Recently I started working with Spark SIP. SPARK Summer Internship Program (Spark SIP) connects business or project owners with aspiring high schoolers. I am excited about the opportunity to help the young kids and project sponsors to meet up and create new ways to learn and contribute. This summer will be a totally new experience.
The project owner publishes a 1-pager summary about their project and what the student can contribute towards. Often the project might be hard or challenging and hence will likely be written up in smaller parts so a student can learn and achieve in parts. There is also a research or learning component, so the kids can gain from the experience. The project may be anywhere from 3-6 weeks long. There is an expectation of the sponsor to also contribute some time and if appropriate material to help the student learn.
The student participant shows up equipped with school education and personal drive to learn. During the application process they get to choose and rank about projects of interest for them. And during the matching process the student is paired up with appropriate projects to go forward.
We expect the student to complete the project and also write up a good report about their contributions and experience. This will help in self-development of the student. Besides it also helps the SPARK team and sponsors to learn from the experience.
And in this context, I had met with and spoke with several high school kids. The new generation of kids are well educated, focused, and enthusiastic to learn more. They are eager to use their summer for learning and contributing to the business and society as well. Some exciting ideas are brewing now. Have your high schooler apply for internship before March 18th. And if you are a business owner or avid supporter of kids, consider sponsoring a project.
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