What Is It?
Getting Involved
Employer Information
Educator Information
School Administration Information
STW Regional Coordinator Information
How to Apply

The Vermont Employer Teacher Internship Program (VETIP) - a component of the federally funded School-To-Work Initiative - was developed to provide a "hands-on learning experience" for teachers in Vermont businesses. The Vermont Employer/Teacher Internship Program creates opportunities for educators and employers to create and strengthen business/school partnerships. This is a six-week-long summer program that places teachers in business doing meaningful project work, followed by a year-long commitment of both school and employer to enhance student learning.

The internship experience gives educators direct access to other work places and increases awareness of current business practices, trends and relevant work force skills. Educators and business professionals work together to help students make vital connections between learning in the classroom and application to careers and work. Positive changes in both content and teaching methods provide improved academic experiences for today's students.

The emergence of new technologies has facilitated major changes in the work place. In order to maintain productivity in a highly competitive world market, the skills of the current work force need constant upgrading. The need for the development of a new generation capable of problem-solving, reasoning and communicating have readily become apparent to both business and education communities.

At the national level, government agencies have joined together with teachers to establish goals, revise curriculum and develop assessment strategies consistent with the future needs of business and industry. Here in Vermont, 14 regional partnerships are working to directly impact student learning.

VETIP builds upon the success of The Charles H. Stapper Teacher/Business Internship Program sponsored by The Vermont State Mathematics Coalition and The Vermont Institute for Science, Mathematics & Technology. During the past five years, these organizations have worked together to create internship experiences for educators in math, science and technology fields.

The School-To-Work Initiative and its many partners have recognized the need for further accountability and relationship-building for the experience to truly make a difference for students.

• Increased communication and understanding among employers, educators and other community partners;
• Enhanced learning opportunities for children;
• Teachers and students making strong connections between classroom skins and workforce skills;
• Better prepared students entering the workforce;
• A viable avenue for teacher and employer professional development and growth;
• Employer deriving direct organizational benefits from the professional contributions of teachers.

• Vermont businesses cannot find enough skilled employees to fill the jobs currently available. Employers are saying they are having to provide basic math and writing skills to many of those just exiting high school.
• Vermont has an 18 percent high school dropout rate. This number is disproportionately higher in rural areas where there is a lack of access to resources.
• Fifty percent of Vermont high school graduates go on to college. Of these, only 25 percent will receive a four-year degree.
• The Vermont State College system has reported that 30% of college freshmen need remedial courses in writing and math.
• Very few employers understand the challenges of teaching and student behavior.
• The rapid development of technology means that students need to continually develop their skills to be able to use technological innovations in the workplace and in the community.

The Vermont Employer/Teacher Internship Program (VETIP), through a grant from the federally funded School-To-Work (STW) Initiative, has developed a comprehensive program to link businesses and schools. The fourteen regional STW coordinators and their volunteers recruit qualified educators and employers, assist employers in identifying needed projects for educators to complete, facilitate the planning and implementation of the 6-week, summer internship, and facilitate the ongoing evaluation and relationship building of the school and business.

The VETIP goals are to improve student learning and to build business/school partnerships. In this way it supports the learning goals established in Vermont's Framework of Standards & Learning Opportunities. Teachers support these goals by acquiring motivation and knowledge useful to their teaching. Employers support them by gaining greater understanding of teaching through the internship experience. Outcomes of the VETIP experience are:

• Increased communication and understanding among employers, educators and other community partners;
• Enhanced learning opportunities for children;
• Teachers and students making strong connections between classroom skills and workforce skills;
• Better prepared students entering the workforce;
• A viable avenue for teacher and employer professional development and growth;
• Employers deriving direct organizational benefits from the professional contributions of teachers.

EMPLOYERS

BENEFITS TO YOUR BUSINESS

By becoming an internship sponsor you will:

• have a short-term project of value completed by a professional;
• support the move toward high quality, standards-based teaching and learning in your schools;
• gain public and press acknowledgment of your investment in the schools and the children;
• develop a lasting relationship with the students, teachers and administrators;
• improve performance levels of incumbent employees who participate as educator supervisors;
• raise the awareness and visibility of your products and services to an important group of educators and families;
• ultimately, assist in preparing the future workforce for your business by increasing skills and employability of students;
• ultimately, reduce the costs of recruiting, selecting and training new workers;
• allow your employees to share in the pride of participating in a project that will help their children;
• gain an opportunity to earn three undergraduate or graduate credits.

BECOME AN INTERNSHIP SPONSOR

Your company can interview and employ one or more professional educators for 6 weeks in the summer to:

review and revise employee training programs; revise training manuals; assist in training; design databases, web sites, in-house newsletters, marketing materials, etc..; analyze data; complete special department projects; test markets; you name it!!

Internships cost between $2,000 - $3,000 - depending on comparable, professional salary for the proposed work.

(In some regions, there are federal funds available to support a portion of the internship costs for the first year.)

To participate as an internship supervisor, we ask you and/or a designated employee to agree to:

• Support the move toward high quality, instruction in your schools;
• Act as "ambassador of change" - promote community partnerships as an educational improvement strategy;
• Make a commitment to building an ongoing relationship with the teacher and school;
• Set clear expectations and responsibilities for teacher intern;
• Attend one orientation and one follow-up session;
• Meet regularly with the intern to review performance;
• Support release-time for internship supervisor to make presentation before faculty;
• Attend year-end evaluation presentation;
• Gain an opportunity to earn three undergraduate or graduate credits;
• Sign letter of agreement to this effect.

As a result of your commitment, your regional School-To-Work collaborative and VETIP will:

• Formally recognize your VETIP participation before the full faculty and in the regional press;
• Assist you in designing a work plan with your intern;
• Facilitate the orientation and supervision process
• With your teacher intern, inform you of the student learning outcomes;
• Support all activities developed between your business and the school.

By becoming a VETIP intern you will:

• learn valuable new skills from a new work site;
  
• support the move toward high-quality, standards-based teaching and learning in your schools by connecting your internship experience to your individual professional development plan;
  
• gain public and press acknowledgment of your commitment to teaching and students;
  
• develop a lasting relationship with the employees of your sponsoring business;
  
• raise the awareness and visibility of your increased knowledge to your faculty and administration;
  
• earn between $2,000 - $3,000 during 6 summer weeks, depending on comparable, professional salary for the proposed work;
  
• earn three graduate credits.

BECOME A VETIP INTERN:

The application process is competitive. K-12 teachers, administrators, guidance counselors and post-secondary educators may apply. Teachers from all content areas and specialties will be considered. Applicants will be screened by the regional School-To-Work site coordinators. Finalists will be matched with regional employers who have identified specific business needs which align with the teacher's interests, skills and professional goals. Employers will interview and select candidates who best meet qualifications for the project.

In order to qualify and be accepted, we ask that you agree to:

• Act as the primary person responsible for facilitating the yearlong partnership between your sponsoring business and your school;
• Support the move toward high-quality, standards-based instruction in your school(s);
• Act as "ambassador of change" - promote community partnerships as an educational improvement strategy;
• Attend one orientation and one follow-up session;
• Integrate individual professional development goals with the VETIP experience;
• Fulfill the 6-week summer work site requirements for payment of salary;
• In the fall, conduct follow-up presentation, with employer supervisor, to faculty re the experience and ways to integrate it into the class and /or school;
• Document changes in instruction throughout school year and create a "product" to demonstrate change;
• By the spring of the following year, conduct end-of-year presentation of product and evaluation to school supervisor, employer and employer supervisor;
• Sign letter of agreement to this effect.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

By becoming a VETIP school you will:

• support the move toward high quality, standards-based teaching and learning in your schools;
• gain public and press acknowledgrnent of your commitment to community partnerships and educational improvement;
• develop a lasting relationship with the sponsoring business;
• support the sharing of the internship experience with other colleagues and community members;
• raise the awareness and visibility of your progressive education efforts to the community.

SUPPORT A VETIP INTERN:

In order for the VETIP experience to have a successful impact on student learning, the commitment of the school and/or district administration is crucial. An important component of the VETIP application process is agreement by a school administrator. We ask that you:

• Make a commitment to supporting the goals of the VETIP experience through the planning, implementation and follow-up phases;
• Act as "ambassador of change" - promote community partnerships as an educational improvement strategy;
• Commit to building an on-going relationship with the sponsoring employer;
• Support VETIP in-service presentations for faculty;
• Support integration of the VETIP experience with the teacher's individual professional development plan;
• Attend year-end evaluation presentation;
• Sign letter of agreement to this effect

SCHOOL-TO-WORK

REGIONAL COORDINATORS &/ OR VOLUNTEERS

BENEFITS TO YOUR REGION

By facilitating VETIP partnerships in your region you will:

• support the move toward high quality, standards-based teaching and learning in your schools;
• gain public and press acknowledgment of your commitment to community partnerships and educational improvement;
• develop a finite task for some members of your partnership;
• build a self-sustaining program with documented outcomes;
• raise the awareness and visibility of your progressive education efforts to the community.

SUPPORT A VETIP INTERNSHIP:

In order for the VETIP experience to have a successful impact on student learning, the consistent facilitation of the partnership is crucial. An important component of VETIP is agreement by the regional STW coordinator and/or designated volunteers to: recruit employers and educators for the program; attend orientation and follow-up sessions; facilitate awards and press coverage; and administer the completion of the final evaluation. We ask that you and/or your designated volunteers:

• Make a commitment to supporting the goals of the VETIP experience through the planning, implementation and evaluation phases;
• Act as "ambassadors of change" - promote community partnerships as an educational improvement strategy;
• Commit to supervising and promoting the on-going relationship between the school and the employer;
• Attend orientation, follow-up session and year-end educator presentation;
• Sign letter of agreement to this effect.

Educators interested in a summer internship should contact their regional School-to-Work Coordinator for application forms.

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	Latest Update: October 30, 2003