OREGON, OH (WTOL) - A new program at Cardinal Stritch High School will have students stepping out of the classroom to learn about life in the work world they'll soon be joining.
One day a week, students at the Oregon, OH school will be taking part in an internship.
School leaders say they are excited for students to develop one-on-one, real world experiences.
"I'm excited for the fact that students will actually be prepared to go out into the real world," said Father Eric Schild, from the school. "Again, we find now that students graduating from both high school and college are not actually prepared to go out and deal with real world issues, problems and things having to do with their job."
Preparing students for the real world is something Cardinal Stritch takes seriously.
With the new program, students will choose an internship from a variety of local companies.
Before they intern, a new course will teach them phone etiquette, professional social skills, and Microsoft Office programs.
One hiring manager says she believes the program will be a win-win for her business and the school.
"We get to assess the potential of these intern for perhaps future opportunities," said Dr. Sheri Caldwell, HR Director at the Andersons. "Otherwise, you know, sometimes you just interview somebody, and you hope you're making a good hire. But this way, it's sort of a try before you buy kind of relationship, so we're really excited."
The program is optional for current students, but next year's freshman class will have mandatory participation to graduate from the high school.
With minor adjustments to the school day, students will meet all of the same classroom education requirements four days a week.
A school leader says adding an internship day is just icing on the cake.
"We've heard from students who've participated in similar projects across the country that while this program may not be the perfect way to identify 'this is what I want to do,' it's actually really good at identifying 'this is not what I want to do.' And that, when it comes to selecting your major in college and saving money in the next step academically, that's real dollars in families pockets," said Kevin Mullan, Vice President of Advancement and Strategy at the school.
The program will ultimately cost the school about $500,000. They will need to increase staff to monitor students' experiences, provide transportation to and from internships for students, as well as fund a variety of other infrastructure expenses.
Local companies have agreed to underwrite these costs for the school through the program.
This will allow Cardinal Stritch to keep tuition costs consistent, regardless of the program's expenses.
Currently, the school is working on a pilot program with around twenty students for January of next year.
If you have questions about how this change may affect your student or if you have a student entering high school next year, visit Cardinal Stritch on November 4.
The school will hold an open house from noon to three for families who want to learn more about the program.
