Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Experiential Learning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Indian Hill students describe internships and job shadows as Experience program grows to record size
Summary
Students told the Indian Hill Board of Education that the district’s Experience/Entrepreneurship program gives rare real‑world exposure — job shadows, internships and leadership opportunities — and administrators said high‑school enrollment in the program has reached a record 170 students.
Indian Hill students on Monday told the school board that the district’s Experience/Entrepreneurship program has given them direct access to employers and real‑world work that helped shape their college and career plans. Charlotte Pikton, a junior, said the program’s job‑shadow and site‑visit opportunities led to a week‑long job shadow at MSA Design and a subsequent summer internship.
“This program has been the most impactful part of my high school career,” Charlotte Pikton said. She described touring downtown offices, meeting interns and staff, and using lessons from a professional‑etiquette lunch during subsequent site visits.
Caroline Ranala, a senior who interned with the mental‑health nonprofit One and Five, said her work there included recruiting teens for a ‘warrior race’ to raise awareness and organizing a ‘Bead the Change’ volunteer event. “This experience led me to gain new skills as well as fortify strengths I already had,” she said.
Jane Hullbrook, a junior, described internships with a national facilities company (DMG) and service on the Hamilton County Youth Court that helped her confirm an interest in law; she said her internship work included analyzing contracts and drafting memos used by company counsel. Another student known as Ja said student leadership committees have produced district plans such as a proposed mentoring program for younger students.
Administrators told the board the program is the largest in its history. Mrs. Richardson said 170 Indian Hill high‑school students are actively enrolled in Experience programming, and the district is set to break its record for student RSVP participation at an upcoming Business at Breakfast event and will begin recruiting summer internships in February.
School leaders said the program combines experiential learning, career‑pathway development and student leadership. The board praised the students’ poise and encouraged continued partnerships with local employers that host site visits, job shadows and internships.
The district plans public programming around the Experience initiative this winter and will continue outreach to business partners and families as it expands internships and alumni networking projects.
