Internships
The internship is an integral part of the Truman program. Supporting students as they discover the world and their passions through an authentic experience is one of the ways Truman sets itself apart from the traditional alternative school.
An internship is one option for a student who has attained Level 2 status. The Work Based Learning Instructor will assist students in developing their internships through telephone calling, networking, and interview skills. The WBL instructor will cultivate relationships in the business community so mentors will be ready to receive a student at their place of employment.
Internships should get more challenging as students move through the time with their mentor. For example, foundational skills may relate to building self-confidence and demonstrating good employability skills such as arriving on time, dressing appropriately for the workplace, organizing the workspace, learning team skills, and becoming familiar with company policies and procedures. From that point on, students build on their learning to acquire more and more competency in technical skills and work tasks. They are expected to take risks into worlds that are less familiar and intellectually challenging. Students should be testing the inquiry skills they have been honing in their core classes at Truman as well as leadership and employability skills they have learned in the Career Choices class.
The Work Based Learning Instructor visits students and mentors at their internship sites for the purposes of internship set-up and orientation, learning plan development, and assessment. The instructor will support students in their attempts to meet standards, stay on target with the goals that they have set, and keep outcomes aligned. Evidence of meeting internship competencies will be placed in the students’ portfolio. This evidence manifests itself through real work; parents and community members have an opportunity to view this work during student exhibitions.
Some examples of internship opportunities for Truman students include:
- Lead a Community Service project in the community
- Perform Volunteer work in a Veterinarian’s clinic
- Conduct a statistical survey for a social service agency
- Participate in marine biology experiments on the Hylebos watershed
- Work in a local restaurant
- Carry out a project plan for a local elementary school
- Participate in teller training at a local bank
- Plan and carry out a food drive in conjunction with a local food bank
- Create a business or marketing plan in partnership with a local business
- Perform volunteer work at the City of Federal Way or FW Chamber of Commerce
- Create a traveling historical display to honor Martin Luther King or Harry Truman
- …and many other possibilites
