Board hears updates on City as Campus programs: Big Picture internships, Early College and a new smart‑tech pathway

Schenectady City School District leaders and students used the March 12 work session to showcase the district’s City as Campus programs — a cluster of off‑campus learning opportunities that includes Big Picture’s Leaving to Learn internships, an Early College High School partnership with SUNY Schenectady, a newly launched Smart Tech pathway, and performing‑arts partnerships with Proctors.

“Students are designing a life of their choosing,” Big Picture staff said, and students described how project‑based internships and “leaving to learn” experiences have changed their attendance and academic outlook.

Why it matters: The programs give students workplace experience, college exposure and alternative pathways to graduation — including opportunities to earn college credit, industry credentials or career certificates while in high school.

What presenters summarized

- Big Picture and internships — Big Picture leaders described a grade‑by‑grade progression: ninth‑grade “Leaving to Learn” focuses on community and trust‑building; tenth grade emphasizes employability and internships; 11th grade centers on college and scholarship exploration. Students create learning plans tied to a mentor and a real‑world project and can earn academic elective credit for documented internship hours.

Ninth‑grade student Cairo told the board the program changed his attendance: “My attendance in middle school was 61%, and now I’m at a hundred,” he said, describing a rise in engagement after participating in leaving‑to‑learn experiences.

- Early College High School — Presenters described a downtown Early College program that enrolls students in college coursework and a first‑year seminar during the summer before ninth grade and aims to let motivated students complete an associate degree by the time they finish high school. The district covers first‑ and second‑year tuition, fees and books through the program; SUNY Schenectady covers later years under grant arrangements discussed by presenters.

- Smart Tech pathway — District and SUNY partners launched a Smart Tech grant‑funded pathway in 2025 for underrepresented students in STEM and technology fields. The first cohort of 30 freshmen will follow a multi‑year plan that can include additional preparation years (grade 13 and 14 options) before students enter the workforce or continue postsecondary study.

- Proctors musical‑theater collaboration — The district’s partnership with Proctors Theater gives students access to professional facilities and artists for VPA (visual and performing arts) pathways and expanded performance opportunities downtown.

Logistics and student supports

Presenters and students described practical supports that make internships feasible: a work‑based learning coordinator screens and matches students with mentors and organizes preliminary interviews and job‑shadow days; the district provides buses that pick up students and route them to internship sites on Fridays and on a rotating weekly schedule; students receive breakfasts and lunches to bring to sites.

Board members asked how internships comply with labor laws and how transportation is managed. Presenters said working papers and district oversight ensure compliance and described flexible routing managed by the transportation office to meet weekly changes in internship destinations.

Direct quotes and student testimony

- “Leaving to learn have helped me try new things and let me trust friends and adults,” said ninth‑grader Kai. “My attendance in middle school was 61%, and now I’m at a hundred.” - “We believe that students learn best when they engage in relevant, rigorous work in a culture of care, respect and belonging,” Big Picture staff said.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- Internship hours and credit: Big Picture students work toward the Career Development Occupational Studies (CDOS) credential; 216 total hours are required for CDOS, with some hours completed via tenth‑grade career and financial math courses and remaining hours via internship experiences and workshops coordinated with Schenectady Connects. - Eligibility and safety: Internship students obtain working papers recorded by the district; presenters emphasized coordinator oversight and mentor matching, including pre‑placement interviews and job‑shadow days. - Transportation: The district runs buses that pick up students in the morning and circulate to internship sites around 9 a.m.; return options include returning to school or going directly home depending on site schedules.

Next steps and expansion

Presenters said they are growing capacity, building employer partners (including Ellis Medicine and the Capital District Chamber), seeking to expand early‑college and Smart Tech cohorts and exploring college‑credit agreements for new pathways (the district is in talks with Siena College and SUNY Schenectady for articulation and college credit where appropriate).