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Washoe County School District expands credit‑bearing internships; sets aspirational target of universal access by 2029–30
Summary
CTE director Josh Hartzog reported rapid growth in district internships — from 14 in 2023–24 to an expected 170+ this year — and outlined goals to make internships credit-bearing (60 hours), scale employer partnerships, and reach 600 interns annually by 2030.
Washoe County School District’s director of career and technical education, Josh Hartzog, told trustees Wednesday that credit‑bearing internships have grown rapidly and that the district plans to scale work‑based learning across high schools.
"We had just 14 students complete an internship for academic credit in school year 2023–24," Hartzog said, and noted an eightfold increase the following year. He reported that the district expects more than 170 students to complete internships this year and outlined a vision that every high‑school student will have internship access at their home school by 2029–30.
Hartzog emphasized quality and safeguards: academic credit typically attaches to 60 hours of supervised work coupled with instructional reflection, student learning plans, parent permission and liability forms, and formal agreements with employer hosts required by Nevada Revised Statutes. He named Crystal Edwards as the district work‑based learning coordinator and listed employer partners that include Renown Health, local engineering firms and the district police department.
Trustees asked whether internships are paid. Hartzog said they are "not currently" paid but that paid internships are possible and described a CTE work‑experience pathway that can recognize paid hours in lieu of unpaid internship forms.
Trustee Colleen Westlake read a proclamation designating February 2026 as Career and Technical Education Month in the district and trustees paused for a photo with CTE staff.
Hartzog said reaching the department’s stretch goals will require processes that allow schools to manage internships locally with district oversight, managing a projected need for roughly 600 interns per year to meet the district's ambitions by 2030.
