Maynard Jackson High School Principal Stephanie Johnson has successfully launched Jackson’s “Mission Possible: Summer Opportunity” initiative, which has landed almost 500 summer jobs and internships for her students.
Johnson, who arrived at Jackson in November 2012, began searching for summer jobs opportunities after hearing a student comment that during the summer, since students don’t have to report to school everyday, they have a greater chance of getting into trouble. Johnson contacted the Southeast Atlanta Communities for Schools (SEACS), and soon after, calls from local business representatives began pouring into the school.
As a result of the Mission Possible: Summer Opportunity initiative, nearly 500 Jackson students walked away with summer employment and internship opportunities. Students who were assigned summer jobs are earning between $7.50/hr and $14/hr. Although internships are typically regarded as unpaid training with an instructional focus, some companies are offering the Jackson interns stipends as large as $300.
The Jackson students displayed a significant amount of effort and discipline to gain and maintain summer jobs. Johnson does not want that hard work to end when the students receive their final check for the summer.
“I hope that skills such as attendance and follow-through on assignments will carryover into academic responsibility in August as a result of summer employment,” said Johnson.
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