the internship, we will ask you to evaluate the internship experience. This is a critical part of the learning experience when conducted professionally and sensitively. We encourage you to meet with your intern to review the performance evaluations.

Write letter of reference

Your intern will ask you to write a letter of reference at the end of the program. One copy should be given to the student and one copy sent to the OUSD Internship Supervising Teacher. These letters will become an important piece of their senior portfolio.

Attend the Mastery Demonstration Showcase final celebrations

At the end of the summer internship period, we will host an event to assess the students’ mastery of skills and recognize their accomplishments. You will receive an invitation to join us and we hope you can attend to show support for your intern.

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SAMPLE LEARNING PROJECTS

Here is a sample list of projects that our ECCO students completed last year with various organizations all over the city. Our students can help to make a real impact in your company or organization. Hosts are encouraged to work with your student to determine his/her skills and find the project that fulfills your needs while supporting the growth and development of the student. OUSD supervising teachers will also be available for assistance in formulating this learning project.

 Create event brochures/flyers and advertisements for fundraising campaign

 Collect and organize data using new software program  Update social media and online presence

 Create consumer feedback library (photos & quotes) to use for multimedia and reporting

 Advertise and market a fundraising event (community carnival)

 Create a commercial to highlight services offered by the company

 Create brochures explaining services and training opportunities

 Assist bilingual students with tutoring (reading and literacy)  Assist with recycling program and develop native plant garden

for learning

 Update event room to make it more appealing to customers  Renovate City Center Plaza by replacing energy efficient lights

in posts and trees

 Participate in the development of children's programming  Create a native plant garden for the marine center that will

also beautify

 Manage a database and assist with community relations campaign

 Create a dog walker survey and information campaign concerning dog waste

 Develop and advertise fundraising activities for school, including bake sale

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ECCO HISTORY

As an ECCO Internship Host you are joining hundreds of Bay Area organizations that have accepted youth interns into their workplaces as part of this summer ECCO program.

Quick Facts from ECCO Summer 2014

 181 ECCO student interns enrolled in ECCO Summer WEE Course

 95% student pass rate for ECCO Summer WEE  97.3% attendance rate

 22,791 hours worked by OUSD ECCO Summer interns in support of Bay Area Companies 0 50 100 150 200 250

2011-2012 Pilot Year 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 Goal

ECCO Summer Interns by Year

2011-2012 Pilot Year 2012-2013

2013-2014 2014-2015 Goal

Sample of Host Sites from ECCO Summer 2014 Alameda County General Services

Alameda County Public Health Department Alameda Pediatric Dentistry

American Steel Studios

California Coalition for Women Prisoners CalTrans

Chabot Space & Science Center ConnectEd Studios

Councilmember Noel Gallo, City of Oakland Diamond Auto Center

East Bay Municipal Utility District Game Theory Academy

Girls, Inc. Hilton Oakland Airport

Kaiser Permanente La Clinica de la Raza

Lake Merritt Dental KDOL-TV Metropolitan Golf Links Native American Health Center Oakland Outpatient Veterans Affairs Clinic

Oakland Public Library Oakland Technology Exchange West

Oakland Zoo

Office of AIDS Administration Office of Assembly member Rob Bonta

Parent Action Network Rock, Paper, Scissors Collective

Savemore Market Siebert Branford Shank & Co., LLC

VisionNet USA Waste Management

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Exploring College & Career Options