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Westlake students present outcomes from inaugural six-month internship pilot
Summary
Westlake High School staff and six students described a new multi-credit internship pilot that logged 125+ hours per student this year and has expanded to 22 enrolled for 2025–26, with plans to grow placements across local businesses and medical sites.
Westlake City Schools hosted presentations Monday from the district’s inaugural internship cohort, a pilot program led by teacher Bob Patton that placed seniors at local businesses and medical institutions for semester-long experiences.
The program’s first cohort began with seven students and finished with six participating, each recording more than the planned 125 hours of supervised work, Patton said. "We kept it smaller this year with a hundred and 25 hours. Everybody here has had significantly over 125 hours. We moved it next year to 150," Patton said.
The nut graf: District administrators said the internship is part of a strategic-plan effort to expand real-world learning and to give students credits that align with college and career objectives. Superintendent Dr. Goguen introduced the students and encouraged board members and community partners to help identify additional placements.
Students described placements and what they learned. Ava Kennedy summarized her research work at Case Western Reserve University and said the lab experience reaffirmed her plan to pursue an MD–PhD. "One of the biggest things my PI has taught me is, like, the concept of golden eyes, which is paying attention to small things that other people might not realize," Kennedy said. Kavya Bell described digital-marketing work at 42 Connect, including writing newsletters and learning how AI is changing marketing. Several students reported clinical and administrative experiences at St. John Medical Center, NorthShore Gastroenterology and the Cleveland Clinic; one student noted safety training and lab protocol testing before beginning work.
Patton and board members outlined program changes for next year: the internship will be a two-credit, honors-designated course, with a planned increase to 150 required hours and an expanded roster of 22 students for 2025–26. Patton described a scheduling plan so participating seniors can be released early from school to attend placements and said the district will work with athletics and employers to accommodate students’ extracurricular schedules.
Board members and staff highlighted supports firms and nonprofits have offered: the Greater Cleveland Partnership is providing an IT certification for participating students; several host sites indicated they will host students again. Patton said the district has received offers of scholarships tied to placements and is soliciting more host sites, including from Rotary, Chamber contacts and alumni networks.
The board asked for a one-page flyer and two short expectation documents — one for businesses and one for students — that Patton said he would distribute to next year’s students and the board.
The presentation closed with board praise for the students’ outreach and for Patton’s recruitment and coordination work. Dr. Goguen and board members encouraged continued networking with community partners to broaden internship placements.
Ending: The board did not take formal action; staff said the program will continue next school year with the expanded course and recruitment underway.
