It also helps communities demonstrate what can be accomplished on the local level when there are partnerships among students, parents, teachers, administrators and employers. Internships Internships vary in length from 10 to 15 hours per week and 10 to 30 weeks per academic year. Work sites have included law and engineering offices, computer center, bookstore, hotel, pizza parlor, hair salon, hospital, nursing home, Mayor's office and university maintenance. Interns are paired with job coaches with whom they meet regularly. The interns are usually eleventh or twelfth graders and are selected on the basis of interest, needs and aptitude.
Selection is made by local school personnel in collaboration with the SOS community coordinator.
Projects Each SOS project is unique. Communities design their SOS projects based on how that community can best meet the needs of their high school students with disabilities, efficiently and cost-effectively. For example, in Philadelphia, through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, interns work at various offices throughout the university, and undergraduates serve as job coaches. In Alabama , through a partnership with the Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center, interns are placed in Easter Seal offices throughout the state. In selecting SOS communities, N.O.D. looks for experienced and committed high school faculty and administrators, supportive community employers and the prospect of locally generated funding for the program.