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2024 Teacher Summer Externship

The YES! Teacher Summer Externship is an initiative of Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas that provides high school educators’ professional development opportunities with local businesses to enrich classroom learning. The five-day externship experience will be held inJune 2025, and consist of an orientation, three days of teachers on-site with the businesses, and a final presentation day. Teacher externs must meet eligibility requirements. Dates and additional details for the 2025 externship will be provided here when available.

BECOME A BUSINESS HOST

As a Business Host, your company will provide local high school educators with professional development opportunities to enrich classroom to career connections for students. This program gives you an opportunity to have a direct impact on student learning and your future workforce by providing valuable insight into relevant workplace skills and knowledge for educators to implement into their lesson plans. It also allows your employees to develop their leadership and mentoring skills, as well as helps your company build connections with local schools. Review the information in the sections below to learn more!

WHY TEACH A TEACHER?

Industry business partners benefit from the externship program in the following ways:

Impacting the classroom without leaving the walls of your company
Allowing teachers to keep abreast of changes in your industry field & use that knowledge in the classroom
Engaging with local educators and school districts
Providing your company with a highly visible community engagement activity
Contributing to the homegrown pipeline of your industry’s future employees

WHAT DOES IT COST THE BUSINESS EXTERNSHIP HOST?

Not a thing. Teacher stipends, worker’s compensation, and liability insurance are covered by the participating Independent School District and through a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission. There is no cost to the business partner.

Business Host Contact Information:
Jose Palacios, Manager of Business & Industry Initiatives
Phone: 254-296-5383
Email Jose Palacios

BECOME A TEACHER EXTERN

As a Teacher Extern, you will spend time in businesses across various industries and learn from direct job site experiences about how classroom content and learning strategies are applied in the workplace. This firsthand exposure can help you bring relevance to student learning, making your classroom content more engaging and meaningful. By gaining insights into both the technical and essential skills required in the workplace, you will be able to integrate them into your teaching plans and classroom management to better prepare students for future careers and local market demands. Review the sections below to learn more!

WHAT DOES THE EXTERNSHIP CONSIST OF?

The YES! Teacher Externship is a five-day externship experience that consists of an orientation, three days of teachers on-site with business hosts, and a final presentation day. Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas secures each business externship host for participating teachers.

IS THERE COMPENSATION?

Yes, the YES! Teacher Summer Externship is a paid externship funded by grants awarded to Workforce Solutions for the Heart of Texas by the Texas Workforce Commission. Teacher Externs will receive $1,000 after successfully meeting all Externship participation and attendance requirements.

Teacher Extern Contact Information:
Sugey Jaimes, Project Support Specialist
Phone: 254-296-5392
Email Sugey Jaimes

Hear it from our Business Hosts!

This has been an amazing week! Please add St. Anthony’s to your list for next year. We would love to participate in assisting students with their career choices.

St. Anthony's Care Center, 2023 Business Externship Host

Fabian was interactive, curious, knowledgeable, kind to everyone and took initiative to assist in any way that he could. It was a pleasure to host a teacher. We hope to participate again next year.

Jack of All Trades Personnel Services, 2023 Business Externship Host

I was able to talk to the teachers and understand what their needs are. Was able to offer real life experience as to what industry is looking for. Both … were very interested in the operations at the plant. They were very flexible to work with and the employees at the plant also enjoyed talking and explaining what they did to them.

Lehigh White Cement, 2021 Business Externship Host

We enjoyed having Justin here as a teacher extern. Justin is always eager to learn new information that he can take back to the classroom.

KWTX-TV, 2021 Business Externship Host

Hear it from our Externs!

This experience was fantastic! I greatly enjoyed getting to learn about job skills and requisite knowledge for the senior residential and health community. The host provided us with a wonderful, curated experience. I will be able to take the knowledge back and introduce it throughout my classes.

Jennifer

University High School Teacher, 2023 Brookdale Senior Living Extern

This was an outstanding program!! I am so thankful for the opportunity. I really did not know what to expect and I was blown away by the intentionality and time that PCA gave to help me understand their industry. I really did walk away with a better understanding of the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in their workplace. These local partnerships are invaluable as I know that I am teaching the future workforce. I want to be a bridge between the classroom and the industry so that each student is set up for long term success.

Lisa

Midway High School Teacher, 2023 PCA Extern

For a teacher who teaches Life Skills, this was an amazing experience! I know what skills and qualities I need to focus on with my students as we work on career readiness. Thank you for an amazing opportunity to better prepare my students!

Laurie

Harmony School of Innovation Teacher, 2023 Brookdale Assisted Living Extern