Internships for Today's World: A Practical Guide for High Schools and Community Colleges - Softcover

Joan McLachlan is Director of Internship Quest, LLP and a consultant with Measurement Incorporated where specializes in career program development and research. Joan’s work with internships began almost thirty years ago as project director and trainer, conducting replication trainings and presentations nationwide and directing a team of trainers in replicating a validated internship/ alternative school model across the country.

Patricia Hesscurrently teaches Organizational Behavior at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the graduate and undergraduate programs where she has developed on-line learning courses. Patricia has worked for 25 years with international companies in leadership development, employee education and management training and development, including wide experience in recruitment interviewing for front line customer service roles and entry-level jobs.

We have known for some time that learning by doing can be powerful. In this compelling new book the authors remind us that internships can provide a highly effective means for student to learn new skills and prepare them for today's work place. With several useful examples and practical insights this book will serve as an invaluable resource for those who seek to revitalize schools through the creative use of internships. (Pedro A. Noguera Ph.D, distinguished professor of education UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies)

Internships offer students unique opportunities to learn the skills they need to thrive in a global knowledge economy. Every high school and college in America needs an internship program, and this important book is a unique and vital resource for accomplishing this goal. (Tony Wagner, co-director, Change Leadership Group, Harvard University Graduate School of Education)

As founder and CEO of a regional airline, and a Massachusetts State Senator, I’ve experienced the great strength of well-conceived intern programs to bring a new generation into the workplace, enhancing both private and public sectors. Internships develop experience and relationships, keys to landing that all-important first job. But this is a two-way street: Some of my most satisfying moments have come as a manager and mentor to interns who have brought wonderful skills and insights to the teams they’ve joined. This book is a great primer for how to get to that win-win result. (Dan Wolf, founder and CEO of Cape Air, Massachusetts State Senator from the Cape and Islands)

Internships are extremely valuable in helping young people find the right competences and the right life skills to begin their career. These guided career engagements offer students real-world experiences desired by all employers and will also leave lasting career and personal values with the students. This unique publication, Internships for Today’s World does provide practical guides and suggestions for creating and maintaining quality research-based internship programs. It is a must-read for all high school and community college leaders desiring a successful internship program. (Jay Smink, D.Ed., professor emeritus, retired executive director, National Dropout Prevention Center, Clemson University)

Internships for Today’s World offers something for any educator or business contemplating real-life work experiences for students. The book provides solid rationales for incorporating internships into schooling, examples of validations and feedback from students, business leaders, and educators, as well as details that could only be provided by authors who spent time in corporate management and more than a decade providing “matches” among students and intern sites at the nation’s premier and longest-standing external learning school, City-as-School, New York City. What to look for in prospective sites, how to make matches, pitfalls to avoid, linking assessment to practice — all are covered. The book can offer much to the field and to individuals at any stage of creating and maintaining quality external learning experiences. (Steve Phillips, former superintendent, Alternative High Schools & Programs, NYC Board of Education)

Joan McLachlan and Patricia Hess have written a book that offers real hope for providing meaningful learning experiences for students that complement and fortify in-school learning. A recent national study demonstrated that only 28% of students are intellectually engaged in our schools, but internships offer opportunities for 100 % engagement. Realistically, school is not an ideal environment for providing all the necessary opportunities for becoming an adult. Instead, school is a particular kind of environment, honoring individualism and cognitive development. It imposes dependence on, and withholds responsibility from, students. We have lost sight of young people's potential for responsibility. Internships, as outlined in Internships for Today's World: A Practical Guide for High Schools and Community Colleges, provides opportunities for accepting responsibility and offering real opportunities for students to feel and to be useful. It offers a practical guide for establishing a quality, sustainable internship program. This book provides conclusive evidence of the power of internships for student engagement and learning. (Jerry Diakiw, faculty of education, York University, former superintendent of schools York Region District School Board, Ontario)

What better way to prepare our young people for the future than to give them authentic access to real world experiences? As a 30-year high school principal, I will view my most fulfilling legacy as having established internships for ALL students in my schools. To this day, former students describe these dynamic opportunities as among the most powerful in their educational careers. This book provides a road map for secondary schools and community colleges to build internships that are authentic, engaging, and result in our young people making highly personal and informed career decisions. (Jay Lewis, retired high school principal, associate dean, school of education, Hofstra University)

Internships are one of the most powerful transformative experiences that a high school or community college student can have. They literally become a reality-based journey that opens the student’s mind to the world beyond the school’s walls. They are unquestionably a superior preparation for college and careers. Internships for Today’s World is a must read for high school and community college educators. It offers a practical guide to developing meaningful internship programs. The authors’ in-depth insights and recommendations equip all educators with the tools to bring a high quality internship program to their schools. (Mathew M. Mandery, EdD, director Nassau County Senior Year Network, executive director Nassau County Principals Association)

The authors bring the world of student internships, externships, practicums and projects into an exciting and yet utilitarian book that will aid the imaginative educator in creating 'real world' experiences for learners. (Robin Calitri, former principal, Southside High School, Rockville Centre, NY, principal of the year, NYS)

Joan McLachlan has understood and practiced learner-centered, experiential education for decades. I first met her when she was doing that at City-as-School, one of the oldest and best public alternatives. She has co-authored a book about the core of that program — internships. In using this book the reader will understand what internships are and how to help students do them effectively. As we continue in the new millennium this approach will greatly increase in significance, as more and more new jobs are created that didn’t exist just a few years ago. (Jerry Mintz, director, Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO))