What is Internship?
Four weeks. Real workplaces. Real experience.
From May 10–June 4, 2027 11th grade students step outside the classroom and into professional organizations connected to their interests. Students find and secure their own internship placements, gain hands-on experience, and learn how to build successful professional relationships.
What Will You Gain
See what it’s really like to work in a professional environment.
Develop practical and professional skills through hands-on experience.
Build experiences you can draw on for college applications, resumes, and future opportunities.
Build confidence, independence, communication skills, and a stronger sense of what interests you.
Internship Requirements
Minimum 30-35 hours a week
Workplace mentor with a college degree
Weekly Google Classroom updates with photos, work samples, and a written reflection of your learning experience
A project that contributes to your internship site
Two site visits from the supervising teacher
Internship Presentation of Learning (IPOL) on site if possible
Once you secure your internship, you fill out the 11th Grade Student Internship Commitment Form.
You will send your mentor the "Mentor Committment Form"
Electronically sign the handbook (this needs to be signed by first you, then your parent, and lastly by your mentor)
Internship preview site visit: TBD.
Submit weekly blogs, photos, timesheets, and other assignments on Google Classroom.
IPOL Day: June 4, 2027
Send a thank you email to your mentor!
Confirm internship details with your new intern in writing via email with the following information:
Name of the host organization
Mentor email address
Mentor phone number
Internship site address
You will receive an email asking you to sign the handbook electronically.
Confirm with your intern the date of site visit
Provide supervision, coaching, and guidance throughout the internship.
Support your intern in scheduling their final presentation to your organization (IPOL) to be held June 4, 2027
How many hours are required for Internship?
Internship is 30-35 hours per week which is approximately 6-7 hours per day.
Does my paid job count for Internship?
No. Your paid job does not count as Internship experience.
Will the school provide transportation?
No. Students are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from their internship site.
Can I do an internship with my family member?
Not with an immediate family member. A cousin, aunt, uncle, or other extended family member may serve as a mentor as long as they meet the internship mentor requirements.
What if I want to do my internship outside of San Diego?
Possibly! Talk with your internship advisor to discuss your plans and requirements.
Interview Day
Wednesday, February 24, 2027 from 9:00 am - Noon
This gives 11th grade students the opportunity to practice professional communication skills, gain real interview experience, and connect with potential internship mentors.
Help students connect with potential “right fit” mentors
Give students authentic interview experience
Build confidence and professional communication skills
Before Interview Day, students will:
Develop a résumé
Practice common interview questions
Participate in mock interviews with 12th graders who completed internships last year
Research the companies and organizations they may be interviewing with
For many students, this will be their first real interview, so they may be nervous, even after plenty of preparation!
We ask that you:
Welcome students and help them feel comfortable
Create an authentic, professional interview experience
Ask follow-up questions and encourage students to elaborate
Provide kind, specific, and helpful feedback
These expectations are shared with students too.
15-minute interview
Approximately 10 minutes for questions and conversation, followed by 5 minutes for feedback.
5-minute transition
A short break between interviews allows students to transition and gives you a moment to reset.
One-on-one interviews
Each interview will be between one student and one interviewer.
Student matching
We do our best to match students with interviewers in fields that align with their interests. The match won't always be perfect! If a student's interests align with your work, feel free to interview them as you might a potential intern. If not, simply adapt your questions to their interests and experiences.
NOTE: Schedules and matches may shift during the morning because of absences or other changes. Students are encouraged to research their interviewer and organization ahead of time, but last-minute schedule changes may mean they haven't had that opportunity.
Resources
If you're not sure what kinds of questions you might ask, here's a great list that students have also been using to prepare.
Sample job descriptions for interns in various industries. Feel free to approach this interview as if you're hiring for one of these positions if that's helpful! I'll continue adding to this list over the
Students have prepared using this list of interview questions, mostly focused on the “Basic interview questions” and “Behavioral interview questions” sections. The specific wording of the questions is less important than making sure the student has the opportunity to discuss the following kinds of things (the more prompting for elaboration you can do, the better - follow up questions are gold!):
A “tell me about yourself” question
Strengths and interests
Weaknesses/areas of growth
Relevant experience to your industry OR the industry of their interest (this might be a productive route, particularly if you’re mock interviewing)
What their working style is, how they best receive feedback, and what kinds of environments they thrive in
Times they’ve encountered conflict in a professional (or school) setting and how they handled it
How they learn best
Leadership opportunities/experiences
Their favorite project and what they learned from it
Questions they have
Make sure you have time (5 min) for (kind, specific, helpful) feedback!
