The study evaluated the effectiveness of career and technical education internships during high school and gave the administration some insights that can guide the program forward. A key component of the program's effectiveness is the impact the program has on the overall education and career choices of students involved in career and technical…

There are concerns that teacher shortages in the STEM field will lead to a downfall in the U.S. economy and security of the nation. The internship program was created to provide the STEM majors in Texas A & M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) and its partner community colleges an opportunity to observe and participate in STEM education and…

The transition from high school to university can be difficult and stressful for many students who are not sure of how to be successful in their courses and become engaged in extracurricular activities beyond the classroom. This paper describes the design and outcomes of the Preparation for Academic Success in Science (PASS) transition program in…

Given the increased self-directedness of todays' career environment, career goals represent to some extent the exercise of individual agency, particularly during ecological transitions (e.g., school to work). The main purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between internship quality and career exploration behavior, considering…

Youth-focused environmental programs develop environmental stewardship and related interest in future career pursuits. However, research is limited on how youth perceive the varied skills and capacities needed in environmental careers, which could impact their ability to contribute to environmental work. We describe findings from a…

Schools have long partnered with local organizations to support access to essential services like food, housing, or mental and physical health. Schools can build on wrap-around school models by helping students and families intentionally cultivate community relationships, skills, and knowledge, thus putting students on a path toward long-term…

Career academies -- small learning communities within high schools that introduce students to specific industry sectors -- have become a popular way to expand career education. Yet certain institutional, economic, and social factors can inhibit their viability and scalability. Michael Lanford and Tattiya Maruco conducted a yearlong qualitative…

For decades, businesses and post-secondary educational institutions have complained that students are leaving high school unprepared for their next step. In addition to elevating the rigor and relevance of the school experience, high school internships have been seen by many as a key method to preparing young people for success and allowing…

Teacher attrition has been around since the beginning of American education. Teacher attrition is problematic to the success of students' academic achievement. One perceived way to reduce teacher attrition is through better training during the pre-service phase. The purpose of this study was to explore university-based teacher education programs…

We explored the impact of participating in a Virtual Internship (VI) computer-supported collaborative learning simulation, on high school students' (n = 43) development of knowledge and skills for critiquing the political media with which they engage. Second, we evaluated the effect of this intervention on students' self-efficacy for using…

One result of the growing concerns over the numbers of young people moving into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related careers has been the expansion of formal and informal STEM education programming for pre-college youth, from elementary school through high school. While the number of programs has grown rapidly, there is…

First-generation college students without broad support networks are more likely to leave STEM majors. In rural West Virginia, the First2 Network aims to improve STEM persistence by including students in creating solutions to STEM attrition. One solution, a research program for rising first-year students in STEM majors, is discussed here. The…

One-on-one mentoring is effective for helping novices with career development. However, traditional mentoring scales poorly. To address this problem, MentorPal emulates conversations with a panel of virtual mentors based on recordings of real STEM professionals. Students freely ask questions as they might in a career fair, while machine learning…

This retrospective study, from 2004 to 2015, explored the career trajectories of undergraduates and recent post-baccalaureates who participated in an undergraduate research experience (URE) that combined both laboratory experience and mentoring younger students. Forty former interns completed an online survey focusing on their path from internship…

Student-teaching internships in a teacher-preparation programme are a significant way for teachers to gain practical skills and transfer their textbook knowledge into classroom practice. One of the outcomes of student-teaching internships is that pre-service teachers can observe experienced teachers' teaching pedagogy and strategies for…