M-DCPS Students Gain Valuable Work Experience and Skills in Their Areas of Interest in The Summer Youth Internship Program

In 2017, when Carlos Vazquez was starting up EdTech, this brand-new workforce technology training company, he needed young hard-working talent, willing to conduct research and create virtual toolkits. This hard-working talent also needed to be computer savvy and have great social media skills. Unfortunately, because this was a startup, it needed to be cost effective.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) high school students from the Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) turned out to be the best way to get smart, qualified young people on a budget.

“These young interns apply their energy and perspective and research skills to help us figure out how to relate to the community we’re trying to serve,” said Vazquez. “They help us with their connections with social media, and we can use tools like TikTok and Reels to promote our workshops.”

The program, now in its eighth year, pairs 10th- to 12th-grade students with employers for five weeks in the summer. This year, the program runs from July 7 to August 3 so students can work in jobs in their field of interest while getting paid and gaining a high school credit. Students may also receive dual enrollment credit if they meet criteria established by Miami Dade College (MDC) or Florida International University (FIU).

Students work 30 hours a week Monday through Friday and the wages are paid by the program, not the employer.

Vazquez said his interns helped create campaigns and fliers to get the community excited about their workshops. The five or six interns he hires this summer will help with the curriculum and put together resources that guide the way EdTech organizes its workshops.

“I was able to do work that interested me with a company whose values interested me,” said Venus Becar, now a sophomore at FIU, who interned for EdTech in the summer of 2021 and now works there part-time. “I was organizing files, going through research, and promoting the company through the events we organized.”

Vazquez said the experience planning the workshops helped her decide she wanted to go into the hospitality industry as an event planner.

Students participating in the SYIP work in a variety of fields ranging from law offices and engineering firms to Miami-Dade County offices and daycare centers. In addition to work experience, students collaborate with employers and co-workers from diverse backgrounds, all leading to students who become confident in their ability to work with others and express themselves in a professional way.

“I worked at Chai Tees this past summer and I learned effective communication and networking skills, just to name a few,” said 10th-grader Nigel Williams, who interned last summer and now hopes to be placed this summer in a hotel to learn more about the hospitality industry. “I learned how to conduct myself professionally, collaborated with co-workers for five weeks, and now I call them friends.”

Last year, 2,729 students from 65 schools participated in internships with 695 employers. M-DCPS and its partners invested $4.7 million in the program.

This year, M-DCPS is once again partnering with The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade County, CareerSource South Florida, EdFed credit union and the Foundation for New Education Initiatives (FNEI) to offer these internships to students who complete the application process by May 26. Thanks to a new donation from Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, funding for this summer’s program has grown to more than $6 million, enabling it to reach more students than ever. Employers can hire as many as ten interns.

“Employers get an opportunity to expose young people to their industry and create interest in pursuing a potential career,” said FNEI Executive Director Ann Stith. “Employers get to mentor these students and they get bright, highly motivated individuals to perform whatever tasks they need to help them with their businesses or practices.”

So far, seven hundred employers have signed up. SYIP plans to pair some 3,000 high schoolers this summer and with the additional funding, the hope is to raise that number to 6,000 in the next few years. Interested businesses looking to participate on SYIP can call 305.693.3005 to register.