ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Hundreds of Allentown teens spent their summer earning money and picking up job skills that will help them after graduation.
This is the second summer that Allentown School District has offered a paid internship program to high school students, placing them in jobs throughout the district and the city.
Since the inception of the program last year, nearly 400 ASD students have been interns. As of mid-July, 240 students were working in the district or with local businesses and organizations.
The program is offered year round. Students can work 30 hours per week in the summer, and up to 10 hours each week during the school year. Students earn $15 an hour through their internships — some are paid by partner organizations and others by ASD.
"We were just trying to say that we wanted to make money, and then eventually we started saying, ‘That would be great to work for our schools.'"Theodore Solomon, ASD intern and rising senior at Building 21
Deb Accurso, former ASD director of college and career readiness, said the goal of the internship program is to “facilitate a continuum of career experiences that will help students effectively plan for those post-secondary opportunities.”
Accurso spoke with LehighValleyNews.com about the internship program in July before she resigned this month. Superintendent Carol Birks said the future of the district’s internship program will not be impacted by the resignation.
The program was created by Birks after teens on her student advisory council told her they wanted a way to earn money.
“We were just trying to say that we wanted to make money, and then eventually we started saying, ‘That would be great to work for our schools,’” said Theodore Solomon, a rising senior at Building 21. “It was just a great opportunity, we thought.”
Theodore, 17, has served as an intern for about a year, working in the communications department in ASD’s central administration.
Communications interns learned how to take photos at ASD events and how to use social media strategies when posting the photos online to promote the district. They also learned about event planning by shadowing ASD staff as they organized events, such as the annual convocation ceremony that welcomes educators back to school each August.
Kimberly Arias, a rising senior at Building 21, also interns in the communications department. Kimberly, 17, said she’s improved her public speaking and interpersonal skills through the internship. She’s also more interested in a career in communications, she said.
Before her internship, Kimberly had only worked in the fast food industry. ASD’s internship program allowed her to experience a change of pace, she said.
“This is definitely a lot more fun, a lot less stressful and just more engaging,” she said.
"This is definitely a lot more fun, a lot less stressful and just more engaging."Kimberly Arias, ASD communications intern and rising senior at Building 21
Kayla Lopez, a rising senior at Allen High School, interned at Roosevelt Elementary School this summer. She spent her mornings working with students in the school’s summer program. In the afternoons, she assisted with clerical work.
Kayla,17, said she enjoys working with younger students, and she’s been considering future careers that allow her to work with kids because of her internship experience.
“It’s the opportunity to be able to figure out what you want to do in life because [the internship] gives you the push and the motivation to actually do something, especially during the summertime, too,” she said.
Kayla has also enjoyed getting to know the other high school interns at Roosevelt, she said.
“I think it’s refreshing instead of sticking to your normal friend group, being able to meet new people and then understand how they are and what their personality is,” she said.
Some students have been interning at placements throughout the city, such as the Da Vinci Science Center.
Abdiel Paredes, a rising senior at Dieruff High School, was among the handful of teens placed at the science center this summer, helping with the museum’s summer camp for younger children.
“Overall, it’s a new experience. I’ve never worked in a science center before,” said Abdiel, 17. “I get to see kids interact, have fun.”
"Overall, it’s a new experience. I’ve never worked in a science center before. I get to see kids interact, have fun."Abdiel Paredes, ASD/Da Vinci Science Center intern and rising senior at Dieruff High School
These interns assisted with Da Vinci’s outreach programming at local schools. They also got to shadow different museum departments, such as the animal care team that looks after the animals on display.
Sarah Alexander, STEAM Career Pathways Coordinator at Da Vinci, said she tries to expose interns to as many museum departments as possible, giving them experiences to sharpen the skills they’ll need for whatever future employment they pursue.
“We’re developing the whole student, understanding that skills like teamwork and communication and collaboration — yes, they use in their internship,” she said, “but they’re going to use that no matter where they go.”
