The application process for the Learn and Earn Internship program occurs 2–4 months before the internship begins, aligned to when students finalize their class schedules. It’s competitive, typically with twice as many applicants per slot available. Employer partners are responsible for selecting the intern cohort and issuing offer letters. Following acceptance into the program, students attend a two-week induction and onboarding, which can start at different points during the year to meet the school’s needs. During this time, students engage in HR training, office tours, and professional skill-building sessions, such as creating a professional brand and fostering relationships with colleagues. Employers provide interns with all work equipment, including computers, during this time, and interns practice professional skills such as writing effective emails, sending calendar invites, and using messaging platforms (e.g., Slack, Teams) to ensure they are ready for their internships. At the end of the two weeks, students are assigned to a team within that company (e.g., Legal, Operations, HR, Tech, Marketing), where they will spend their internship. 

The induction and onboarding period emphasizes the immediate application of acquired skills. For instance, after a session on building relationships, students engage in coffee chats with employees, providing an opportunity for employers to connect with interns. Induction and Onboarding Sample Schedule

The Intern Seminar is a professional skills course for which students earn transcript credit from their school. The career-oriented curriculum helps students develop durable character skills, knowledge, agency, and professional competencies required for success as lifelong learners and career professionals. In the Intern Seminar, usually held during one period per week, students actively develop professional skills through a learning cycle of theory, application, feedback, and reflection. Students develop self-awareness and set career exploration goals to foster personal and professional growth. They also practice communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills in class and apply them in their internships. The instructional approach is designed to help young people become self-directed, self-determined learners who are empowered to reflect and make decisions to guide their career trajectory and aligned continuing education. Intern Seminar Overview

Opportunity College Instructors teach the Intern Seminar synchronously via Zoom and assign asynchronous work for independent work time, with a school-based teacher managing the classroom and supporting when necessary. Opportunity College provides all course content on a learning management system and conducts all grading of student work. The curriculum aligns with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies and addresses six key areas: National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies

• Becoming a Professional – students learn to craft and cultivate their professional brand
• Workplace Skills – students learn how to write effective emails and manage a calendar,
• and practice receiving feedback
• Personal Development – students set goals, build resilience, and increase awareness about their strengths and growth areas
• Communication – students identify their own and others’ preferred communication styles
• Interpersonal Skills – students practice strategies for working with others on a team
• Critical Thinking –- students refine their approach to problem solving using a critical thinking framework

During the school year, students commit 6–10 hours per week to their internships. Interns are matched with a manager on a team across the company, in departments from Marketing to Legal to Operations, HR, and Tech. Managers assign interns meaningful projects, ranging from creating research-based deliverables to building new productivity tools and planning community engagement events.

To facilitate meaningful work, students have 2–3 days of early school dismissal a week, traveling to their employer site for work. Occasionally, internships offer a “work from home” option, allowing students to work from their school, while attending work remotely. Specific roles — for example, software engineering interns — may require completion of certain courses, such as computer science, limiting eligibility. Students remain in their internship placements for the entire year, with the possibility of moving between departments.

Students conclude each semester with a formal presentation where they showcase their internship experiences. These presentations are attended by managers, other employees, and members of the school community. The presentations offer insight into the students’ overall internship experiences, including the challenges faced by the company or team, the actions taken, and the lessons learned. The reflective component includes an examination of a student’s evaluations from their teacher and manager, providing a comprehensive overview of the skills and knowledge students have acquired during their internships. Internship Presentation