Internships

As part of City High School’s overall emphasis on postsecondary planning, seniors also engage with their internships as a means of considering the various pathways and options they might pursue after graduating. The internship program has encouraged first-generation college-bound students to persist toward a four-year degree and has helped to clarify postsecondary career goals for many others. Students that successfully complete an Internship Program at City HS report increased confidence in their abilities to manage projects and think critically about relevant community issues.

City High School has been preparing students for this since their Freshman year with a focus on our Habits of Heart and Mind, and the Internship Program is the capstone experience, with an emphasis on the following five basic competencies:

• Flexibility and Adaptability (Inquiry)
• Initiative and Self-Direction (Action)
• Social and Cross-Cultural Skills (Perspective)
• Productivity and Accountability (Evidence)
• Leadership and Responsibility (Expression)

Not only do internships help students develop skills to prepare them for the future, but they also develop strong relationships with community mentors. These relationships serve an important role that transcends the traditional child-parent or student-teacher relationship. For many interns, the mentor plays an essential role in encouraging students toward college.

Since City High School opened its doors in 2004, we have graduated over 500 students. Our alumni report that their internship experience had a positive impact on their learning and that the internship program helped them develop a greater sense of connection to their community. Many of our alumni still stay in touch with their mentors. The hundreds of hours that City HS students have devoted to serving as interns in the community have not only made their lives richer and more significant but have benefited the Tucson community greatly.

We are grateful to the many community partners who have hosted interns over the years, some for multiple years in a row. While not a comprehensive list, some of our internship sites have included:

• Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
• Ben’s Bells
• Center Tucson
• Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona
• Downtown Community School
• KXCI Community Radio
• Living Streets Alliance
• MOCA – Museum of Contemporary Art
• Playformance
• TedX Tucson
• Technicians for Sustainability
• Children’s Museum Tucson
• Sustainable Nations
• Tucson Pima Arts Council
• University of Arizona Biochemistry Department
• University Medical Center
• YMCA Downtown

If you are interested in learning more about the City HS internship program or hosting an intern, please get in touch with our Internship Coordinator, Annie Holub.