Chandler Unified outlines MITE class, expands internships with Elevate Ed and local partners

Patrick Brown, workforce development coordinator for Chandler Unified District #80, presented an update on the district’s workforce development work at the board’s April 23 study session and announced a new one-year course, MITE (Mentorships, Internships and Careers), planned for fall 2025.

Brown said the program’s first semester will teach career-readiness skills — resume and portfolio building, communication, income management and legal/ethical employment considerations — and the second semester will place students in supervised internships that must meet Arizona requirements for academic credit. "Per the requirements by the state of Arizona, they have to complete a hundred and 30 hours in order to earn academic credit," Brown said.

The MITE course will be offered at six district campuses for 11th- and 12th-grade students who are CTE completers (students who have completed two to three years in a career and technical education program). "The prerequisite is to be a completer, so at least, 2 years or 3 years depending on the program and either be a junior or a senior," a district representative confirmed during the session.

Why it matters: district leaders said MITE and related efforts aim to connect students to employer partners, reduce debt by helping students make informed postsecondary choices and increase local employer involvement in schools. Brown said the district has added about 19 business partnerships over the past two years and held its second annual Build for Tomorrow Expo this year with roughly 56 exhibitors and about 60 community attendees at Perry High School.

Programs, placements and partners

Brown described workforce development as an integrated effort that combines CTE programs, real-world experience, soft skills and employability skills. He said last year the district recorded about 23 internship placements across five program areas; this school year the district recorded about 30 placements and expanded into additional program areas including agriscience, culinary, education professions, digital photography, marketing, media and film, sports medicine, software and technical theater.

The district announced a partnership with Elevate Ed to increase employer access and on-campus services. Elevate Ed will provide on-site career exploration support beginning at Chandler High School and Basha High School, district staff said. Brown also described ongoing talks with a technical company to supply project-based work for software, robotics and semiconductor programs; because of intellectual-property and security concerns, the district is proposing protected, project-based assignments completed with district resources rather than student access to the company’s systems.

Small businesses remain a priority for internship placements. Brown gave Tutor Doctors as an example: a student began an unpaid, project-based role and later negotiated paid employment with the owner. "She did end up hiring a student from one of our high schools, and the student was doing such a great job that they actually made a case to get paid," Brown said.

Structure, supervision and safeguards

District staff said the MITE course is a two-semester sequence. Semester one focuses on career building and workplace skills; semester two places students in paid or unpaid internships. A teacher assigned to the class will act as the point of contact for students and business partners and will visit internship sites at least three times during the course, staff said.

To address liability and legal concerns for interns under 18, the district has an internship manual reviewed by the district attorney and requires parent/guardian paperwork for minors. "All of the documentation and the paperwork that the parents and guardians have to fill out have been approved by the attorney to ensure the safety of both students and the district," a staff member said.

Barriers and mitigation strategies

Board members asked about access challenges, especially transportation. District staff said that at present students are expected to provide their own transportation for on-site internships, which could be a barrier. Staff described emerging options: expanding remote and project-based internships, seeking support through Elevate Ed and the Chandler Foundation for transportation assistance, and using Chandler Flex transit in some cases.

Other recurring challenges include employer concerns about NDAs and intellectual property for technical work. Brown said project-based work conducted with district equipment (AutoCAD, 3D printers) is one approach to keep student work on-site while exposing learners to authentic employer problems.

Questions from board members and staff

Board members discussed which students are eligible (11th- and 12th-grade CTE completers), how the class integrates with broader K–12 career-literacy work and whether nontechnical careers (human services, entrepreneurship) are included. District staff said career literacy standards for K–8 are being implemented and that many existing CTE programs (for example, marketing) already include entrepreneurship and finance instruction. Staff stressed a broad approach that links students’ technical skills to diverse employer types.

Next steps and launch timeline

District staff said final student rosters for MITE are not yet available and that first-year enrollments are expected to be modest, with growth anticipated in year two as awareness and internship pipelines expand. The district plans a fall 2025 launch and will continue refining curriculum and employer feedback.

Ending: The board opened the floor to additional questions after Brown’s presentation and scheduled a short break before the regular board meeting.