Campus Partners Sought to Participate in Summer Internship Program With the Syracuse City School District

The University’s Office of Community Engagement is seeking campus partners to be part of this year’s Summer Internship Program with the Syracuse City School District (SCSD). The program begins July 1.

The University has an abundance of disciplines that can relate to a career and technical education (CTE) pathway and provide a meaningful experience for an intern. If you think your team is a good fit for a summer intern, please reach out to Jake Losowski, the University’s associate director of community engagement, at jjlosow@syr.edu. The deadline to apply is May 1.

Now in its fifth year, the SU Summer Internship Program offers the opportunity for rising high school seniors from the SCSD’s CTE program or Say Yes scholarship programs to engage in a six-week work opportunity on campus to gain valuable hands-on experience working closely with University employees in their chosen field. The goal of the program is to give local students real-world job experience before their high school graduation. Summer internship experiences have led students to both higher education and the workplace, and interns have completed the program with a better understanding of what their future career might look like.

Having an SCSD summer intern working with you can also be rewarding for your team. “Although it’s important to expose young people to the opportunities that exist in our organization, it is equally important and fulfilling to provide our staff with the chance to feel valued and energized by impacting young people in a positive way,” says Mike Hartnett, patrol commander in the Department of Public Safety.

The University’s Office of Community Engagement works with the school district to align the experience with the students’ goals and interests. Summer interns come to campus well-equipped with knowledge and skills from the classroom as well as hands-on learning opportunities and are eager to learn from qualified professionals.

The CTE program works to empower all students to build technical, academic and professional leadership skills for college and career success. Students take courses in a specific CTE pathway that allows them to obtain work-based learning experiences and master skills that prepare them for employment or secondary education after finishing school. Some CTE programs that could align with opportunities on campus include:

• Biotechnology
• Business Technology
• Computer Information Systems
• Creative Expression and Design
• Cybersecurity
• Electrical Technology
• Geospatial Technology
• Health Professions
• Law Enforcement
• Mechanical Technology
• Media Communications
• Natural Resources
• Urban Teacher Preparation

The Summer Internship Program has had many successful internship placements throughout the course of the program, including the Barnes Center at the Arch (Health Professions learning pathway) the Department of Public Safety (Law Enforcement learning pathway) and Facilities Services (Construction Technology, Electrical Trades, Manufacturing and Welding learning pathways). These placement sites have been successful thanks to the employees working with the interns who have acted as career coaches, engaging with the students, guiding them through the experience and teaching them the skills of the job.

Summer interns from the Say Yes scholarship program have also had positive work experiences on campus; their positions are more general and range from administrative support to summer youth program counselors.