TAG-Ed’s Summer Internship Program was launched in 2009 to encourage young adults to pursue STEM careers and fill Georgia’s workforce pipeline. Since the program began, TAG-Ed has placed more than 600 of Georgia’s best and brightest students in 100+ companies in Atlanta and around the state. That number continues to grow year after year as host companies are realizing the program’s far reaching benefits: not only does the internship provided to these students give them valuable experience that will help shape their paths after high school,but the companies get to play a direct role in the shaping of their future workforce. For five weeks during the summer, typically between June and August, student interns will work on a defined project alongside your team. Previous projects have included website development, prototype testing, social media strategy and much more. Oftentimes, TAG-Ed interns are so successful that they are asked to extend their internships or are recruited to work part-time during the school year. Not only is the program successful, it is easy to get involved.

The process is simple:

  1. TAG-Ed works with you to define a valuable project for your company or organization.
  2. TAG-Ed sends 2-4 prescreened candidates for you to interview via phone, Skype, or in person.
  3. Once you have selected your intern, TAG-Ed notifies the student and ensures they complete their necessary paperwork, connects them to their mentors, and provides a student/mentor orientation on how to make the most of the internship experience.
  4. TAG-Ed will send an invoice to your company; $1,000 for the student stipend (5 week standard internship) and $250 for the program administration. After satisfactory completion we send your intern his/her stipend!

Previous mentors can’t say enough good things about their intern experience. One mentor says, “Outstanding – teams she worked with consistently praised [her] high caliber of work, professionalism, and ability to be uninhibited to jump in and do work. [She] even presented to senior level personnel without missing a beat – she impressed them.” For a better understanding of the students that have gone through this program and the impact it has made on them, take a look at TAG-Ed’s Wall of Fame, spotlighting program alumni, by visiting www.stemreach.org/wall-of-fame.

While the internships take place between June and August, we have already started receiving and reviewing applications! Act now, and make an impact in the life of a Georgia student. If you are interested in investing in Georgia’s future workforce by hosting a TAG-Ed summer intern, please visit the website where you’ll find links to register, program information, video testimonials, and more: www.tagedonline.org/summer-internships or contact Jillian Heaton at jillian@tagonline.org. You’ll be amazed by what a high school student can accomplish.

Reprinted from EAST COBBER’s March 2016 issue

Does your teen have a summer internship lined up? Where will he or she work? Please share with us below!