The Millstone Times

Allentown’s High School’s Senior Practicum Program Learning by Doing By Pam Teel Allentown’s Senior Practicum program offers qualified (good grades, excellent attendance) students the opportunity to participate in one of three options that usually take place during one of their scheduled periods throughout the day, depending on their choice of options. Typically students take this opportunity for one semester during their senior year (the only year in which it is offered), however others do occasionally participate the whole year. The three options are as follows: 1. Students can participate in an internship. Many internships happen on campus for those wishing to shadow a teacher in any grade level or their in-house physical trainer. Students also have the opportunity to shadow, volunteer, or intern with an outside enterprise. Students are placed in all varieties of businesses from medicine to physical therapy, from veterinarians to finance, and more. It all depends upon their individual interests and what is available. Gunther Publishing is presently working with Allentown’s Internship Program and would like the community to recognize the incredible opportunities the High School has to offer their students. 2. Some students participate in independent projects. Over the last few years, the coordinator for Senior Practicum, Mr. Robert Wicks, has had students write and publish novels, direct the senior play, and create marketing videos for the school. Each student that completes a project is required to do so under the guidance of a mentor who can help to keep them focused, on-task, and organized. Allentown All students are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours within their choice of practicums. They are responsible for weekly journaling of their experience and must attend twice monthly lunch meetings where they discuss their experience at a round table and receive helpful articles on careers and college from their coordinator. Students are also required to submit signed time sheets as proof of time spent. At the conclusion of their experience, students are invited to give a presentation that describes not only their unique experience, but also a reflection on what they've learned about themselves in the process. As the coordinator for Senior Practicum, Mr. Wicks belongs to several Chambers of Commerce, including Princeton, Mid Jersey, and Western Monmouth, in order to forge relationships with prospective mentors to provide students with a stronger base of choices from which to choose for placement; although, students can also go to Mr. Wicks with a connection and desire on where they would like to start. Anyone interested in connecting with Allentown High School for this purpose should direct any questions to Mr. Wicks, the Practicum Coordinator. He would be happy to meet with you and discuss student volunteer opportunities. It's a great way to introduce students to career pathways, make connections, and have them complete tasks and projects that will benefit their knowledge at no cost to the mentor. Robert L. Wicks, - The Coordinator of Senior Practicum, Upper Freehold Regional School District, 609-259-7292 x 1511. 3. Other students choose to get some early college classes out of the way or take an exploratory class at a local community college in order to be one step ahead in their future course selection and future college majors.

Student, Vincent Conoscenti, the son of the Marketing Consultant at Gunther Publications, recently participated in a fall semester as an intern and completed a wonderful internship with Spacebar Recording Studio in Jackson. Another Allentown student, Nicole Iuzzolino is presently interning at Gunter Publishing as a Writer for the paper. If you are interested in an internship with Gunther Publishing, please send an email to Jolene Conoscenti- Director of Recruitment at: Jolene@gunterhpublications. com.

Pix 1 Nicole Iuzzolino Pix 2 Vincent Conoscenti Nicole Iuzzolino Vincent Conoscenti

March 2018 arch 2018

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The Millstone Times