Windsor Park internship program inspires students

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This article was published 29/06/2015 (3932 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

High schools today face some daunting challenges.

For most of the 20th century, students completed high school and  moved on to either post-secondary studies or stable workplaces with jobs that offered long-term security.

Now, though, yhe Internet of Things, global marketplaces and intelligent machines continue to disrupt life and work. Linear and stable career paths are not lthe norm and post-secondary education is no longer an absolute guarantee of meaningful work.

How do teachers prepare students for the sobering notion that many of the jobs of the future haven’t been invented yet?

The answer lies in Windsor Park Collegiate’s career internship program (CIP), a year-long high school enterprise that offers opportunities to build professional networks, entrepreneurial verve and 21st century skills.

Winner of numerous awards for innovative career programming in the past 20 years, CIP targets grades 11 and 12 learners who are either disengaged with conventional programming or who are just plain bored (some studies show that up to 45% of high school students are disengaged from classroom settings).

The program’s intensive self-exploration process has been instrumental in helping students discover their true callings.

Gode Katembo, a Grade 12 student, says the program helped him discover a passion for entrepreneurship.  

“I attended an entrepreneurship conference with a CIP teacher who encouraged me to talk to Alex Ethan, the co-founder of EPH Apparel. The next thing I know I’m interning with his company and figuring out that I love working in a small business.”

This year, 19 Grade 12 and 30 grade 11 students in the program connected to over 50 professionals through internships, volunteer experiences, jobs shadow experiences, workshops and team projects, while they completed a regular academic program to keep post-secondary options open.

Carrie Boyer, community liaison officer for the program attempts “to get to know all students in the program. We work together to search for experiences that match their skills, interests and aspirations.”

Shelby Hoffman, in Grade 12, explored her interest in pastry and baking by interning with Cake-ology in the Exchange District, something she never imagined she could do without the extra CIP guidance.

“CIP helped me become more courageous. I volunteered at amazing places and met new people that helped me see the world through other people’s eyes. I wanted to go out and try new things every day.”

Both students have been hired for the summer in workplaces that connect to their passions. They are excited for their futures – an important outcome for any learner.

To inquire about CIP as either a partner or a student, contact the school at 204-256-7316 or email carla.allan@lrsd.net. 

Adriano Magnifico is a community correspondent for St. Boniface. You can contact him at amagnif@mymts.net