CHS internship program 'exploding ... in a really good way'

Carmen Thomas

When the CHS internship program started 12 years ago, it only had eight people. Now, nearly 200 students have internships.
The journey began with a handful of students partaking in work-based learning. Then, Dr. Chip Pettit became Duneland School Corporation superintendent. As director of internships Mark Peterson puts it, “He really challenged our administration, Mr. Martinson and Mrs. Peterson at that time, to create this opportunity that was much more expansive than just work-based learning.”
CHS drew inspiration from Avon and Crown Point, designing an innovative program that has become the new model, according to Candy Wilson, assistant director of internships and girls basketball coach.
“The state has added in some requirements for the diploma that actually have to do with kids getting job experiences,” Wilson said. “We are one of the programs they’re looking at to help develop other programs in the state…We are so far ahead of where everybody else is.”
Wilson and Peterson individually meet with each kid to find the best placement for them. Students can intern at hospitals, local businesses, airports, auto shops, law offices, and so much more. Most love their placement, but some may not.
“They still had an opportunity to experience something…even if that knowledge is ‘that
is not what I want to do,’” Peterson said. “So even the bad experiences, more often than not, are still good.”
Peterson told the story of a student intern at Smith Legal Group who decided a month into the school year that he had no desire to be an attorney. Ms. Smith challenged him to find something else within the office he could do.
“He ended up actually digitizing the entire office for her,” Peterson said. That student will graduate from IU next year with a degree in informatics.
Students’ internships can take them pretty much anywhere: college, trade school, or the workforce. Wilson described the variety in the program: “This isn’t just a ‘Hey, go to college’ thing we’re doing. We’re looking at trades as well.”
With the growing program, Wilson has been busy creating spreadsheets, new business cards, and even a webpage: https://chs.duneland.k12.in.us/programs-services/student-internship-program. Sixty-one percent of the Class of 2025 is outside the building at some point in the day, whether that be an internship, work-study, or Career-technical Education (CTE) learning.
“I see it kind of right in front of me, in a really good way,” Wilson said. “I can’t stop talking about it when people ask. I’m seeing it evolve right in front of my eyes and that’s what’s so exciting about it. I think we’re so innovative here.”
But ultimately, the students come first. Peterson emphasized, “What we hope to be able to build from this is not just numbers, but really quality experiences.”
The incoming senior Class of 2026 is seeing an even larger increase in number, with more than 200 students getting an innovatively non-traditional high school experience.