Educational Internship program, or EIP, is a part of a different type of schedule mainly available for seniors. This gives the student 2 or 3 class periods where, instead of being in a traditional English or math class, they are able to go out and learn different skills.
“EIP is a program where mostly seniors in high school get to go to one of the elementary or middle schools to help a teacher and learn what it takes in their day-to-day to teach. I really enjoy EIP because it shows me what teachers experience, and it gives me skills about education that I had no idea about. This program is not only for people who want to be teachers, but I do want to be a music teacher, and it’s really helping me,” senior Brayden Clarey said.
Many students get into the program for different reasons, not always just because they want to be a teacher. The program allows for different opportunities besides just a flexible schedule.
“Junior year in our history classes, Mrs. Taylor came in and talked to us about the program, telling us about the different grades and projects we could do at our schools. But she also mentioned this is good for A+ hours, and it’s an embedded English credit which we need to graduate,” senior Jake Green said.
Senior Anna Walsh talks about what the EIP program has done for her.
“EIP has been such a great experience for me so far. I love being able to see how much the kids have grown and changed in just the last couple months. Getting to work with them and help them has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. The kids really just make my day, and I’m so glad I’ve decided to do it,” senior Anna Walsh said.
EIP by the numbers:
- 91 LNHS interns
- Serving in 14 different schools
- Almost 30% of the interns are male
- 433,000 minutes (over 7200 hours) in the elementary and middle schools
- Most popular placement classroom this year? PE
Family Connections:
Story by Maddi Wilcox
North offers many programs for many attendees. One internship, known as the Individualized Education Program (EIP), centers around real-world learning opportunities that allow students to go into classrooms of different grade levels for multiple hours a day, providing experience for those involved. With these programs, they can encourage people to bond and connect in the shared space.
“I have loved the EIP program through LPS. Melissa Taylor does a wonderful job of putting interns where they’ll benefit from the most, while giving careful consideration to special situations like allowing a child to be paired with their own parent when both parties are willing. I love having an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands available to me during the class period(s) when my EIP student is there,” middle school teacher Katie Garrison said.
Despite typically being used by students wanting to pursue teaching, it can be a great way for families to connect outside of their homes.
“My favorite thing about working with my mom is just being able to help her and be her assistant for a couple of hours. With it being my Senior year, it’s really special getting to see her during the school day and spend extra time with her. EIP is still very beneficial for me because I’ve practiced communicating with students, and I’ve become a leader for my class. EIP has taught me life skills that will help me through a career in business and throughout life,” senior Libby Garrison said.
EIP is considered by many to be one of North’s most popular programs, which occasionally means that siblings will partake in it after the previous one has finished. Libby’s own siblings, Mac and Bailey, had done the program themselves, which could have encouraged her to do the same.
“I wanted to do EIP because both of my older siblings did EIP with my mom and had so much fun. I was introduced to it by my siblings, but after hearing more about it, I got more interested in doing it. I like being able to make connections with each student and help them with math,” Libby Garrison said.
As seniors graduate earlier than the rest of the students at North, it can restrict time spent with parents, as some students go off to their post-high school options and opportunities. But, by sharing a space for an entire year, it can be beneficial as it encourages both Libby and Katie to spend extra time together.
“Each of my children’s senior years in high school has flown by too quickly, so being able to have them come work with me for a couple of hours at my school during that year has given me the opportunity to spend even more time with them. It also allowed me to see them in a different setting, where students look up to them as a leader, and watching them shine in this particular setting makes my heart so happy,” Katie Garrison said.
Doing the program may help students to be more confident in accomplishing tasks, which in turn can be beneficial for teachers. It can be especially helpful if it is a daughter helping her mother throughout the day.
“Getting to have any EIP student is a huge help to me each year, but the added bonus of being able to have ALL THREE of my own children EIP for me over the years has been so special. My favorite thing about working with Libby is knowing that I can count on her to do anything I might need done. She doesn’t mind my asking her to grade homework, or work on a bulletin board, or pull some students who have missing assignments to work one-on-one with to try to get caught up, or do a math warm-up with my class, or just anything at all. She is such a flexible helper, and I am so grateful to have her help each day,” Katie Garrison said.