The internship is the cornerstone 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. 

Students are expected to participate in internships two days a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Teachers assist students in developing their internships through cold calling, networking, and interview skills.  There is a full time internship coordinator on site at Truman to cultivate relationships in the business community so mentors will be ready to receive a student at their place of employment.

If 101s and/201s are not engaged in an internship for at least one day a week they are expected to spend their day in structured classes: work-based training (applications, business dress and deportment, interview skills, etc.) writing & math labs, science research, etc.

Internships should get more challenging as students move through their years at Truman.  For example freshmen (101) may find themselves looking for an internship that builds their self-confidence and therefore may be an assistant in an elementary classroom or intern with a parent/guardian.  However, a junior (301) or senior (401) is expected to take risks into worlds that are less familiar and intellectually challenging.  This will mean that many of them will have to commute to Seattle or Tacoma in order to fulfill their requirements.  Students in their 301 & 401 years should be testing the inquiry skills they have been honing in Socratic Seminar and leadership skills they have learned in their multiage classrooms.

There is an expectation that internships will be used to fulfill the exploration and the meeting of standards in areas that are mandatory for graduation: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Math, Health, PE, Occupational Education, & the Arts.  This is especially important in the area of Science.  Truman is not equipped with a standard high school science lab and curriculum.  Therefore, students should engage in at least one Science based internship a year in order to fulfill the Federal Way Public Schools graduation requirements of lab Science.

Teachers visit their students and mentors on their internship sites in order to support students in their attempts to meet standards, stay on target with the goals that they have set, and keep outcomes aligned.  Mentors have copies of the Washington State standards that students are working on to ensure that the work is rigorous and meaningful.  The evidence of meeting standard then goes into their portfolio.  This evidence manifests itself through real work and parents and community members have an opportunity to view this work during student exhibitions.   This work can take the form of a business based proposal or marketing campaign.  It could be gathering statistics for a social service agency or health provider and making inferences in services.  Students could participate in marine experiments on the Hylebos watershed or lead a community service project in the community.