Kendall
Thomas Jefferson High School
Kendall
Thomas Jefferson High School
The Launch Internship Program is a professional internship program where students gain first-hand experience in a high-interest career. High school students develop skills and gain valuable experience in internships aligned with industry clusters.
Internships are typically 75-110 hours, around 5-10 hours each week. These hours can be completed virtually, hybrid, or in-person. Students who complete the program successfully may be eligible for fellowship grants (financial incentives) and earn high school credit. Optional no-cost college credit is also available.
Students will be ready to thrive in their internships because of the professionalism training and ongoing coaching that is provided by DPS Navigators. Additionally, Navigators will provide case management services and logistical support to students throughout the program.
If you are a student interested in participating in Launch Internships, please use the Interest Form to be connected with a Navigator. Please note: Not all high schools offer Launch Internships. Contact the Launch Program Manager, for more information- Email: charlene_west@dpsk12.net.
Fall and spring internships are eight to 10 hours per week throughout one semester (approximately 10-12 weeks). Summer internships are 20 hours a week over six weeks.
Launch Program interns are usually released from their school day a little early to allow time to travel to their internship site and put in three to four hours at their internship site. You can work with your school counselor and Internship Coordinator or school administrator to ensure your schedule allows you to participate in the program.
Absolutely! The majority of Launch interns participate in the summer program.
All Launch interns are provided with a bus pass to get to and from their internship site. Clothing assistance for things like business clothes, work boots, etc. is also available.
Even though an average of 95% of interns complete the Launch Internship Program successfully, concerns may come up from time to time. Luckily, each student has a school administrator or Internship Coordinator to help with any bumps along the way. More than likely, the administrator or coordinator at your school can help resolve whatever isn’t working and get things back on track.
Complete this work based learning interest form. Your school’s Navigator or counseling department can help students with this or answer any questions.
Students who are interested will be offered the opportunity to interview with companies participating in the Launch Program. If a company selects a student as a result of the interview, your student is guaranteed an internship position.
The school’s Navigator will notify the student of their internship status. If your student is accepted, they will be required to complete a Skills Training for Young Professionals training with their Navigator before they begin working.
Each student can earn up to 1.0 elective units for completing Skills Training, 75 internship hours and a Presentation of Learning (POL) as well as a project incorporated into the internship experience. All paperwork including timesheets signed by the student and supervisor and performance evaluations must be turned in for students to receive full credit for the internship. The number of credits earned is based on the number of internship hours completed. Grading is pass/fail.
Grades issued during the school year should appear on the student’s transcript in the usual timeframe. It is a good idea for the student to check transcripts a few months after the internship to be sure credit was properly issued. The Navigator at your child’s school can assist students with any issues related to credits earned through the Launch Internship program.
All students who participate in the DPS Launch Internship Summer Program are eligible for a fellowship grant. To be eligible, students must meet specific criteria. Performance criteria and target award amounts are explained in the sample Launch Award system grid below.
There are two grant payments available to each qualifying student participating in the Launch Internship Program. Students may receive different grant amounts depending on performance during the internship. The maximum total amount of both awards combined is $500.
Your child will have access to their Mid-Term and Final Performance Evaluations which will determine the grant amount. Your child will be given access to the evaluations through Google. A link to the document with both the evaluation forms and timesheet will be provided to your child by the school’s Navigator.
The account will stay open until your child decides to close it or graduates from Denver Public Schools. If the account is still open at that time, a check for the amount left in the account will be sent to the last known address on the account.
Currently, the only way a student participating in the Launch Internship Program can be paid is through a Young Americans Bank account.
It takes two to three weeks from the time performance evaluations are complete for grant funds to be deposited into your child’s Young Americans Bank account. Ex. Mid-Term Evaluation is due by October 20. Fellowship grant funds will be deposited by November 3. If your child has earned a fellowship grant, the dates they can expect to receive a deposit will be provided by the school’s Navigator.
All fellowship grants will be paid through a bank account set up at Young Americans Bank. Money can be withdrawn in cash or used for purchases using an ATM/debit card. The account has a daily cash withdrawal limit of $100 and daily purchase limit of $500.
You may qualify for less than the full grant amount based on the grant criteria. Students who score under 75% on performance evaluations or fail to meet other grant criteria may be eligible for a smaller grant or no grant at all (see sample chart below).
