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South Lyon program pairs seniors with local employers; several students moved from volunteer placements to hire offers
Summary
South Lyon Community Schools presented its inaugural work‑based learning program for seniors, reporting 13 participants and multiple employers converting volunteer placements into paid jobs; teacher Eric Chambers and students described hands‑on placements in health care, veterinary and other fields.
The South Lyon Community Schools on Tuesday highlighted a new work‑based learning program that gave 13 seniors semester‑long placements with local employers and career coaching at school.
Eric Chambers, a teacher at South Lyon High School who leads the program, told the board the district runs a seminar class and places students with businesses based on career interests after an application and interview process. "We had students in education, medical, accounting, theater, veterinary medicine and more," Chambers said, adding that several students transitioned from unpaid volunteer roles to paid positions after demonstrating reliability and learning on the job.
Students described the experience in practical terms. Chloe Rentz, a senior who worked at Griffith Veterinary Hospital, said the placement helped her learn day‑to‑day tasks and that she had been offered a summer position. Samantha Iole, who worked in emergency care at DMC Huron Valley Sinai, said the experience helped her decide to pursue emergency nursing.
District staff credited local businesses for hosting students and said the program will expand to two semesters next year with added career fields such as automotive mechanics and cosmetology. The district listed partner sites including South Lyon Family Doctors, DMC Huron Valley Sinai, Griffith Veterinary Hospital, Encore Theater and others.
Board members praised the program as a promising bridge between school and the workforce and encouraged staff to continue outreach to additional local employers. The presentation closed with the administration asking community members who can host students to contact the district.
The board did not take action on the presentation; administrators said they will expand the program next year and return with updates as needed.
