Middle school internships increase academic engagement.
High school students are often encouraged to plan for a career and pursue job shadowing or internship opportunities with local companies. Now several organizations are rolling this process back a few years, aiming to reach middle schoolers before they become disengaged from their studies. Just like CEF, they’ve found that middle school is a great time to show students the relevance of their studies, and the excitement that future careers can hold.
Jason A. Cascarino, CEO of Spark, a nonprofit that partners with schools to match 7th and 8th grade students with professionals, explains: “We need to meet middle school kids where they are. They are going through the process of identity formation and finding their place in the world.”
