Dear Internship Provider:

The Academy of Information Technology paid internship is perhaps the most memorable and critical component in the NAF Academy experience for high school students. It is also one of the most rewarding, as it is the opportunity for students to apply, in a real world setting, what they've learned in their Academy classes in the preceding years. The paid internship is an extension of the Academy classroom instruction and curriculum, further developed and challenged in a business environment, supervised by business leaders in a real-world setting, resulting in a broad, relevant, enriching educational experience for the student. Done correctly, paid internships provide the context in which a student's classroom learning is applied. Also, the student is also exposed to a broad array of soft, workplace skills: critical thinking, teamwork, decorum, ethics, creativity, time management, ingenuity, honesty, problem-solving, comportment, and a solid understanding of the importance of excellent written and oral communications skills. This combination of benefits provides a valuable foundation for any career the student chooses to pursue in the future.

One of the key ingredients to a successful internship is appropriate preparation of and by the employer. The employer supervisor should feel comfortable contacting the Academy Director at any time prior to, during, and after the internship, to discuss any detail of the internship experience or the intern. The key during the internship is making sure the intern is busy doing productive work. It's certainly alright for the student to "start at the bottom," but since the internship is supposed to be a learning experience, capitalizing on the student's prior classroom learning and training, the internship should also put the student in an environment where they are "pushed" to learn new things, and contribute to the organization's success, and their own. Therefore, attached is the Career Summer Internship Curriculum for review.

The successful internship cannot be finalized until certain post-internship activities are completed. An intern could be asked by the director and/or employer to complete a post-internship recap, such as a journal of their experiences, a report, or some other "capstone" project, which is submitted to both the Director and the employer supervisor. This post-internship activity should summarize the internship experience, and discuss the competencies, which the student has learned during the process.

Another important component to consider would be for the internship provider to consider promoting their involvement and the student’s achievements. Articles as well as pictures in the company's newsletter, news releases, and discussions at Chamber or Association meetings serve to spread the word about the company's involvement, thereby increasing the company's prestige in the eyes of the business community and general public. This positive publicity can also assist to facilitate other companies to get involved.

It is my goal for the student, employer and faculty member involved in the program to have a solid working relationship and a successful, positive experience. All students will meet on June 5 from 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon at Carencro High School in Room 2114. Soft skills, employability skills, and paperwork preparation will take place during this time. After a light lunch ending at 12:00 noon , all students will meet with their employers promptly at 1:00 p.m. for their orientation.

As a reminder, all students must possess a signed Intention to Employ Minors under 18 Form on file at their employer’s company before the student can work if under the age of 18. Those forms can be found online at http://www.laworks.net/Forms/er/MinorIntentionToEmployForm.pdf . Feel free to call me at 896-6675 school if you have any further questions.

It is with sincere appreciation I would like to thank you for supporting the Academy of Information Technology Internship Program .

Sincerely,

Ms. Kit Becnel, Director
Academy of Information Technology
Carencro High School
721 West Butcher Switch Road
Lafayette, LA  70507
AOIT Phone: 337 896-6675