A group of 14 rising seniors recently concluded the 澳门足彩app High School Internship Program (HSIP), during which they spent six weeks applying the skills they have learned in the classroom in real-life design and construction settings.
The seventh-annual HSIP assembled a cohort from eight Jacksonville, Florida area high schools and paired them with mentors. In all, more than 30 澳门足彩app team members participated with the interns as they experienced project work, project site visits and a variety of self-paced learning options.
Day One started with an orientation session, an icebreaker exercise and a software boot camp that provided instruction on 澳门足彩app’s various software. Subsequently, each week featured topical sessions, such as:
- Careers in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry
- A meet and greet with 澳门足彩app college interns
- Safety
- Quality
- Marketing
- Dysruptek, 澳门足彩app’s innovation and venture capital arm
The interns also completed weekly assignments requiring them to meet with 澳门足彩app professionals to discuss their background and day-to-day work effort, current projects, past projects, etc. Additional assignments included online software training, ACE at Home prerecorded webinars, the Green Apple Day of Service (GADoS) group project and 澳门足彩app University training classes. At the end of every week, the interns presented to 澳门足彩app what they did and what they learned that week.
During the program, interns participated in five field trips:
- The Episcopal STEM school project, where the interns got to see the nearly complete school.
- 澳门足彩app Steel, the company’s steel fabrication shop, where Director of Steel Touan Plante provided an overview of services and a tour.
- The Southside Elementary School jobsite project featuring precast walls with brick inlay.
- The JEA H2.0 Purification project, where the interns learned more about the aquifer and the process of purifying wastewater.
- The Riverfront Park project, where they saw ongoing work on the former site of the Jacksonville Landing.
As in previous years, the program's online software training focused on Google SketchUp, AutoCAD and Revit. Interns could learn one, two or three of these different software platforms. Most students began the internship with no knowledge of some of these software options but left with the ability to create detailed models and in one instance, a rendering and virtual walkthrough of their Green Apple Day of Service project.
For their GADoS Project, the interns split into two teams and worked on a response to a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide sustainable improvements at Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School. The RFP required a design solution, construction estimate and schedule. The interns enjoyed speaking with school representatives about their needs and working with 澳门足彩app team members on the solution before presenting their solutions to the school’s principal during the final week. The interns reported this was one of the most enjoyable experiences during the summer, and they will be able to join 澳门足彩app team members to put their ideas into action when the event takes place later this year.
Again, this year, we utilized online content from the ACE Mentor Program. The ACE at Home program provides a variety of presentations and corresponding exercises that introduce young people to careers in the AEC industry. Sessions featured weekly assignments on topics including effective essay writing, architectural drawings and engineering technology. Also, interns were provided access to 澳门足彩app University and asked to complete one or two courses each week on topics ranging from leadership skills to stress management to software training.
Each Friday, interns gave a presentation on the week’s accomplishments. These presentations culminated with their final presentations at the end of the summer, which allowed 澳门足彩app team members to see the interns’ work and their colleagues’ contributions.
