Hi Andy I had the experience of bringing in a high school student for a co-op placement for 2 months earlier this year. I'm not sure on the definition of an internship where you are, however a co-op placement here in Toronto grants the student school credits while they complete work and assignments off campus (under your supervision). I was required to complete bi-weekly reports on the student's progress and ability, and was asked to review the student's work ethic and professional skills.
I found the student to be great with those obvious assignments you mentioned, but it was a bit difficult for me to continuously supervise and keep creating new and exciting tasks. Many of the tasks I assigned were being done for the 'very first time' and needed step-by-step instruction. There were many projects that needed to be done, but that I didn't feel comfortable with assigning to a high school student. It's hard to trust someone so young, inexperienced, and/or new to the organization with many of the public relations tasks for example. The other issue I found was that the student that was assigned to me wasn't very driven or ambitious. In a space filled with highly motivated self-starters (like most coworking spaces) a student looking for a 'job' seems extremely out of place within the culture of our community. I think project volunteers and co-op placements can be extremely beneficial - I am NOT however a supporter of unpaid internships for 'experience'. The next time I work with a student or volunteer, I will be sure that they are highly motivated and it is absolutely required that they have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Working in a coworking space is an incredible opportunity for someone who wants to start their own business - it's inspiring and empowering. Any type of arrangement we've had where the volunteer or student was personally motivated to contribute to our organization has been a positive experience. Most of the time it takes a more mature student to be self-aware enough to meet the needs in our community. I hope sharing this helps, and that you find the right match for your space :) Ashley Foundery [email protected] www.foundery.is On Dec 14, 2013, at 10:27 PM, Andy Soell wrote: > Our coworking space has been asked to take on a high school senior for a two > month long internship. I searched and read a few threads about coworking > interns, but I was curious if anybody has specifically been in a situation > with high school aged interns. > > There are a few obvious tasks that come to mind that they could be tasked > with (coordinating social media, greeting walk-ins, light cleaning, etc.) but > I was curious if there were practical tasks that I might be overlooking that > would both benefit the space as well as help prepare the intern for college > or career. > > Thanks! > > Andy Soell > The Salt Mines > http://saltmines.us > > -- > Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Coworking" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
