Internships: Professional Learning Experiences with Purpose

BY VANESSA WADE, ACADEMIC DIRECTOR

The World Economic Forum has estimated that “by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labour between humans and machines” (Whiting, 2020).

The unprecedented rate at which the labour market continues to transform is causing most educational institutions, Kindergarten to post-secondary, to carefully examine their programming design. Why? Collectively, our work prepares students to thrive in life. As part of that preparation, it is important that HTS continues to engage in research cycles to analyze and identify the most relevant skills and competencies that our students require. In addition, one of the most powerful ways students learn is by actually doing the work they are most passionate about. Being able to participate in the workforce, prior to entering it, can enrich students’ understanding of potential career paths; it can also provide them with opportunities to do authentic work for employers, thereby building their professional skills.

As the Board of Governors and the senior leadership team embarked on their strategic planning process, one of the areas explored was the future of work and microcredentialing. A strong recommendation that emerged was to provide students with opportunities for internships. As a result, the Board of Governors formed an advisory committee composed of parents, alumni, HTS staff and professional guests who worked in organizations that had internship programs in both traditional and non-traditional professional fields. Some key recommendations from the committee were as follows:

HTS COMPETENCIES FOR LIFE: CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVITY, CHARACTER, COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, CITIZENSHIP

Students should have experiences that cultivate: The program we develop must be available to all students in the Senior School and provide them with:

• Dealing with failure or setbacks • Collaboration • Resilience and adaptability • Global awareness • Independence • Taking risks • Accountability to a community outside of HTS • Opportunities to make an impact • Interests and passions • A professional mentor • Cycles for feedback • A flexible environment • Reflection • Individual or group projects • Industry experts (guest teachers) • Practical and hands-on skills

In September 2019, HTS piloted a student internship program called The Hive. Unlike other co-operative education courses or placements where students are individually assigned to intern at an organization, The Hive provided students with the opportunity to work individually and as a team on projects for an employer.

The team approach to the internship program is how the name “The Hive” came to be – to create an innovative ecosystem that would simulate a real work environment within a school. The first company to sign on as a partnered employer was STEM Minds, located in Aurora, Ontario. STEM Minds is a Certified B Corporation focused on STEM education to empower K–12 youth to become fearless learners through online and in-person programs. Owner Anu Bidani was crucial in helping to develop The Hive, as she believes strongly in giving students meaningful experiences at a young age. “The real-world projects that students worked on in The Hive gave the students a sense of purpose and passion,” Bidani says. The experience also allows students to learn what to expect in a particular field of work.

One of our current “Hive” students would concur with that statement. Adam Jin ’22 joined because of his interest in both business and coding. He had taken a coding course in the summer, which encouraged him to consider the field as a possible career path, but he admits to being very much a beginner in his craft when he first started. Since joining the internship program and as a result of working with two other students on rebranding a website for a charitable organization, Adam feels that he has learned so much more about all aspects of the industry. He says working with his mentors, another important aspect of The Hive program that sets it apart from other placements, has also contributed to his success so far. The Hive mentors work with our students throughout their internship journey, from preparation to finished product, teaching them new skills and techniques that will enhance not only their technological knowledge but also their ability to create a project plan. Adam credits his mentors, who are HTS teachers, alumni and industry professionals, with putting him “on the right track.”

Within each internship group, which are primarily techbased projects at this time, students have assigned roles. From developer, to graphic designer, to project manager, the students meet each week to plan, create and iterate. In every role, they develop their technical abilities and hone their communication, teamwork, presentation and research skills. In the two years of The Hive being in action, our students have worked on developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) games, they have designed products using 3D printers and they have taken on rebranding a company’s website. In all cases, the growth of the students’ skills in so many areas of career development has been remarkable to watch. They make mistakes and learn from them; they celebrate successes. It truly is what learning is all about.

HTS Parent and Governor, Michelle Risi, helped students prepare for the internship experience. Vanessa Wade, Academic Director, Deborah Ojo, Grade 11, and Constantine Pallas, Grade 12, in a co-construction exercise to develop the success criteria for an internship experience.

As we look to the future, we want every Senior School student at HTS to graduate with an opportunity to experience an internship in a field they are curious about. The attributes of the HTS Graduate Profile identify that we, as a community, are dedicated to developing graduates who are impactful, intellectually agile, problem solvers and citizens of character. Internship programs are an integral part of cultivating these attributes. The professional skills our students develop working on projects for employers and being mentored by experts in the field are transferable across both their academic and professional lives.

According to the World Economic Forum, the top skills employers believe will be in greatest demand include critical thinking, problem solving, self-management, active learning, resilience and flexibility, just to name a few. HTS is committed to building a dynamic and rich internship program, as we partner with global organizations like the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS). We continue to expand our vision, program offering and corporate partnerships so that students can walk into their post-secondary environment and future confidently, having had the opportunity to cultivate these skills in powerful, authentic and meaningful ways.

CAPS programs are nationally recognized, innovative high school programs. CAPS is an example of how business, community and public education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences that educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high-skill, high-demand jobs.

Whiting, Kate. “These Are the Top 10 Job Skills of Tomorrow – and How Long It Takes to Learn Them,” October 21, 2020. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/

Greg Rose

Head of Senior School In what ways has this global pandemic accelerated the transformation of education in your area?

We have put a focus on developing student agency over the last few years and this strategic goal was accelerated on account of the pandemic. It has been incredible to see how our students in the Senior School have stepped up to lead clubs, Wellness Wednesday activities and other co-curriculars. Since we have been back in the building, this student trend has continued. Our students are taking on the initiative to schedule meetings during times that work best for them, are self-managing their workload and due dates, and are advocating for initiatives they want to see happen at HTS. We have noticed that both students on campus and those learning remotely are finding and creating new ways and spaces to be involved with both academic and student life.

Elicia Pavan ’11

Science Faculty In what ways did your HTS experience transform you?

It is the intentional opportunities that allow the students of HTS to flourish. During my time as a student, these opportunities enabled me to explore different sides of myself: the scientist, the leader, the artist, the athlete, the community builder. I was immersed in a culture that inspired me to expand my horizons without judgment or fear, instilling integrity, kindness and courage.