Visit their website: AOIT.ORG
The National Academy Foundation (NAF) is a leader in the movement to prepare young people for college and career success. For nearly 30 years, NAF has refined a proven educational model which includes industry-focused curricula, work-based learning experiences, and business partner expertise from our four themes: Finance, Hospitality & Tourism, Information Technology, and Engineering. Employees of more than 2,500 companies volunteer in classrooms, act as mentors, engage NAF students in paid internships and serve on local Advisory Boards.
Founded in 1982 by Sanford I. Weill, Chairman Emeritus of Citigroup Inc., NAF fosters partnerships between the business and education communities to provide opportunities to underserved students. Weill’s original intent was to connect young people to entry-level jobs in New York City’s growing financial sector. His program did much more than that. His vision led to a national movement of preparing students for successful careers.
Academy of Information Technology: Host an Intern
When you host a summer internship position for a AOIT student, you and your business benefit. AOIT students are enthusiastic, prepared, and highly conscientious. Each has the potential to add value and efficiency to your workplace environment. These are the components of a paid, professional AOIT internship:
- Students apply and interview for the job
- Students are paid at least minimum wage to work for a defined time period, often full-time for 6-10 weeks the summer of their junior year of high school;
- Students report directly to their supervisors in the workplace and benefit from periodic supervision and guidance from staff at their Academy; and
- Students and employers hold themselves and one another to a high standard of leadership, professionalism, and accountability.
Business partners work closely with AOIT instructors or administration before the internship to ensure these expectations will be met. Paid, professional internships must also offer students:
- an extension of their Academy instruction and curriculum in a particular field.
- experience honing their soft workplace skills, such as teamwork, critical thinking, decorum, conflict resolution, time management, ingenuity, problem-solving, and a solid understanding of the importance of written and oral communication; and
- entry-level exposure to a career in their chosen field and to experiences and situations they can expect if they pursue a career in that field.
For more information about bringing an intern into your company:
Call Alex Funkhouser, Academy of Information Technology Advisory Board, Miami-Dade County: 305-458-5579
