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While we expect LEAs to strive to provide paid internship opportunities for all students, Innovation Career Pathway designees are not required to offer paid internships to students.
A number of designees have endeavored to set up high-quality virtual capstones or internship experiences. We have developed materials that are specifically supportive of remote work-based learning in the library of resources. Questions about specific internship and capstone structures should be asked on an individual basis.
Yes. Students can and should get credit toward graduation for summer internship experiences, provided they happen in the summer before senior year. Student participation in the 100 hour career immersion Internship or Capstone experience must be documented as a course with a local SIMS course code. Each secondary institution can make their own decisions around offering summer courses, and should then follow DESE procedure and work with district data staff for documenting course-coded summer courses.
A well-developed rubric will support students’ development of a high quality end product; successful products will be determined to meet or exceed minimums defined by the school and communicated clearly on the rubric. Currently, individual schools develop their rubrics, though DESE may issue some templates for this in the future. More information on rubrics in particular may be found in the library of resources.
If you are using grant funds to cover the costs of supplies, you cannot charge employers. Both of these questions pertain to the terms of the program’s relationship with the employer(s). You should discuss and establish early on who will be covering which expenses for the program(s) in question, how any profits made from student work products are handled, and whether and how students will be paid.
Yes, students involved in Innovation Career Pathways programs must receive credit for their work-based learning experiences, inclusive of 100 hour internships and/or capstones. While DESE does not prescribe which experiences “count” for which types of credit, we recommend that, where possible, students earn academic course credit for work-based learning, rather than elective course credit. For example, a student who completes an internship with a biomedical company may be eligible for a science credit. Ultimately, course credit determinations are the responsibility of the local school and/or district.
Capstones are culminating experiences that demonstrate the story of a student’s learning and development through the lens of their passions and goals. They are extended and structured learning processes; students have autonomy in developing their product or experience in collaboration with educators, advisors, and mentors, in alignment with learning goals. In Innovation Career Pathways, capstones with the following characteristics may be developed to meet the 100-hour career immersion experience in lieu of an internship:
More information on Capstone Projects may be found in the library of resources.
© 2024 Massachusetts Innovation Career Pathways. All rights reserved. Web Design by Tomo360