Intern/Mentor at Mt. Hebron High School - Information for Parents/Guardians
The goals of the Intern/Mentor course are two-fold - (1) teach students about the research process; (2) connect students with professionals in the field of interest. Professional experiences can take on many forms - students may be on site with a mentor; they may meet with mentors virtually (many mentors now work in fully remote environments); or, they may have an evolving experience over the course of the year. As always, Intern/Mentor will continue to provide our students with a plethora of valuable skills including networking with professionals, exploring scholarly research, and presenting to a variety of audiences.
How is a mentor located?
Locating an internship is a partnership between the GT resource teacher and the student. The GT Teacher counsels students on writing a professional email to request an internship, developing a resume and personal statement, and contact information for past mentors/internships as well as brainstorming new possibilities. Students then engage in outreach, regularly updating the teacher on their progress. Upon acceptance into the program, students were provided with specific materials related to finding an internship, an email template to use when communicating with professionals, and potential mentor contacts; then were asked to craft letters of interest, update their resumes, and reach out. Students who are invested in finding an internship have more positive and successful experiences in the course. Students do not have to have an internship at the start of the school year. The work of securing an internship will continue until every student is placed.
Students were provided with a variety of materials in March and we’ve worked together ever since on locating mentors. I have several contacts from past years, and will work to connect current students with professionals who have worked with us before. However, students who have connections with professionals are asked to share those during the application process and beyond. Students are encouraged to talk to family, friends, neighbors, etc. who might work in the field of interest. I cannot guarantee that your child will have a direct match with what is on the application. It is always the goal, but not always possible. Students need to be flexible.
The teacher is charged with assisting the student in identifying one appropriate mentor to match the student’s interests, aptitudes and abilities. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into placing students. If a student or parent is unhappy with the placement offered, they have two options: (1) locate a different internship on their own, (2) switch to Independent Research.
Students interested in places like hospitals, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, and other large sites will be provided with additional application materials when they are available.
It is important for parents to be realistic about internship opportunities and locations. Many professionals in our local area serve as mentors, but students interested in specific science research opportunities and clinical medicine internships should be prepared to drive to places such as Baltimore City or College Park. It is unrealistic to assume all students will be placed in Ellicott City or Columbia. The student should never assume they can attend their internship in the evenings or on weekends; this is sometimes an available option, but is never a guarantee.
Internships can be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid of the two. Students enrolled for one-credit must spend 4-5 hours each week engaged in internship work; students in two-credits will spend 8-10 hours per week. Students with on-site internships should be aware of the following:
The student is responsible for providing transportation to and from the internship site. Transportation may be provided by the student or a parent/guardian. Students who have no transportation available should focus on virtual internships.
If a student cannot be placed in-person and no virtual internship can be found, the student may transfer into Independent Research or withdraw from the course.
How is Intern/Mentor scheduled?
Intern/Mentor is ideally scheduled as a student's last course of the day in the building. For students with a full schedule at Mt. Hebron, this would be their 6th period class, meaning that every day, during 6th period, students are released from school for their internships. Because the class length is 50 minutes, this means students should spend roughly 4-5 hours each week at their internship (or working virtually). Students generally do not go every day - they might go twice each week for 2-3 hour blocks of time. On the days they do not attend, they should leave the building. If they wish to stay, they must stay with me or get permission from another adult to stay with them. The time at the internship is equivalent to time spent "in class" for other traditional classes.
Students who are enrolled for 2 credits will take the course during 5th and 6th periods and will be expected to spend 8-10 hours on site each week. They will be released from school at the start of 5th period.
Many students enroll at HCC for Jumpstart and have release time at the end of the day. Intern/Mentor can also be scheduled during 4th period to accommodate students who need to be released early.
Is there coursework in addition to the internship?
This is a research course, so in addition to the internship time, students also do a great deal of reading and writing, and have regular assignments that help them develop their research idea, paper, and project. You might think of this as the equivalent of "homework time" in other traditional classes. To help you understand this piece, imagine that your child is interning with a lawyer. While at the internship s/he shadows the lawyer in the office, helps with office routines, talks with professionals, sits in on meetings, goes to court, etc. His/her research might be something that sparks his/her interest (even if s/he doesn't see it regularly at the office) - for example, how law is keeping up with internet security and privacy. S/He would do assignments all year on this topic and ultimately write a research paper exploring it, collect data, and put together a final product to share their information and experience.
What if my child is an athlete, or involved in other after-school activities?
Some students (particularly those with sports in the afternoon) consider taking the course for 2 credits. Because they are released from school at 12:30, some spend 2 hours at the internship every day, and are still be back at school by 3pm for practices. This, of course, requires availability in the schedule for 2 credits, and can be a tough choice for students who already have 6 other courses in mind.
If we are able to locate a placement before the summer, interns may begin accumulating hours in the summer and count a portion of those hours for their required time during the school year. Students may also accumulate more than the required hours during any marking period so that when they are in a sports season, they can cut back their hours.
I want to be clear, however, that students are required to attend their internship all year, as missing it during a particular month or sports season is the equivalent of skipping class for that same period. It is an academic class with a grade, and curricular events outside the school day take priority over extracurricular events (HCPSS Policy 8090).
Your child will generate a schedule with the mentor that works for their mutual schedules. The mentor may also allow the student to do internship work from home from time-to-time, which is acceptable.
What is the workload?
The workload is very manageable if the student develops strong time management skills. During the first half of the year, there are small assignments due weekly, and large assignments due roughly every three weeks. During the second half of the year, the weekly assignments diminish, and students begin writing their papers and collecting data. There is little direct instruction since students do not come to class. I correspond regularly with students by email/Canvas for reminders, meet with them quarterly for one-on-one conferences, and pull the whole group together monthly for lessons/seminars. This is how they receive instruction and directions.
How is my child graded?
Interns are graded largely based on their research assignments, but I also consider their hours on site and feedback from their mentor each quarter.
One of the most important aspects of this course is that it requires a great deal of independence from your child. I welcome your questions, but please also encourage your child to advocate for him/herself, just as they would in the professional workplace or on a college campus. They have been given an incredible opportunity and will get more out of it if they take greater responsibility and initiative.
Dr. Melissa Kiehl
Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher