The Externship for the Honors/Gifted course offers the unique opportunity for the true blending of education and community. Select twelfth grade Leon County students may elect to take a portion of his/her educational program outside the classroom with an approved community sponsor for the purpose of exploring a career, pursuing an academic study and/or working with an outstanding leader. Any area of placement based upon the student's interest, talents and/or ability may be considered. Students may be matched with specialists in such areas as medicine, law, government, business, education, and community agencies. Students must be able to devote two class periods per day, preferably the last two of the day, to the externship program. They may earn one elective high school credit per semester.
Candidates for the externship program are screened to assess maturity, self-direction and interest in the program. The student must demonstrate the ability to make important decisions regarding time management, problem solving, and goal setting. The student will need a high degree of self-discipline due to increase in responsibility and decrease in direct supervision in the adult world of work. The student must be highly motivated to work independently, as well as directly with the experts in the field.
Sponsors are carefully selected based upon the following criteria:
* They share a talent, interest, or expertise in an area to which the student wants further exposure.
* They relate well to young people.
* They are willing to involve students in decision making activities.
* They operate at high levels of leadership and provide a good role model for the student.
Five hours a week will be spent with the externship sponsor. One day a week the student will participate in a seminar with the externship coordinator. The seminar will provide the student with experiences in career exploration, leadership development, decision making, refinement of communication skills, and research. They will share experiences, hear guest speakers, take field trips related to the areas of placement, and work on individual projects.
The special one-on-one relationship of the student and sponsor provides the student those valued gifts of time and shared expertise which are many times not possible within the school system. If the student is highly motivated and goal directed, the rewards are great. The student holds the ultimate responsibility for the degree of success he/she experiences in this unique educational endeavor.
Externship Coordinators:
Mrs. Jan Dunlap
Ms. Mary Petrandis