New Canaan High School students get a taste of the "Real World"

by Abbie Stone

For thirty-nine New Canaan High School seniors, May 18th was their last day of classes. Unlike the rest of their peers who finished out high school in classrooms, they spent the next four weeks leading up to graduation in internships. The Senior Internship Program (SIP), only three years old, has given high school seniors an opportunity to explore and learn about future careers by experiencing the “World of Work” first hand. “Kids are not only provided with the opportunity to find out what they want to do, but it’s also helpful for them to learn about what they don’t want to do, which is very important as well,” says Tucker Murphy, a Board of Ed. member, and Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of what comes of the program is basic job skills: showing up on time, dressing appropriately, cell phone use, deadlines, and in general, learning about being responsible.”

The program also provides businesses with motivated and eager workers as well as a potential pool of future employees. “Companies find that we are adding value to their companies, while the interns get so much out of their experience. It’s a win win for everybody!” Mrs. Murphy says. Oomph, a local luxury furnishing company had an intern this year, and was more than pleased. “As one of the newer businesses in New Canaan, the Intern Program was a great way for Oomph, to involve the business in the community, and mentor the next generation of design afficionados.  For two years now, we have been hugely impressed with the exceptional work ethic and great character our interns possess,” says Whitney Childs, head of PR at Oomph. Students interested in the program apply in the winter, and soon after, they find out where their worksite will be for their last four weeks of high school until they graduate with the rest of their peers. To the extent possible, students are matched to an internship that matches their skills and interests, ranging from working at the elementary schools, to local banks, to testing water quality in rivers for Earthplace.

“I never imagined I would be doing this type of work for my last four weeks of high school. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should apply for the program, but now I’m so glad I did, especially after looking back at all that I’ve learned about the workplace,” says Emilie Kushner, an intern working in the buying office at Darien Sport Shop. “It’s very fun and exciting because I’m actually working towards something. It’s super rewarding to know that what I have been spending my time on is going to be used and looked at by other designers and possible clients!” says Jaclyn McCurdy, a senior working at the local Oomph Furniture office in town.

Students are exposed to a new way of learning and working through their unpaid internships. “The experiences and learning I've done at Earthplace is hands-on and experiential. Rather than passively reading about a waste water treatment plant, I toured one and ran similar tests for bacteria as they do. I've had the opportunity to do real science that affects and has an impact on the local communities,” says Molly James, an intern at Earthplace, a nature discovery center in Westport. “Each day, I collect and test water samples from local rivers or go out on a boat to estimate the populations of benthic fish in Norwalk Harbor.”  

Interns work on site 20-30 hours a week, roughly the same amount of time that would be spent in school, and have reflective journaling assignments to complete each week. They are all assigned a faculty mentor from the high school who meets with the work site supervisor, and communicates on a regular basis with the intern. “My fondest hope is that the interns learned how important it is to love your job and look forward to Mondays! The lessons that the interns have learned will mean that they have an advantage over their college classmates. They know how to interview for a real job, dress wisely, and interact with older and more experienced co-workers,” says Jane Mitchell, an NCHS guidance counselor and mentor of three years in the internship program.

It is not very often that high schoolers are provided with the opportunity to intern at real, running businesses like the ones that are involved in the program. The NCHS College and Career center works hard to place students in real, valuable internships through which they learn about the many different aspects of businesses. “It’s very important that we maintain the integrity of the program and for it to remain worthwhile. We’re not just looking for ‘time-fillers’ for the kids, and we don’t just want it to be a numbers game of how many kids participate. The overall goal is to have quality situations for both worksites and interns,” says Mrs. Murphy.

At first glance, the SIP might seem like an easy way out of taking finals and finishing classes early, but the interns agree that the work is not for those students looking for an easy way out. “The work is sometimes difficult, but it is much different than solving trig problems in math or staring at the stars in the planetarium. I have gotten a better understanding of marketing skills and how to attract customers. I have also developed better communication skills in the workplace through making phone calls and talking with other designers,” Jaclyn McCurdy says. Molly James notes, “Initially the work was hard, but after the first week I developed a routine in the lab and remembered the procedures of the equipment. There are also seven other interns from other high schools so the work is fun and done in groups.”

Sue Carroll, head of the College and Career Center at NCHS as well as the SIP, hopes that “students who participate do it for positive reasons and not just to get out of exams. It is such an opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them. But that takes an open heart, and an open mind and some energetic motivation!”