SENIOR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of the Senior Internship Program

is to put students in a position to think actively,

collaboratively, and creatively; to experience

individual growth; and to develop the skills

and integrity necessary for becoming productive

members of society outside the boundaries of

their formal educational program. Embarking on

an internship will provide seniors with workplace

experience, opportunity for career exploration,

and a useful transition from high school.

• Senior interns spend the final 4 to 6 weeks of the academic year on supervised internship work sites.

• Internships begin the week after AP exams and they extend until about two days before graduation. (Interns do not attend classes and do not take finals.)

• Internship sites must be local or in the Metro North Area, and interns are responsible for their own transportation.

• All internships must be approved by the program committee.

• All seniors who apply will be considered.

• Family members cannot be an internship site supervisor.

• All interns will work a minimum of 30 hours per week.

• All internships must be unpaid.

• All interns will read The Bigs throughout their internship experience and respond to the corresponding journal prompts.

• All interns will participate in the final internship project, the Senior Internship Symposium

• All interns will earn a final grade for their work (either “Pass with Distinction,” “Pass,” or “Incomplete”), and this grade, though not credit bearing, will appear on their transcript.

PROGRAM DETAILS

DHS POLICY Students are responsible for completing all regularly assigned work up until the date the internship starts. Seniors participating in the program are exempt from final exams.

The students cannot be given additional work that would reflect content taught after they depart for their internship experience.

Projects that are part of the regular course curriculum and are assigned prior to the start of the internship may be modified to allow the student to meet the expectations of the course, but must be submitted before the internship begins.

For a senior to participate in the program, he/she must:• have met all graduation requirements;• be in good academic standing;• be in compliance with the DHS attendance policy (NOTE: Attendance is

“prorated” because Semester 2 is shorter for seniors, so seniors cannot miss more than 8 classes for a course that meets 7/8 days.* - *Please refer to student handbook for more details.)

• not be failing any graduation-required courses;• have paid all fees and fines by the start date;• not have a record of chronic or major discipline issues throughout senior year;• have parental permission;• have internship site approval;• have administrative approval.

ELIGIBILITY

• Athletes cannot participate.• Members of clubs or bands cannot participate.• AP students cannot participate.• Those students who do not have their careers mapped out

cannot participate.• Those students who fail to locate internship opportunities

aligned to their career goals cannot participate.

COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

• Explore all available options using personal contacts and available leads.

• Consider pursuing an internship at one of the sites that has taken DHS interns in the past (a listing of such sites is available through the SIP website).

• When contacting a potential internship site, make sure to identify its internship “decision-maker.”

• Ask if the timeframe (mid-May through mid-June) and hours (30 per week) would work for an internship arrangement.

• Find out all employer expectations (work hours, dress code, attendance requirements).

• Find out the sort of work he/she would be asked to do (daily routine, duties, responsibilities).

• Ask what your student needs to do in order to put himself in the running for an internship position there.

YOUR SENIOR’S STEPS

• Submit Internship Plan by the deadline (March 6th) at (all information and communication is through this

program website)

• Obtain plan approvals from: parent, site supervisor, faculty mentor, and the internship committee (via the SIP website)

• Attend spring Internship Senior Meeting where we will go over specific expectations, details, paperwork, tips, and next steps

• Attend the “Send-Off Breakfast” to receive The Bigs and medical forms

YOUR SENIOR’S STEPS

• All program interns must:• complete program requirements in accordance with

deadlines to be eligible to participate• complete all work deemed necessary by each

teacher/department before beginning internship• attend all information meetings and meet program

deadlines• read The Bigs and complete and submit journal entries

each week to their Faculty Mentor through SIP site• submit weekly hours on the SIP site• complete a final evaluation of their internship site• create a short “Ted-Talk” style presentation that

students will share at the Senior Internship Symposium during Finals Week

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

• Darien Arts Center• Darien Building Dept.• Darien Times• Darien Animal Hospital• The Atlantic Group• Just Cats• Multiple Sclerosis Society• Stamford Hospital• Shakespeare on the Sound• Baywater Properties• Zotos Microbiology

PAST INTERNSHIP SITES• Fitness Edge• Stepping Stones Museum• Stamford Plaza Hotel• Sound Waters• Equinox• Philip Johnson Glass House• Medical Specialists of Fairfield• Air Age Media• Tiny Miracles Foundation• SBD Kitchens of Darien• Silvermine Arts Center

• Facebook

• ESPN

• United Nations

• Major League Baseball

• Ralph Lauren

• Anthropologie

• Cottages & Gardens Mag.

• My Evil Twin Games

• KPMG (NYC Financial Firm)

• Phoenix Investment Adviser

• Samuel French

• Tammany Hall

PAST INTERNSHIP SITES• MOMA

• The Met

• Metro-North

• Yale Repertory Theatre

• NYSE

• Madison Square Garden

• NBC

• Trump Tower

• Tiffany and Co.

• Roundabout Theatre

• Hillary 2016

• Port Authority

• Congressman Jim Himes • Norwalk Aquarium • Darrin Haddad Photography• Community Fund of Darien• Everything is Rosey• St. Luke’s Youth Program

PAST INTERNSHIP SITES• Person-to-Person• Darien Nature Center• Oliver Wyman• Andrea Art Studio• Unfold Yoga• Darien Public Schools• AND MANY MORE! (List

can be found when students log onto the DHS Senior Internship Program website)

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?•

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