Partners in Education Summer Internship Program

Attention Class of 2025!

Summer Internship program information will be sent to qualifying students via Parent Square/Student Square in early October. All interested students are strongly encouraged to attend the Student Information Meeting at their school (information about the meetings will be communicated via Parent Square/Student Square). We will share important information about the program and the application/interview process. The application opens up during the Student Information Meeting process. There is not an option to apply early.

Plan to attend the student information meeting at your school during AcLab:

EHS: October 23, 2023 in the theater

RSHS: October 25, 2023 in the library

LHS: November 1, 2023 in room 180

MHS: November 6, 2023 in the theater

Program Overview

The Partners in Education Summer Internship program is a unique, unpaid summer internship opportunity that places students in a career area of their interest. The program is offered to qualified Rockwood juniors in the summer leading into their senior year of high school.

The internship provides students with career exploration opportunities while allowing them to gain practical, real-world experience in a field of interest.

Students are partnered with a business professional in the student's area of interest. Students then complete a custom-designed project developed by the Internship Program Manager with input from the business partner. The project design is written to benefit both the student and the business partner.

Successful students receive 1/2 of a CTE credit after documenting a minimum of 75 hours on their projects. The program includes student observation, research, meetings and interviews at the business site. The project culminates in a presentation by the students to the business team and Rockwood staff.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you look for in a candidate for an internship?

There are many aspects considered when accepting students for a summer internship. As we’ll discuss in our Student Information Meetings, we look for students who have a foundation of relevant coursework, extracurriculars, and outside interests that supports their career choice. We also look for students who are motivated to learn, take initiative, and possess the diligence to see their tasks through to completion with little supervision. The student's ability to articulate all of this through their application, personal statement, and interview are pivotal.
What career areas are offered by the PIE Internship program?

Our Program Managers are skilled at finding appropriate placements aligned to the student's area of interest. We have placed students in dozens of career fields, including the arts, law, music, engineering, computer science, journalism, marketing/PR, and even archaeology. The more clearly a student is able to articulate their interests through the application process and interview, the better our program managers will be able to serve them.
When would I need to have my summer schedule available?

Your availability is an important consideration before being matched for an internship.

Most important, perhaps, is for us to understand where the internship falls in priority with your other commitments. Certainly, most families will take vacations, and you’ll have another week or two where you may visit colleges, get a part-time job, participate in sports conditioning, attend university workshops, etc. The more flexible you can be, the easier it is to find a business partner for you. Communicate with your supervisor/coach/parents about your intentions to participate in an internship this summer and it will be easier to navigate as we begin scheduling.
Who do I call if I’m having trouble with my application?
What if I decide that I no longer want to participate after I have applied? Or after I’ve interviewed?

Students are accepted into the program once:

1) a completed application has been received

2) the student has been interviewed; and

3) has received an Acceptance Letter.

At any time, should a student determine that an internship through our program is not a good fit for any reason, please notify either Mrs. Baker or Mrs. Lehman via email or phone. We will document your application file accordingly and will remove you from consideration.

Intern Stories

Rockwood Student Earns Hands-On Aerospace Engineering Experience Through PIE Summer Internship

Research Report Highlights Lafayette Student's Internship Experience

PIE Intern Gains Experience with Public Defender

Rockwood PIE Intern Gains City Planning Experience

Are you Interested in Hosting an Intern?

Hosting a summer intern is a great opportunity for businesses and organizations to give back to their community by helping prepare students for future career paths. Here's what we ask of our business partners:

Collaborate with the Internship Program Manager to outline student activities.

Provide interns with an on-site orientation and experience overview.

Act as a mentor, resource, and advisor for the intern(s).

Attend the intern's end-of-summer presentation

Enjoy the experience!

Click Here to Apply to Become a Business Partner!