EduCon 2018

The idea that high school students should be given the opportunity to build relationships with mentors in the real world through interest-driven internships is gaining traction in communities around the United States. Big Picture Learning is a network of schools that have made internships a key component of their learning model for over 20 years. This workshop will discuss some of the academic and social-emotional values of internships. We will also address how schools can utilize internship programs to increase the networking power of students and reduce the opportunity gap. We will discuss some of the “hacks” that schools have employed to manage the complexities of an internship program as well as highlight our work on ImBlaze - an initiative by BPL to support school internship programs. We will also discuss approaches to challenges around compliance, attendance and documentation of academic progress. Students from El Centro de Estudiantes - a Big Picture School in Philadelphia that works primarily with over-age and undercredited youth - will contribute to this workshop and provide some important context regarding the value of an academic and interest-driven internship program.