PLACE Requirements for Students Taking the 50-hour Internship Course

PLACE students will be assessed by RHS staff and site mentors according to:

1. The formulation of goals aligned to the Vermont Transferable Skills
2. The completion of six journal entries.
3. Two evaluations by the Community Mentor, one at the midpoint and one at the end of the PLACEment. These evaluations will assess the student’s communication skills, problem-solving skills, self-direction, and workplace skills.
4. The completion and mailing of a handwritten thank-you note to the Community Mentor.
5. The completion of a service learning project* to give back to the organization. A product of this project (tangible evidence) must be shared with the PLACE Coordinator.

*Before completing a PLACEment, the student must design (in consultation with the PLACE coordinator and community mentor) a service learning project to give back to the organization or business in which he/she is placed.

Examples of service learning projects:

• Survey RHS students about usage of the flu vaccine and supply data to nurses.
• Create a student club to raise awareness about issues facing new neighbors from Syria and Iraq.
• Design a lesson plan to integrate movement into an elementary classroom.
• Communicate opportunities for employment in Rutland Valley to RHS students (using information from the Chamber of Commerce).
• Research environmental impact of non-recycling oil in automotive facility.
• Design slide show to train police officers on how to use new software for processing evidence.
• Organize a healthy community event to raise funds for a charity.

PLACE Students will...

• Take an active role in individualizing their PLACE experiences and articulating learning goals
• Link their experience to academic standards, classroom learning, and/or Vermont Transferable Skills
• Demonstrate how their experience develops the Vermont Transferable Skill of “Responsible and Involved Citizenship”
• Participate in ongoing reflection on and reporting on their experience
• Cooperate with community partners to achieve goals and develop leadership skills
• Share outcomes with the school and/or local community

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PLACE Community Mentors will...

• Agree to participate in pre-internship orientation
• Help to define, through collaborative effort with the student and the PLACE mentor, a “service” project to benefit the organization or community
• Provide necessary safety information to the student
• Communicate with PLACE school mentor according to a schedule developed cooperatively
• Provide an opportunity (structured in cooperation with the school) for students to extend learning beyond the classroom
• Provide support for the student as they progress in their role through frequent evaluations and check-ins with school mentor
• Provide critical and constructive feedback to the student and the PLACE program mentor at the conclusion of the program