Woodland Hills considers pilot to expand paid internships and college-credit pathways for seniors

Woodland Hills administrators asked the board March 4 to support a pilot partnership with Neighborhood Learning Alliance (NLA), the Consortium for Public Education and Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) to offer a small cohort of seniors paid internships and transferable college credits.

Presenters described the 'High School University / Careers Unlock' model currently used in summer programs that pairs students with college coursework, paid internships and mandatory tutoring; the pilot would adapt that model to the school day for 12–15 seniors who are already on track to graduate. The partnership would cover tuition, supplies and transportation within existing resources; staff said the district would not be asked for additional recurring funding. Presenters said prior operations have yielded over $400,000 in student stipends and more than 3,000 college credits through paid internships and dual-enrollment pathways.

The model includes non-district-funded social-worker support to assist students with barriers and emphasizes employer partnerships to give students real workplace experience and improve postsecondary outcomes. Staff asked the board to review a single consolidated proposal to be included in next week’s agenda setting and indicated an MOU with industry partners would follow if the pilot is approved.

Board members praised the program's potential and noted the pilot is designed to use existing bus routes and facilities to limit new costs. Administrators invited board members to site visits and said they will present final materials for approval in the coming weeks.

Next steps: staff will place the consolidated partnership proposal on next week’s agenda-setting materials and return with a final MOU and implementation timeline for board consideration.