Students rotate in several placements for one morning a week throughout the school year. Students receive elective course credit for their internship work. We observed two students who were hired to work over the summer as laboratory assistants in the science department at a local university. These students assisted in conducting neuromuscular research projects. The SBE is housed on a high school campus, and students work after school for a few hours, odd hours over weekends, and over the summer.
Students learn all aspects of running a business, with an emphasis on entrepreneurial skills.
Students receive points for their work, which are exchanged for the dollar value of company shares upon high school graduation. At each site, students completed a survey about their WBL experience. The study team interviewed teachers, mentors, employers, and other adults associated with the programs. Our analysis first focused on the social means by which tasks are initiated, accomplished, and processed, as this is when the process of education is set in motion. Then we examined the pedagogy of worksites and the community of practice that students encounter.