Vermont Commons School Launches Senior Internship Program

Mark Cline Lucey (Credit: Vermont Commons School)

“We talk about the community being our classroom, and this is a powerful next step for us toward making sure all our students are learning from the amazing people and opportunities in our area of Vermont,” says Mark Cline Lucey, Social Studies Department Chair and Program Coordinator of Vermont Commons School’s new Senior Internship Program beginning in August 2015.

As a capstone to the community-based education of the Vermont Commons School Research & Service Program, seniors will engage in internships with local businesses, organizations, and professionals working in a broad array of fields. The Research & Service experience teaches students that with knowledge comes the responsibility to take an active role in improving their communities. The Senior Internship Program is designed to allow each of our students to pursue one of his or her passions in a deep, meaningful, and challenging way over a long period of time and also do work that both contributes to society and allows each student to develop personally and uniquely.

After a three-week course orienting seniors both to the expectations and habits of the professional world including skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and job etiquette, the students will then intern for three school-hours per week throughout the first semester. The Program Coordinator will both assist students in establishing these internships for themselves and visit and oversee the ongoing internships over the course of the semester in order to assure their quality, as well as the accountability of the student.

Mark adds, “This internship program is key to our mission of moving our students out of the classroom and into the world. This is also a great way for our seniors to explore their own interests and possible paths of work and study. It’s a transition to their lives beyond Vermont Commons!”

Should you have any questions, comments or ideas regarding this new and innovative program, please contact Mark Cline-Lucey at mark@vermontcommons.org.