The Bronx Guild High School Sam Decker, Principal
Become A Mentor
|
Have you always wanted to give back to the community but weren't sure how? Do you enjoy working with young people? Are you excited about your profession and the work that you do? Are you patient and willing to share your expertise? If you answered "yes" to these questions, you should
mentor a Bronx Guild Student Read about “LEARNING THROUGH INTERNSHIP” Learning Through Internship (LTI) is the center of the Bronx Guild curriculum. We have been sending high school students out on Internships at businesses and organizations across the city since opening our doors. At the worksites, students take on real-world tasks and projects under the supervision of a mentor -- a professional who chooses to share his/her passion, excitement and expertise with a high school student. Back at school, the students work with their crew leaders building and reinforcing the skills and knowledge needed to complete those projects. We have found our program to be very successful, placing students in over 100 Internship sites since opening our doors in 2002. Details of the Learning Experience We have a very flexible curriculum that responds directly to the work the student is doing at his/her Internship site. Our crew leaders are trained to identify learning opportunities and support those opportunities both at the Internship and back at school. Therefore, the content of what the student will learn is often not identified until after the placement has occurred “Being a mentor has gotten me excited about youth. The excitement of my intern is contagious. He brings something to my office that would never happen if he wasn’t there. This is a great experience --Scott Jankes – Jantex Marketing Click here to send an email to our Internship Coordinator. Find out how you can make a difference in a young person's life, today! Aspects of the LTI Program Before starting an Internship, students do a good deal of Interest Exploration. This exploration begins with a reflection on their strengths and weaknesses, their goals and who they are as well as group exposure activities. Students also explore various out-of-school sites based on their interests. Students then identify several interests to research by reading periodicals, books and doing internet searches. After the student has a background in an area, they start taking part in Informational Interviews with professionals in their chosen field. Through these interviews, students strive to get a deeper understanding of the profession they have chosen, the road to that profession and the nuances of the daily work environment. After interviewing at several worksites, the students identify a few of the sites where they might like to spend a day shadowing a professional to learn more about the daily flow of the job. It is also an opportunity for potential mentors and interns to meet and get to know each other. A successful Shadow Day may lead to an LTI. When a student is interested in a mentor and workplace, s/he asks her crew leader to help set up an Internship. Together, the crew leader, the student and the potential mentor decide the days, hours and parameters for the LTI. Once the Internship is underway and the student has journaled about daily activities (usually after two weeks or so) the crew leader, student and mentor meet to design an LTI Project. This project is done at the Internship site and/or back at school and is the vehicle for the student receiving the bulk of her academic credit. Being a mentor has really given me another perspective on my work. I found the greatest value, though, was from the human relationship. Helping a student learn my profession and become excited about the day-to-day job I do is in itself inspiring. I watched her grow and I grew right along with her. Dean Deida – Bronx Democratic Committee Click here to send an email to our Internship Coordinator. Find out how you can make a difference in a young person's life, today!
Internship Schedule The students are at their Internships two or three days a week for 12–18 hours a week (usually from 9AM to 3PM on work days). The Internships are usually set up in 3 month renewable increments
OTHER WAYS TO WORK WITH BRONX GUILD STUDENTS Companies and organizations can participate in all levels of the LTI program, and there are many other ways for employers to get involved as well. Other LTI programs include: In-School Professional Seminars for Students, After-school Programs for Credit and Interest Expeditions. Contact us for more info. "My intern is awesome. His hard work and dedication sets a great example for youth everywhere." -- Iliea Burgos -- Youth on the Move |
|