The Maryland Chamber Foundation’s Teacher Externship Program is a four-week summer program that builds bridges between businesses and educators by pairing high school teachers with top Maryland businesses who provide hands-on experience in industries related to the subjects they teach. Maryland teachers then bring this knowledge back to the classroom, where they can empower their students with the essential information and skills they need to begin down a lucrative career path.

Teacher externs receive a stipend from the Maryland Chamber Foundation for their work, and gain invaluable experiences and perspectives that they can share with their students—through field trips, enhanced lesson plans, and exciting classroom activities—when they return to the classroom in the fall. Teachers also have the opportunity to earn up to 4 continuing development credits through MSDE, if they create a lesson plan post-externship and report back on results.

Mr. Jose Torres, CTE Instructor at Reach! Partnership School was one of 23 teachers to take part in the Summer 2023 externship program! The industry and technical knowledge teachers gain allow them to enhance their curriculum and educate their students on both the hard and soft skills required to enter the workforce and obtain a livable-wage career. A wide variety of industries are represented including life-sciences, construction & design, electrical & mechanical contracting, energy & utilities, engineering, and healthcare.

Applications to take part in the 2024 Maryland Chamber Foundation’s Teacher Externship program opens soons. This is a great opportunity for industry partners and educators alike. 

#MarylandChamberofCommerce 

The Maryland Business Roundatable hosted its “Future of Flavor” event on October 2nd at the McCormick’s Headquarters in Hunt Valley, MD. “Future of Flavor” included a tour and hands-on activities with the experts at McCormick for students from all across Maryland, but especially City Schools students from Coppin Academy, Edmondson, and Benjamin Franklin High Schools. 

MBRT (The Maryland Business Roundtable) partners with City Schools middle and high schools each year to provide career planning tools (Way to Be Magazine), resume and mock interview workshops, guest speaker series, and more.

#MarylandBusinessRoundtable 

Watch the full story here.

City Schools' Operations Office is the first department in City Schools to adopt youth apprenticeship into its hiring strategy. This summer, six youth apprentices from Edmondson and Mervo high schools began their paid on-the-job hours with the Operations team. Four youth apprentices continue their paid experience this school year as they prepare for graduation.

Anthony Pena, Dawn Asbury, and Tasha Merritte are pioneers in making this happen for their department and we can not thank them enough for their partnership in expanding youth apprenticeship opportunities for City Schools' juniors and seniors.

City Schools' Office of Information Technology is poised to hire their first seven youth apprentices this spring!!

Are you in search of fresh new talent solutions? Learn more about youth apprenticeship by emailing aakintilo@bcps.k12.md.us, and help City Schools reach its first milestone goal of 100 apprenticeships by the 2024-2025 school year. 

#YouthApprenticeships 

In the summer of 2023 two dozen students in grades 5 through 7 participated in the Middle School Career Exploration Experience hosted by the Office of Career Readiness, Baltimore City Community College and the Yleana Leadership Experience.

This 5 week experience gave students an opportunity to explore the pathways of Business, Digital Media and Health Career. To supplement their project based experience, students had opportunity to develop transferrable skills through an integration of English and College and Career Readiness courses. Weekly students visit college campuses around Baltimore as well as participated in lab experiences within their pathways.