Pascack Valley highlights internship program as launch pad to careers; board asked to address transportation and scheduling limits

The Pascack Valley Regional High School District on Jan. 27 outlined its long-running internship program and asked the board to help remove barriers that limit student participation.

The internship team told the board the program gives juniors and seniors half-day, semester-long placements with local employers to build technical and professional skills, test careers and develop networks that often lead to summer or post-graduation work.

“We call it a hand up, not a handout,” said Laura McSpirit, the district’s internship coordinator, describing a process that begins with an application, resume and interview and that places students with more than 250 business partners. “Most of our students retain their positions over the summer because mentors see their value.”

Nut graf: District staff, mentors and students said the program — now in its 15th year — provides real-world experience, networking and college-application advantages, but limits such as transportation and scheduling reduce access for some students. Staff asked the board and its committees to consider policy or logistical support to broaden participation.

Program details and impact Staff described two scheduling tracks: morning and afternoon internships. Morning placements are common for trade and healthcare sites that begin early; afternoon placements accommodate after-school activities. Staff said internships run across the school year (about nine and a half months in scope as described in the meeting) and carry academic credit: students receive semester grades and mentor evaluations three times a year.

“Students are graded on communication and time sheets; mentors complete ratings that become part of the semester grade,” said Christine Haller, the district’s internship administrator.

The team said the program served as many as 200 students this year and maintains a network of roughly 250 partner businesses and mentors. Staff called the program a “launch pad” for many students who later obtain college internships or employment based on relationships formed in high school.

Mentor and student perspectives Irene Mata, a business owner and six-year mentor, said mentors give interns meaningful tasks, add LinkedIn contacts and sometimes hire them for paid work after graduation. “Most of the time they are not on LinkedIn at all — I have them download it, connect with my team, and you see the transformation,” Mata said.

Two student speakers described hands-on experience. Nick Najarian, a senior placed with Dr. Goldstein, said his medical internship reaffirmed his plan to study nursing and gave him networking access to hospital leaders. “Being 18 and meeting the CEO of Pascack Valley Medical Center — that helps me no matter what I do,” Najarian said. Eli, a Hills senior placed at the hospital, said after shadowing doctors and nurses he had a clearer sense which medical roles suited him.

Policy and access issues Board members asked about curriculum, credit, and how internships affect GPA; staff said internships appear on transcripts as semester grades and are visible to colleges. The team said it deliberately avoids creating a single “internship course” so placements remain flexible and responsive to employer practices.

Transportation was raised repeatedly as a barrier. “You must have your own transportation,” Laura McSpirit said. Staff asked the board to explore solutions — for example, whether school vans or other district resources could be used to help students who lack personal transportation reach internship sites.

Scheduling conflicts and physical-education credit were also discussed. Staff noted that some districts give physical-education credit for extracurricular commitments under an “option 2” model; past district discussions declined broad adoption. Several board members asked staff to bring schedule and credit models to a post-secondary education committee for follow-up.

Closing and next steps Joe Orlak, the district’s supervisor of social studies, business and internships, asked the board to help reduce stigma around trades and to support outreach that encourages students to consider a wide range of careers. Staff said they would provide additional data requested by board members — including participation breakdowns by pathway — and meet with the board’s newly reconstituted post-secondary education committee to explore transportation and credit solutions.

Ending: Board members praised the program’s growth and asked staff to return with participation data and options to expand access. The presentation closed with a request that the board and committees collaborate on transportation and scheduling to broaden the program’s reach.