It is now being used in 35 States and has been purchased by 50 other countries. We have just recently launched a second effort to identify innovative ways to use technology for distance learning, classroom instruction, professional development, and assessment and accountability. At every level, schools are being asked to raise academic standards and impart a new set of technical and information skills. And, they must now strive to ensure that every student meets these standards. Internships help students understand the relevance of academic subjects and how to apply academic concepts at work and in every day life.
Mentors provide extra adult support and encouragement to students.
For vocational education at the high school level, a combination of skills is important preparation for both college and a career. For example, knowledge of electricity is an important prerequisite for pursuing an engineering degree, and also a prerequisite for becoming an entry-level technician with Bell South. An internship in a research lab or an automotive dealership helps students understand how both academic and technical skills are applied in work outside the classroom. It is an important component of school reform efforts at the secondary level. In community colleges and postsecondary technical institutes, students range from recent high school graduates, to college graduates returning to get marketable technical skills, to adults trying to leave welfare or retrain for better jobs.