As AP exams come to end and classes get easier, many students begin to look forward to the end of the school year. Underclassmen and juniors will notice an absence in seniors beginning in May. The reason for this is the Senior Internship Program (SIP): an optional opportunity to get real-world working experience before summer begins and students start college. This article will cover the basic information every underclassman needs to prepare for this program.
First, what exactly is SIP? The answer is simple: it is whatever you want it to be. As long as your worksite is within one of the acceptable surrounding towns and allows you to complete all time requirements, you can really do whatever you want. Some popular worksites include elementary schools, physical therapy offices, newspapers, and environmental organizations. Some students choose their internship to reflect their intended areas of study in college, which can help them ensure that they want to commit the next couple of years to those subjects. Others choose their internship based on enjoyability. Regardless of your reason for participating, SIP is a great opportunity to gain new experiences and create memories to take with you as you embark on your next adventure.
Seniors who do not choose to partake in this program come to school as normal. Even though classes will be significantly smaller, they still go on as usual for the remainder of the year. This gives students a chance to say goodbye to Chatham High School properly and get closer with students that they might not have spoken to before then. With the end of the year so fast-approaching, there’s little, if any, new content to learn, and students can enjoy a more relaxed schedule, so it’s beneficial for everyone. Another important thing to keep in mind is that only the first 150 seniors who apply can be accepted into SIP. As frustrating as this can be for those who do not manage to make it, this system is for the best because it ensures that there is time for the supervisor to look over every intern’s worksite. Plus, there is a possibility that a spot will open if a student chooses to leave the program or fails to meet prerequisites.
SIP participants’ grades are frozen the day that they leave school; however, note that there are reflections along with a final project that must be completed throughout the four-week long internship.
SIP is a unique opportunity for CHS seniors to gain experience in a professional environment before starting college or entering the workforce. I would highly recommend for underclassmen to begin thinking about whether they would like to participate in the program, and what areas of work they would like to encounter through their experience.
