Career Development Programs and Internships for Students
Art Institute of Portland's Senior Saturdays give high school students a chance to experience what life is like for a day as a design student at The Art Institute of Portland. All workshops are on designated Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm throughout the school year. Currently (2008-2009) there is a $10 supply fee. Students must RSVP two weeks prior to any workshop. For information about the current workshops scheduled and registration, call 503.382.4804. Art Institute of Portland, 1122 NW Davis St., Portland Or 97209. (NW Portland)
CHOC Note: We've heard negative feedback about the Art Institute's actual art program--very expensive, very liberal values, and did not follow through on promises to students--we don't know how that affects these Senior Saturdays as these are a School to Work Outreach program done in conjunction with the local public schools, but caution is warranted.
Business Education Compact is an organization that matches junior and senior high school students and college students to internships in various industries (including Intel). Application is made through BEC; appropriate applicants are forwarded to businesses for consideration. Students are kept in the BEC pool for 6 months if no current matches are found. Internships cover a broad range of fields within industry from marketing, to business administration, to science and technology. Many companies use BEC for their internship processing. (Various company locations)
Boeing Manufacturing Tech Prep Internship Program Our "Tech Prep" program -- a school-to-work effort -- allows high school students to learn manufacturing skills through paid internships while earning college credits. Currently available in Portland, Oregon, Wichita, Kansas, and the Puget Sound area in Washington, this program combines a high school and community college competency-based curriculum (in applied academics and vocational-technical courses) and leads to an associate degree in manufacturing technology. Boeing hired more than 100 students from the program since 1996. For the Portland area program, contact Joint Programs/Tech Prep, P.O.Box 20487 MC 5P-50, Portland, OR 97294-0487. Contact the program in January for the current year's deadline (which is usually early April for applications.) This program is a 4 to 6 week internship over three consecutive summers. Students must be a minimum of 16 years of age, usually a junior in high school although occasionally sophomores have been accepted in the program. (NE Portland)
Evergreen Aviation Museum Discovery Ambassador This program for ages 12-18 allows youth to develop their communication and presentation skills while earning resume building experience in a safe and enjoyable environment. By becoming a member of our team, you will get to do exciting hands-on demonstrations for museum visitors. Located throughout the museum are Discovery Carts that contain fun and educational materials such as a wind tunnel and unique historical memorabilia. Using these supplies, you will present and explain concepts such as aerodynamics, aerospace science, and forces in motion, while also highlighting space program spinoffs and bringing the tales of historical figures to life. For more information or to get involved contact our Program Coordinator Molly Jones at 503.434.4469 (McMinnville)
High Tech U This program is focused at sophomore and junior level high school students, but any interested teen is encouraged to apply. It is provided by Semi Foundation, an international non-profit organization which promotes the development of the engineering industry worldwide. The High Tech U curriculum provides a 3 day workshop which includes highly interactive, fun experiments that introduce students to semiconductor manufacturing concepts and explain microchip logic. A primary goal is to provide positive exposure to math, science and technology modules that students might otherwise feel unprepared to explore. The program also delivers sessions on educational pathways and career planning in the technology industry. Different area businesses sponsor each year. Volunteers from the sponsors teach at the workshops. Generally one workshop per year is provided in the Portland metro area. Homeschoolers are welcome and encouraged to apply. For more information about High Tech U, workshop application, and current workshop schedules, go to the High Tech U page on the Semi Foundation website. (Various locations chosen annually)
OHSU Disability and Development Summer Youth Program The Oregon Institute on Disability & Development Summer Youth Program (an extension of Oregon Health & Sciences University) provides a unique opportunity for high school and undergraduate students interested in pursuing healthcare-related careers. Each year the number of students selected for the program varies between 6-10 students. Students selected for the OIDD Summer Youth Program receive engaging and meaningful experiences; students become exposed to many career opportunities available to them. The opportunities to shadow faculty and staff in the following discipline are available: Assistive Technology, Audiology, Communication (Web/Universal Design) Dentistry, Developmental Pediatrics, Epidemiology, Family Consulting, Genetics, Health Administrations, Nursing, Nutrition, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Public Health, Social Work, Special Education and Speech-Language Pathology. The Child Development and Rehabilitation Center's clinics are located in Doernbecher Children's Hospital. Applications are taken generally from February through March for the summer program. For more information, please call 503-494-8364 or visit their website. (SW Portland)
OMSI Rising Stars.Volunteer Program OMSI offers two training options for youth volunteers (ages 14-18): Rising Stars sessions during the summer - and during the school year. Both options feature plenty of interaction with visitors, hands-on science, and ongoing support for a stimulating and rewarding volunteer experience. As a volunteer at OMSI, you'll gain valuable workplace experience while you fulfill school community service requirements, add to your resume, and learn leadership skills. And you can even stay on at OMSI as a regular volunteer after you finish Rising Stars! Go to the Volunteer section on their website for application and deadlines for the current Rising Star sessions of fall/spring/summer.
(Eastside Portland)
NEW! Oregon College of Arts and Crafts Pre-College Teen Workshops for teens ages 14-18 are designed to provide high school students an in depth study of many areas in fine art and craft. OCAC is the only college west of the Mississippi that offers a BFA in crafts and is a center of education, creative expression, and mastery of modern crafts for both children and adults. Secular. Please see their website for the current schedule of workshop offerings. (West Hills Portland)
Oregon ZooTeens ZooTeens (entering 9th-12th grade) spend the summer sharing the amazing things they learn about animals with zoo visitors. They also get to help with the care and feeding of the animals they work with, such as goats, rabbits, and chickens. ZooTeen Applications are accepted Jan. 7 - March 1. Internships and job shadows at the Family Farm exhibit offer an experience in career exploration for teens in the 9th-12th grades. These volunteers care for animals and interact with zoo visitors from September through May. For more information about these programs, visit the Oregon Zoo's website, at Volunteers. (West Portland)
Philip Foster Farm provides volunteer opportunities for teens as well as adults. Positions provide historical re-enactment apprenticeships, tour guides, and event helpers, grounds keeping, and more. See volunteer information for a complete list. Contact them for eligibility, historical clothing requirements, and availability. Letters of reference are given for some positions for future schools and employers. (East Metro--Eagle Creek/Estacada)
Providence Health & Services School Outreach Program provides FREE health career exploration events for junior and senior high school students throughout the school year. Pre-registration is required (registration forms and event schedules are located on their website, linked in title above) and space is limited, so register early. Any student from Oregon or Washington can participate in these School Outreach events whether they are in public, private or home schooled. Career Fairs offer high schoolers a general overview of many health care careers and are designed for the student with an interest in health care careers but not a specific goal in mind. Career Highlights offer the junior or senior high school student a three-hour mini-course focused on a specific health care career area and are designed for the student that has identified a specific area of interest (a number of them employ active lab work). Go to the website for full information about these events as well as several others which require special arrangements, such as Surgical Viewings where students view an actual surgery in real time and can ask questions of the surgeon throughout the surgery. This event is restricted to those high school students enrolled in an advance placement science course or a health occupation class and arranged by teacher--contact the Program for handling of a homeschool student. (Various Locations)
Saturday Academy Apprenticeship in Science and Engineering. Many companies choose ASE for their internship application program. The ASE Program matches high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors with scientists and engineers for an 8-week summer apprenticeship in a professional, scientific or engineering environment through local sponsoring companies. Preliminary program application occurs in January, specific internship application occurs by the beginning of March. Company review, interview, and selection of candidates occurs from March through April. Applicants are notified by May of their summer internship. Please see Saturday Academy's site for a list of current corporate internship partners and complete internship information, application, and deadlines. (Various Locations)