Published:
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Cultivating STEM Internship
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Abstract
Inner city African American and Hispanic teens often lack the connections to obtain internships and summer work opportunities in STEM fields. With today’s education budget constraints, very few inner city high schools have staff members dedicated solely to developing internships and meaningful summer work opportunities for students. Research shows that early work experience provides students with soft skills and motivation to succeed in college and the workforce. The aim of this proposal is to develop a low-cost, teacher-driven approach for connecting urban youth with internships in STEM fields.
Troubling Trends for Inner-City Youth
Young African Americans and Hispanics have a disproportionately high dropout rate, lower college attendance rate, and high unemployment rate. The high school dropout rate for African American and Hispanic youth in 2012 was double and triple the rate of whites. (Urban Alliance, 2015) In 2013, less than 60% of African American and Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college. (Urban Alliance, 2015) In 2011, African American and Hispanic teen unemployment and underemployment was 60% and 52% respectively. (Urban Alliance, 2015) African American teen unemployment is more than double the national average, while arrest, incarceration and teen pregnancy rates for this demographic are also disproportionately high. (Urban Alliance, 2015)
The Value of Internships
Internships have a positive impact on the development of students’ career goals, academic focus and future job placement. (Merrit, 2008) Early work experiences develop participants’ soft skills, such as problem solving, teamwork, and professional communication. Research shows youth employment helps students to stay in school, graduate and achieve higher levels of education. (Urban Alliance, 2015) Internships also provide students with applied educational experiences in a real-world environment, while strengthening their resume for future college and job applications. Merrit (2008) outlined the educational foundation and philosophical basis for student internships (see Appendix A).
Untapped Resources
Multiple professional development organizations link career services and cooperative education professionals from universities, colleges and employers throughout New Jersey (see Appendix B for organization listing and contact information). A key component of the mission of these organizations is to foster academic-employer partnerships. Career services programs maintain long-term relationships with employers by assisting with filling vacancies in all manner of job positions.
Higher education institutions utilize specialized database programs, e.g. PlacePro, to manage thousands of internship listings. Some internships do not rise to the level of challenge suitable for college students; therefore, many such work opportunities go unfilled. These jobs would be ideal for high school students to gain experience working in a professional setting.
STEM Teachers Can Make the Connection
High school teachers can utilize these untapped resources by submitting a letter of introduction to the executive board of the professional development organizations (see Appendix C for sample letter of introduction). In the letter, teachers can request to make a formal face-to-face introduction at an executive board meeting, as well as request the organization’s vice president of communications to forward the letter to career service professionals within their region. As these career service professionals receive high school level internship listings, they can forward the internship information directly to the teacher. Then the teacher is responsible for recruiting students and helping them with the application process. By doing this, teachers can help minimize unfilled internships while connecting their students with valuable employment opportunities.
Inner city African American and Hispanic teens often lack the connections to obtain internships and summer work opportunities in STEM fields. With today’s education budget constraints, very few inner city high schools have staff members dedicated solely to developing internships and meaningful summer work opportunities for students. Research shows that early work experience provides students with soft skills and motivation to succeed in college and the workforce. The aim of this proposal is to develop a low-cost, teacher-driven approach for connecting urban youth with internships in STEM fields.
Troubling Trends for Inner-City Youth
Young African Americans and Hispanics have a disproportionately high dropout rate, lower college attendance rate, and high unemployment rate. The high school dropout rate for African American and Hispanic youth in 2012 was double and triple the rate of whites. (Urban Alliance, 2015) In 2013, less than 60% of African American and Hispanic high school graduates enrolled in college. (Urban Alliance, 2015) In 2011, African American and Hispanic teen unemployment and underemployment was 60% and 52% respectively. (Urban Alliance, 2015) African American teen unemployment is more than double the national average, while arrest, incarceration and teen pregnancy rates for this demographic are also disproportionately high. (Urban Alliance, 2015)
The Value of Internships
Internships have a positive impact on the development of students’ career goals, academic focus and future job placement. (Merrit, 2008) Early work experiences develop participants’ soft skills, such as problem solving, teamwork, and professional communication. Research shows youth employment helps students to stay in school, graduate and achieve higher levels of education. (Urban Alliance, 2015) Internships also provide students with applied educational experiences in a real-world environment, while strengthening their resume for future college and job applications. Merrit (2008) outlined the educational foundation and philosophical basis for student internships (see Appendix A).
Untapped Resources
Multiple professional development organizations link career services and cooperative education professionals from universities, colleges and employers throughout New Jersey (see Appendix B for organization listing and contact information). A key component of the mission of these organizations is to foster academic-employer partnerships. Career services programs maintain long-term relationships with employers by assisting with filling vacancies in all manner of job positions.
Higher education institutions utilize specialized database programs, e.g. PlacePro, to manage thousands of internship listings. Some internships do not rise to the level of challenge suitable for college students; therefore, many such work opportunities go unfilled. These jobs would be ideal for high school students to gain experience working in a professional setting.
STEM Teachers Can Make the Connection
High school teachers can utilize these untapped resources by submitting a letter of introduction to the executive board of the professional development organizations (see Appendix C for sample letter of introduction). In the letter, teachers can request to make a formal face-to-face introduction at an executive board meeting, as well as request the organization’s vice president of communications to forward the letter to career service professionals within their region. As these career service professionals receive high school level internship listings, they can forward the internship information directly to the teacher. Then the teacher is responsible for recruiting students and helping them with the application process. By doing this, teachers can help minimize unfilled internships while connecting their students with valuable employment opportunities.
