Career Internships for High School & College Students in MA

About TEC's Internship Certificate Program

Participating in an internship is one of the best ways for students in high school and college to explore a career and gain work experience. An internship can either confirm a career interest or lead a student in a new direction through career exploration.

The Education Cooperative (TEC) Internship Certificate Program is a hands-on career exploration placement program supporting junior and senior high school students; and college students in the Boston Metrowest area. For over 15 years, we have developed outstanding relationships with local businesses, organizations, and public sector employers who serve as mentors for our internship students.

TECs Internship Certificate Programs are UNPAID. Students may receive credit for their participation from their district school. Credit is determined by the school the student attends. Students should reach out to their counselor to ask about potential credit.

Requirement: Students must complete at least two years of high school to qualify for the program.

How to Apply?

You may view our Internship FAQ's here!

Registration for summer internships opens the prior January and remains open through the end of April. If you are interested in an Internship during the school year (after school hours), please contact us by emailing Lauren Carreiro at lcarreiro@tec-coop.org

Benefits of an Internship

An internship helps you figure out what you want to do and gives you a head start on achieving it.

Discover Your Passion: Try out different fields to see what you love and may want to study in the future.

Boost Your Resume: Impress colleges and future employers with your initiative to learn.

Develop Professionalism: Learn workplace etiquette, time management, and how to conduct yourself in a professional setting.

Expand Your Network: Meet professionals who can become mentors or future connections.

Gain Real-World Experience: Apply what you learn in school to real-life situations.

Build Essential Skills: Learn practical skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving that you can apply in everyday life.

TEC's Internship Timeline

Step 1

Apply Online

Registration is open from January through April for summer internships.

Students will be asked to submit a resume, statement of interest, and photo with their application. All applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. STEM fields of study are the most in-demand internships, so apply early.

Step 2

Meet Your Internship Coordinator

You will be matched with an internship coordinator.

You will receive an email within one week of completing your online registration to set up a meeting over Google Meet. Your coordinator is dedicated to helping you find an internship that is specific to your interests and skills.

Step 3

Fine Tune Your Resume & Interview Skills

Work together with your Internship Coordinator.

Before your interview, you will work with your coordinator to perfect your resume and learn new interviewing skills and techniques. This will help prepare you for the interview with a potential employer.

Step 4

Review Workplans & Interview

Your Coordinator will match you with an internship placement.

When you receive your placement details, you will contact the employer to schedule an interview. Interviews are usually conducted by someone who will be your mentor or direct supervisor.

Step 5

Start Your Internship

Let the real fun begin!

After the interview, if both sides agree it seems like a good fit, you will work with the mentor to set your work schedule. Students must complete 60 hours (or more) and six journal assignments. A typical schedule may be 12-15 hours of work per week over four or more consecutive weeks.

Step 6

Internship Completed

Your mentor will complete the assessment form to evaluate your job performance.

Once you have fulfilled all the requirements, a Certification of Completion will be mailed to your home and School Counseling Department. You will have a new work experience to add to your resume and professional contacts to use as a reference or recommendation.

How to Apply?

Application Process

To begin the application process, we encourage all students to apply online. Payment can be completed using PayPal or check. While we strive to place every student who applies and is accepted into our program, registration closes once we reach the number of available placements. Apply early!

For the Summer Program, registration is open in January. For those interested in a non-summer internship, academic applications are due at least 8 weeks before the desired start date, and admissions are rolling.

Your application MUST BE COMPLETED in FULL (including all required attachments and payment) to begin your placement process. Be advised that the online application system will not save information and allow you to complete the application later.

To apply you MUST attach: 1) resume; 2) photo; 3) paragraph stating your interest to intern. Please submit attachments as Word documents.

Once we receive your completed application, the program coordinator from The Education Cooperative will contact the student to set up a Google Meet screening interview.

Program Fees and Refund Policy

Summer and Academic Year Internships for 60-hours:

$850 for students who attend school in TEC member districts*.
$950 for students who attend schools in Non-TEC member districts and all college students.

* TEC districts: Canton, Dedham, Dover-Sherborn, Framingham, Holliston, Hopkinton, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Norwood, Walpole, Wayland, Westwood.

The application is not considered complete until we have received full payment and the student's placement process will not begin until the application is complete.

The program fee covers:

Individual interviews, resume development
Internship placement
Career assessment and reflective journaling
Supervision and evaluation
Administrative costs of internship development

We do our utmost to find a custom placement in one of the student's chosen fields. Students must interview with and be accepted by the TEC Program Coordinator and the Sponsor.

Please see our Refund and Liability Policies Linked here.

Interested in mentorship?

Our dedicated mentors are extremely vital and the key to our Internship Program's success.

If you are interested in sponsoring one of our awesome students, we encourage you to fill out a sponsor interest form. This will give us a better sense of your organization and what you would be looking for in an intern.

If you are interested in learning more, about being a sponsor, please view this sheet to see what we look for in our mentors.

All interested mentors and organizations may reach out to Lauren Carreiro at lcarreiro@tec-coop.org for more information.

View Mentor Role

Sponsor Interest Form

Contact Internships
and Career Exploration

Lauren Carreiro

Internships and Career Exploration Coordinator

The Education Cooperative
141 Mansion Drive, Suite 200, East Walpole, MA 02032
781-352-5721
lcarreiro@tec-coop.org

What Our People Say

I thought the internship program that I was placed in was excellent. I learned a lot about potential future careers and I got job experience. I was very happy with the staff around me, and I would definitely recommend this internship to someone else.

Max

Student Intern

What a great experience our son had with his law placement! The group was very welcoming and gave him meaningful work. He is very interested in law school now. I am very appreciative... our son's internship was exactly what we had hoped for him! Thank you!

Michelle

Parent of an Intern

The program is excellent. It provides a great opportunity for people at the high school level to get real work experience. I learned so much about (my chosen) field and had a great time in my internship.

Nick

Summer Intern

Internship Certificate Program

About TEC's Internship Certificate Program

Benefits of an Internship