big picture for ❝ The me is to encourage other companies to hire the students for internships. It was a great experience for both the students and for us, the employer. I hope in the future I can inspire others to do the same and create internships.” – Laurence Verbeke Herbert, Le Pain Quotidien
93%
of Cooke students showed improvement in their
WORK READINESS ASSESSMENT SCORE after completing their internship
COOKE
COOKE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
like that we have so many options for ❝ Iinternships. I like working in food service mostly. I learned how to prep and use all the different utensils.” – Cooke student intern
Interested in hosting a Cooke intern? To learn more about the Cooke Center internship program and how to host an intern,please visit:
www.cookecenter.org/intern and fill out an Internship Inquiry Form or contact Kasey Kenny, Chair, Vocational Services kkenny@cookecenter.org or (212) 477-1297 x1120
COOKE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 60 MacDougal Street, New York, NY 10012 212.477.1297
cookecenter.org
Cooke Center for Learning and Development, a nonprofit provider of special education services in New York City offers our students internship opportunities as a required part of the curriculum for all students ages 14-21. Internships provide valuable working experience which will later enable Cooke students to navigate professional working environments and maintain their independence through employment. The Cooke curriculum prepares students for these internships by helping them to develop the adaptive and social skills that they need to confidently communicate and advocate for themselves within social and professional networks.
Cooke Center Internships
Get Involved
Host a Cooke Intern Companies and organizations can host a student as a volunteer or as a paid intern. Cooke provides a stipend to students who participate in the internship program, therefore there is no expense to a company that chooses to host a student as a volunteer. Cooke staff will partner with the organization to assess how a student can be best utilized by the host company and determine how their role will be structured. Internships typically run from October through June, once or twice per week, for 2 hour shifts and can be customized to accommodate the needs of the host company. Students are supported by a Cooke Center Job Coach while on the job. Periodic evaluation ensures that the partnership is beneficial for both the student and employer.
The Cooke Center Internship Program collaborates with private and public sector employers who offer our students internship opportunities. Corporations and organizations large and small have benefited from opening their doors to Cooke Center students. Students are partnered with sites that match their strengths
and interests and give them the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the organization. Cooke Center interns have proven to be valuable assets to corporations and organizations through the necessary services they are able to provide based on their individual skill sets.
Sample duties performed by interns include (but are not limited to): • Food preparation • Caring for animals • Filing/copying • Socializing with the elderly • Making event badges • Landscaping • Alphabetizing • Participating in construction projects • Preparing mailings • Archiving data/working with • Assisting in classrooms spreadsheets
Organizations Currently Participating in the Cooke Internship Program* Animal Haven Carnegie Hill Neighbors Circle of Confusion Comodo CVS Gallop Therapeutic Riding God’s Love We Deliver Hannah Senesh Community Day School Josephine Herrick Project Le Pain Quotidien Moody’s Investors Services New World Stages Novitex Enterprise Solutions School of Visual Arts NYU Steinhardt TJ Maxx * see entire list at http://www.cookecenter.org/intern
Make an Impact The Internship program, an integral part of a Cooke education, equips our students with transferable skills that will enable them to achieve greater personal responsibility and independence. As a result of our efforts:
87
Cooke alumni are % ofMEANINGFULLY
ENGAGED
in their communities.
53%
of Cooke alumni are
ACTIVELY EMPLOYED
versus a 17% national average for adults with special needs.
had the pleasure to work first hand with ❝ IthehaveCooke Students for the past couple of years. What started off as an opportunity to give back to the community has now become one of our favorite programs to work with. It is very fulfilling when a student requests to come back for another semester or you receive a card from the student saying that they were able to advance on to another role because of their time here at Moody’s.” – Robert J. Powers
Interships