As part of the Coronado Unified School District’s commitment to preparing students for work, Coronado High School (CHS) recently introduced an expanded for-credit Internship and Work Experience course available to all CHS students starting in the spring 2022 semester.
Ten CHS students are currently enrolled in the elective course after applying for an internship or job at Coronado organizations including Coronado Historical Association, Emerald Keepers, Safe Harbor, Sharp Coronado Hospital, InclusioNado, Coronado Middle School, and Village Elementary School. Students commit to working a minimum of 18 hours during the semester in positions that can be paid or unpaid depending on the host organization.
The CHS Internship and Work Experience course is led by CHS career counselor Kristen Ereno. By design, the course assists students in making the transition from school to work while providing experience in a possible career path. The classroom component of the course emphasizes self-awareness, social development, and employment skills. The internship or work part of the course emphasizes communication, goal setting, and career planning.
Ms. Ereno shared her enthusiasm about the newly expanded Internship and Work Experience course stating, “There is nothing more exciting than a student finding an interest they are passionate about and getting an opportunity to learn about it further and see it in action in the career world!”
Participating students enroll in the Internship and Work Experience course for the last class of the day (4th period) between 1:45pm and 3:15pm. Once a month the students gather in a CHS classroom with CHS teacher Ms. Luna to cover the assigned course material. On other school days, students work on their internship (either on the CHS campus or at the host location) during the 4th period class time. After successfully completing the Internship and Work Experience course, students earn up to 10 credits (most semester-long classes are 10 credits and students need 230 credits to graduate) and a letter grade included on their high school transcript.
CHS Junior Zoe Quast recently started her internship with the local nonprofit environmental organization Emerald Keepers. Zoe shared, “I chose to participate in the internship because I’ve been a part of Emerald Keepers for a while, and its mission is really important. Through the internship, I get to be even more active in Emerald Keepers and protecting the environment. It’s a great opportunity because we get GPA credit for it and get to continue to do great work.”
Funding for the CHS Internship and Work Experience course comes from a $347,550 grant awarded to CUSD by the California state K12 Strong Workforce Program. Requirements of the grant specify students must be working or interning at a non-residential business with open, public access and in working conditions that are safe, moral, and legal.
After the initial success of the spring 2022 course, CHS plans to further expand the Internship and Work Experience course by offering it in both the fall and spring semesters and expanding partnerships with additional organizations to host interns.
Questions or inquiries about the Internship and Work Experience course can be directed to Kristen Ereno at [email protected].
