This program, sponsored jointly by the State Board of Education and the Springfield Public Schools, was developed as a model of the Executive High School Internship Program which is currently in operation in many school districts throughout the country. Approximately 10,000 students participate in this program which originated in 197l in New York City. Illinois Governmental Interns are seniors who serve as special assistants to officials in State Government in lieu of their regular high school studies. Interns attend policy meetings and conferences with their sponsors, follow up on special assignments, prepare memoranda and reports, and occasionally travel with their sponsors. Sponsors include agencies such as the Attorney General's Office, Comptroller's Office, Governor's Office, Department of Transportation, Department of Conservation, General Assembly, Department of Children and Family Services, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, and State Board of Education.
Interns are with their individual sponsors four days a week during regular office hours.
On Fridays, the interns meet as a group for seminars on executive behavior and organizational analysis in which they discuss readings, meet with officials, make site visits and often make their own presentations. As further evidence of the serious educational nature of the IGIP, interns are required to develop performance goals identifying areas of anticipated academic and personal growth, to keep analytical logs of their activities, and to present a final summary of their experiences. Students must also demonstrate what they have learned in the IGIP through written or oral exams and submission of a portfolio. Although interns are not paid, they do receive a full semester's credit for their participation, equivalent to a five course load.