Careers, Internships, Volunteering and Summer Programs
Careers Internships, Summer Programs and Volunteer Opportunities
This page has lots of information and links to resources about internships, careers and volunteer opportunities.
If you are not sure which career you would like to pursue, check out the career section. There are links to tools that can help you decide. You may be asked to provide a resume. We have links to templates that will make resume writing easier. You will be much more likely to earn a place in college, win scholarships and secure a job if you have internship and volunteer experience. Check out those sections for many opportunities. Many college also host summer programs that can enrich your education and make you a better candidate for jobs, colleges and scholarships. This page provides links to several summer programs.
Careers
Have you decided which career you would like to have? If not, you are not alone. It may take you several years to find out what you really enjoy doing and which types of careers appeal to you. Don't be upset with yourself if you don't know yet, or change your mind frequently. You are still growing and learning about the huge world of opportunities that await you after you graduate from high school. Here are several sites that can help you decide what you might enjoy.
Check out the Career Search feature on Princeton Review. They have a 5 minute quiz that will help you find careers and majors that would interest you based on your personal preferences. You will need to create an account with them but don't worry, they are a legitimate site.
http://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz
CareerPerfect is another site that might help you decide on a career:
http://www.careerperfect.com/content/career-planning-work-preference-inventory/?subtotalA=0&subtotalB=0&subtotalC=0&subtotalD=0&reset=Start+Over
The California CareerZone also has resources to help:
http://www.cacareerzone.org/
If you are interested in working for the United States Government, including NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service, Military and other agencies, the NASA Careers site has great information on how to apply for those positions. You will actually apply through USA Jobs.
Resume Help
If you are not sure what to put in your resume, look at this site. It tells you what to write and has links to some samples. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumetemplates/a/templatehs.htm Microsoft Word also has templates for resumes here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/results.aspx?qu=resumes
Service Learning Requirement
The Service Learning Requirement for graduation is usually met through a series of activities that will be completed as part of the United States History course in 11th grade. A quality service learning project accomplishes the following:
- Meets real community need & links school to community.
- Instills student sense of civic responsibility
- Uses an instructional teaching/learning Method
- Integrates community service and academic content & standards
- Provides a structured time for reflection
- Ideally, students will work with the community to identify a need and develop an action plan,
If you decide to complete the service learning requirement on you own, you may use the Service Hours Record form to records and verify your hours. To earn full credit for Service Learning, you also need to submit a short essay (roughly one page) describing why you chose this project, how you helped our community, and what you learned in the process. While there is no required number of hours, serving at least 8 will give you a better experience.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Partner: Discovery Cube Los Angeles
Sylmar Charter High STM Magnet students (who are at least 15 years old) can volunteer with the Discovery Cube Los Angeles Science Museum. Students are encouraged to participate in this exciting opportunity to share their love of science with our community! If you are interested, you will need:
Sylmar Charter High STM Magnet students (who are at least 15 years old) can volunteer with the Discovery Cube Los Angeles Science Museum. Students are encouraged to participate in this exciting opportunity to share their love of science with our community! If you are interested, you will need:
- A resume (See above for ideas)
- A Teacher Volunteer Recommendation Form (They will provide you with that form.)
- Complete Teen Volunteer Application.
- They will contact you to schedule an interview.
If you want to know more about volunteering, you can visit the Discovery Cube Volunteer Website.
If you are curious about the volunteer program our LA Volunteer Instagram may give you a good sneak peak. http://instagram.com/discoverycubeLA_volunteers
If you are curious about the volunteer program our LA Volunteer Instagram may give you a good sneak peak. http://instagram.com/discoverycubeLA_volunteers
More Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in a medical related field:
Volunteer at Olive View Medical Center.
Volunteer at Holy Cross Hospital.
Volunteer at Kaiser Permanente Hospital
If you like helping people in need:
Volunteer at MEND
Consider joining Key Club and/or Interact. Both are clubs at Sylmar Charter High School that focus on community service.
If you line working with animals:
Volunteer at the Wildlife Learning Center in Sylmar.
Paws For Life
Have you always wanted to help animals but weren't sure where to start? Here's your chance! Volunteer for PFL, and you'll become a part of a wonderful network of people who love animals just like you. Helping animals can take many forms – we'll help you find the right role for you!
Have you always wanted to help animals but weren't sure where to start? Here's your chance! Volunteer for PFL, and you'll become a part of a wonderful network of people who love animals just like you. Helping animals can take many forms – we'll help you find the right role for you!
To help us learn more about your areas of interest, please complete the Paws for Life!
If you like working with younger kids:
Volunteer at Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation (Sylmar Park and others.)
Volunteer at Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation (El Cariso Park.)
Volunteer at the YMCA.
You can also contact the elementary schools to see if they have any opportunities.
Internships
Many high school and college students work as interns. That means they take a temporary job to get hands-on experience, usually in a field that interests them. College graduates sometimes use internships to start a career. But did you know that you can get a summer or after-school internship while you’re still in high school? Being an intern can help you decide whether a particular career field works for you. See the files at the bottom of this page for some tips on how to get internships. There is also a file about internships and jobs in Washington DC. These file were written by one of our former students, David Rodriguez. Thank you, David, for the information! Here are some sites that list internships:
Many high school and college students work as interns. That means they take a temporary job to get hands-on experience, usually in a field that interests them. College graduates sometimes use internships to start a career. But did you know that you can get a summer or after-school internship while you’re still in high school? Being an intern can help you decide whether a particular career field works for you. See the files at the bottom of this page for some tips on how to get internships. There is also a file about internships and jobs in Washington DC. These file were written by one of our former students, David Rodriguez. Thank you, David, for the information! Here are some sites that list internships:
NASA Internships - Being an astronaut isn't the only cool thing about space. Interns use their creativity and innovation to work on projects impacting NASA's mission, such as returning to the Moon by 2024. As a NASA Intern, you will be part of an amazing team that is dedicated to space exploration. You will work with leading experts and gain valuable experience as you participate in research and mission projects. To be eligible you must:
Be a U.S. Citizen
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
Be a full-time student (high school through graduate)
Be enrolled in a degree granting institution
Be 16 years of age at the time of application (no exceptions)
Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
Be a full-time student (high school through graduate)
Be enrolled in a degree granting institution
Be 16 years of age at the time of application (no exceptions)
The Internship Project runs an intensive summer program, which connects high school juniors and seniors with the chance to work in dynamic career areas through paid internships during their summer break. Students have worked in fields like digital media, entertainment, engineering, technology, healthcare, and design. This program is open by application only in January of every year. Hover over the "Opportunities" tab at the top of their website to see the types of programs offered.
The United States Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a summer youth employment program that engages young people in meaningful work experiences on national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and fish hatcheries while developing an ethic of environmental stewardship and civic responsibility. YCC programs are generally 8 to 10 weeks and members are paid the minimum wage for a 40-hour work week. Most YCC opportunities are non-residential programs which provide paid daytime work activities with members who commute to the Federal unit daily. Only a few, such as Yellowstone are residential, meaning you live at the park. Applications are usually due by April 15, but you should check with the individual park for the exact deadline.
Who is eligible? Youth, 15 through 18 years of age, who are permanent residents of the United States, are eligible for employment without regard to social, economic, racial, or ethnic backgrounds. Youth with physical or other challenges who can effectively participate in most YCC activities are eligible. Youth must have no history of serious criminal or other antisocial behavior that might endanger their safety or that of others; have or be able to obtain a work permit as required under the laws of their State; have a Social Security number or have made application of one.
InternMatch has links to some summer programs and internships in Los Angeles.
http://www.internmatch.com/s/summer-internships/los-angeles-ca
The Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles (ECCLA) has some links to internships at local museums:
http://eccla.org/teacher-resources-blog/internships-for-high-school-students/
FastWeb Career Planning
http://www.fastweb.com/career-planning/articles/205-internships-for-high-school-students
Big Future has information on Internships:
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/outside-the-classroom/how-to-find-an-internship-youll-value
Here are some internships in the entertainment industry:
http://www.entertainmentcareers.net/?source=google&gclid=CKWlzNbny7oCFYpxQgodrkcALg
Here is a student blog with some useful info:
http://tessrinearson.com/blog/?p=483
The Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program is a 7-week day program during the summer so 10-11th grade girls can learn coding and get exposure to tech jobs. Spend your summer at the hottest tech companies in the world! Plus, connect with female engineers in the field. Learn computer science through real-world projects in art and storytelling, robotics, video games, web sites, apps and more! Each week of the program covers projects related to computer science, such as art, storytelling, robotics, video games, web sites, and apps. You’ll also hear from guest speakers, participate in workshops, connect with female engineers and entrepreneurs, and go on field trips. The application deadline is March 16!
Summer Programs
Some universities offer summer programs for high school students. You can look at the web sites of the universities that interest you. Here are a few:
COSMOS is a Math and Science summer program offered at several University of California campuses. It is a residential program. (you get to live on campus!) Former Magnet students highly recommend this program.
UC Davis COSMOS
https://cosmos-ucop.ucdavis.edu/
UC San Diego COSMOS
http://www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/cosmos/
UC Irvine COSMOS
http://www.cosmos.uci.edu/about.html
UC Santa Cruz COSMOS
http://cosmos.ucsc.edu/
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) offers some summer programs and internships.
https://jplspaceship.jpl.nasa.gov/
UCLA has some engineering programs:
http://www.seasoasa.ucla.edu/high-school/high-school-summer-research-program
The Child Guidance Clinic some links to summer programs, jobs and internships:
http://www.childguidance.org/wp-content/uploads/Summer-internships-for-High-School-students-2011-English.pdf
Berkeley Chemistry, Research, Academics, and Mentoring (B-CRAM!)
July 14-August 27, 2019
B-CRAM! is a unique 2-week summer experience designed for motivated high school students entering grade 9 through 12 who are passionate about the chemical sciences and wish to excel their understanding of what college-level academics and life will be like. Students will experience intense immersion in each of the following areas over the two weeks.
July 14-August 27, 2019
B-CRAM! is a unique 2-week summer experience designed for motivated high school students entering grade 9 through 12 who are passionate about the chemical sciences and wish to excel their understanding of what college-level academics and life will be like. Students will experience intense immersion in each of the following areas over the two weeks.
The B-CRAM! program costs are $6,200, which includes instruction, room/board, excursions, class and laboratory materials, airport transfer, and program materials. There are a limited number of full scholarships available to under-represented students from the local Bay Area who are able to commute to the program. Apply Now at https://www.etouches.com/b-cram
