Internships

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Internship Policy Statement

The National Academy Foundation (NAF) requires each NAF Academy student to complete a paid, industry-related internship as part of his or her Certificate of Academy Studies core requirements.  This policy has been designed in keeping with the larger national school-to-career movement and recognizes that work site-based learning is integral to any system designed to deliver workforce preparedness education.

A NAF Academy internship is defined as a paid, supervised work experience in an Academy industry-related position.  The internship experience shall be a continuous position for a minimum of 120 hours.  Specific guidelines are as follows:

  • Students must complete their paid internship experience between the second semester of the junior year and the end of the first semester of the senior year; ideally during the summer before their senior year.  Special arrangements can be made with the approval of the Academy Director.
  • The internship is designed to be a continuous experience either as a six-to-eight week and/or forty-hour week experience or an equivalent part time experience during the school year equal to a minimum of 120 hours.
  • Paid Internships are a privilege to an Academy student and each individual must adhere to the hiring practices and expectations of the Employer.
  • Each Academy student must sign an Internship Contract with the Academy Director, which requires parental/guardian approval.
  • Paid internships can be obtained through self-placement by an Academy student with the approval of the Academy Director.
  • Students must be supervised by a full-time site-based Employer as well as through periodic visits by an Academy Internship Supervisor.
  • Supervising instructors are to make at least two visits to each student at his or her internship site during the course of each student’s internship and file a written report with the Academy Director.
  • Each student must meet eligibility requirements in order to be placed in a paid internship experience.  If a student is dismissed from an Employer or leaves without advanced notification to the Academy Director, he or she risks disciplinary action and possible removal from the Academy Program.
  • Final internship grades should be based upon the student’s internship report, completion of curriculum requirements (i.e., journal entries, culminating activities, PowerPoint presentation, etc.), the written evaluations provided by the Internship Supervisor and a written evaluation by the site-based Employer.
  • A student must successfully complete his or her internship in order to receive a Certificate of Academy Studies.

The Ideal Academy Internship Experience

  • Pays at least the minimum wage as set by the Federal Government
  • Provides the Intern with a Supervisor at the Business Site, who will guide and mentor the student through the work experience
  • Provide the intern with an Internship Supervisor, who will visit the student at the work site environment and assist with any problem that the student may encounter; offer support, guidance, assistance and serve as the liaison between the Employer and the school
  • Offers the intern opportunities to integrate work-based and school-based learning
  • Challenges the intern to think creatively and solve problems, make decisions and analyze interpersonal relationships
  • Provides the intern a team-building environment
  • Enhances the work experience with seminars and luncheon meetings
  • Utilizes students’ skills learned in the Academy specific courses, making it a contextualized experience
  • Provides real practical life-long skills
  • Extends the classroom learning into specific knowledge of the industry and its components
  • Lasts a minimum of 120 hours and can be six-to-eight weeks, 40-hour work weeks, or part-time through the school year

Benefits of the Academy Internship Experience

For the Academy Intern

  • Apply skills and information learned in the Academy curriculum
  • Foster good attendance, punctuality, and efficiency
  • Adhere to Business ethics and Business protocol
  • Utilize both technical and interpersonal skills
  • Utilize both oral and written communications skills
  • Use critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills
  • Build network of contacts for future opportunities
  • Discover a career path in an industry-related field of study
  • Become a team-player in an organization
  • Gain insight in resume writing and interviewing
  • Secure references for college applications

For the Academy Employer

  • Select from professional pool of students familiar with industry practices
  • Work with Academy Director, who facilitates problem resolution and acts as a liaison between Employer and Intern
  • Gain selective student interns, who are pre-screened for hiring practices
  • Create a pool of future employees and/or available source of temporary employees
  • Contribute to the public school education and to the creation of a motivated, educated workforce
  • Earn tax credit through a tax deductible stipend
  • Receive local as well as national recognition through local Academy and NAF publications