Internship Guide

Who am I?   |   Where am I headed?   |   How do I get there?

These questions are at the core of RiseUp Community School's postsecondary readiness programming. Navigating life after high school can be overwhelming without practical experience, so our work is to offer work-based learning opportunities that ensure students gain experience while building social capital. RiseUp Connect Internships aim to engage students with authentic and relevant learning experiences that develop skills and guide each student’s unique path.

What is an Internship? An internship is a work-based learning experience guided by a mentor. While some experience in day-to-day operations is essential, student interns also pursue a special project in alignment with their interests that benefit your organization. 

Objective  | Successful internship experiences support students in developing:

  • Career Pathways through developing self and  career awareness

  • Career Readiness through practicing self-advocacy, growth mindset, and executive functioning skills 

  • Social Capital by developing relationships with adults and connecting with coworkers

We want students to see how your organization works, grapple with authentic challenges, and work towards intentional goals.  Our team will support you in designing the experiences your intern will have and their project focus.  As a mentor, your focus is quite simple: 

  • ask thoughtful questions

  • actively listen

  • provide constructive feedback

Internship Project Ideas  | RiseUp staff will support you in brainstorming and planning projects for your student intern. The best Internship Project ideas are in areas where a young person's perspective, skills, and experience add significant value and allow you to achieve something you couldn’t without their work. Below are a few Internship Project ideas:

  • Social Media Manager | Hand over your social media to your intern for a boost

  • Advertising/Marketing Consultant | Who better to share the perspective of Gen Z?

  • Youth Programming Collaborator | If you serve students, incorporate their perspective.  

  • Assistant | Share your profession by collaborating or delegating tasks.  

  • Artist/Creator | Bring your intern into the creative process in designing and creating..

  • Program Assistant | Enhance or improve existing programming. 

Scheduling & Logistics  | RiseUp Connect Internships are individualized to meet the unique needs of the host and the intern. While each student’s internship experience, here are some guidelines:

  • RiseUp staff support you in planning your internship experience 

  • Student Interns are on site from Monday to Thursday from 

    • 10:00 to 12:00 p.m. or 

    • 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

  • Internships run approximately eight weeks, with the option to extend. Start dates are 

    • August 26-October 8, 2024

    • October 16-December 18, 2024

    • January 13-March 5, 2025

    • March 10-May 21, 2025

  • RiseUp staff will coordinate transportation to your internship site

PLANNING TOOLS

Tips for Partners 

  • Plan for when you are busy, late, or not available.

  • Have a project your intern can always work on.

  • Provide a daily or weekly to-do list in writing that interns can refer to at the work site.

  • Establish a place to leave instructions and/or materials for the intern.

  • Identify another person for the intern to go to for help and direction as needed.

  • Agree upon a mode of communication (call, text, email) with the intern to be used in case you need to contact each other about absences or emergencies.

  • Call the advisor if the intern does not arrive within a half-hour of the scheduled time. 

  • Agree upon a convenient location for the intern’s monthly time sheet, which is to be submitted by the student to the school at the end of each month.