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The Metro South Connecting Activities Partnership is a collaboration of the
City of Brockton Office of Linda Balzotti
the Brockton Area Workforce Investment Board, and
the Metro South Chamber of Commerce
funded by the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
Connecting Activities is a unique program where area employers
provide youth a meaningful worksite learning experience
that builds academic, technical, and workplace skills.
Internships assist students in making more informed decisions
about the education they need to be successful in a variety of
career paths, including college, technical training, apprenticeships, and more.
Kathleen Lynch
Connecting Activities Coordinator
Competitive Workforce Division
P: 508-586-0500 ext. 227
F: 508-587-1340
klynch@metrosouthchamber.com
ABOUT CONNECTING ACTIVITIES
- Connects schools and businesses to provide structured work-based learning experiences for students
- Provides a real-world context for teaching a more relevant curriculum
- Relates students academic lessons in school with their career ambitions
- Utilizes the Massachusetts Work Based Learning Plan to guide learning and productivity on the job
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
- Employer Internships for High School Students
- School / Employer Collaborations
- Youth Workforce Skill and Career Development
- Job Shadowing Opportunities
WHO WILL BENEFIT?
STUDENTS
- Real-world experience strengthens academic performance
- Helps students graduate with workplace skills
- Provides necessary skills needed for career success
- Lowers dropout rate by engaging students
EMPLOYERS
- Develops a competitive workforce
- Develops relationships with schools and community
- Provides subsidized, paid or unpaid internships
- Increases employee retention
- Opportunity to address projects that are placed on “back-burner”
TEACHERS
- Provides new career connections in the classroom
- Develops new and existing curriculum
- Creates new classroom activities
WORK-BASED LEARNING PLAN
- A tool designed to drive learning and productivity in jobs, internships and other work-based learning experiences
- Identifies ability level within skill areas (diagnostic)
- Drives quality of student learning and productivity (goal-setting)
- Assesses student progress (assessment)
- Click here to view the Massachusetts Work Based Learning Plan
EMPLOYER INVOLVEMENT
- Provide internships for area youth
- Utilize the Work-Based Learning Plan that promotes youth skill attainment
- Attend Chamber sponsored Employer Activities / Forums
- Promote Connecting Activities to Employer peers
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Brockton High School |
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Stoughton High School Helen Rabouin 232 Pearl Street Stoughton, MA 02072 (781) 344-7001 www.stoughtonschools.org |
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Whitman-Hanson |
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My Turn |
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PARTICIPATING EMPLOYERS
For a full listing please click here
AccuRounds |
CRT Recycling |
Montello Heel |
IS IT SUCCESSFUL?
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“Internship is a great opportunity for students to have real-world experiences in their field of interest. My expertise is in analytical and environmental chemistry. My interns experience doing field work (such as soil sampling) as well as lab work, including the use of some state-of-the-art instruments for chemical testing, hence they get a clear picture of what chemistry entails. In the end, I believe their experiences help them decide if they want to stay in the field of science (and so far all of them decided to do so). It is such a rewarding experience when I see them work as chemists and at the same time have fun in the lab or in the field."
-Dr. Cielito “Tammy” King, Professor, Bridgewater State College
“Rockland Trust is committed to serving the community with our banking program at the Whitman-Hanson High School. Our branch located inside the High School provides students with the opportunity to work as a teller providing customer service to teachers, peers and school staff. In the beginning, the students start out a little nervous but when their time is up they all leave with a sense of accomplishment. Not only do students learn how a bank branch operates by following policies and procedures but they learn to provide exemplary customer service. I am proud to say some students have continued on with Rockland Trust as a career choice, but I am also proud to say they all leave with a better understanding of banking.”
-Madalin Callis, High School Trainer, Rockland Trust Company
“Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital welcomes High School students for volunteering. These relationships create a win - win situation for the students and the hospital, helping to create a volunteer base while providing these young volunteers with a tremendous opportunity within the healthcare setting. We are fortunate to be part of the Whitman Hanson Internship Program.”
-Elena Ceurvels-Murphy, Director of Volunteers, Signature Healthcare
“The experience I have had as an intern at Crescent Credit Union is beyond my expectations and is not one that the average high school senior has the opportunity to experience. I want to become an accountant and I am working in my field in the Operations Department with identity theft and daily financial reports.”
-Ashlee McCall, Brockton High School Senior
“Working at George’s Garage in Brockton has really helped me make a connection between school and work because I would like to be an automotive technician in the future.”
-Dennis Wade, Brockton High School Senior
"Shadowing one of the surgical nurses was very interesting because we learned what they did on a daily basis. It helped us to be able to picture ourselves in a medical environment and showed us the benefits of nursing."
-Sarah Nitenson and Olga Novitsky, Stoughton High School Seniors
"An inspirational experience that made me want to consider the possibility of working in the health care field."
-Beena Patel and Michelle Brauneis, Stoughton High School Seniors
“This course has helped me improve my personal development skills and get ready to enter the workforce by allowing me to work with many different people in many different atmospheres. I know that there are always people that need my help and that I can make a difference in their lives, no matter how small. I love the sense of accomplishment that I get helping other people, and I will continue to do so.”
-Michelle Crisp, Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Senior
“This course taught me how to be good at interviews. After my interview for the internship, I was offered two paying job interviews. I used what I learned from class, and got both jobs in which I am working now.”
-Ryan Fitch, Whitman-Hanson Regional High School Senior
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Follow the link below to fill out form.
SIGN UP
Fill out form and send or fax back to:
Kathleen Lynch
Metro South Chamber of Commerce
Sixty School Street
Brockton, MA 02301
P: 508-586-0500 ext. 227
F: 508-587-1340
For more information about Connecting Activities, please visit the official website of the
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES
Even Worse For Teens
Deterioration in U.S. Young Adult Labor Market
Making the Workplace A Learning Place
Partnership for 21st Century Skills