Summer Tech Internship gives students work experience
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RICHMOND -- Newly minted Edison High School alumnus Camden Waugh continued his hands-on education this summer as he assisted the district technology department in preparation for the 2026-2027 school year.
An Irondale resident, Waugh, was the latest participant in the summer internship program that Edison Local has held for the past three years. The program is supported through Building Bridges to Careers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that brings together education, business, and community to inspire students to explore and pursue meaningful career pathways, and it has opportunities for students in grades 9-12 or recent grads with an interest in information technology. They can work with the district or at area businesses for a minimum of 250 hours and grant funds are used help reimburse a portion of the intern’s pay. Pupils must have taken part in computer classes or have experience with the student technology leadership program to take part.
Waugh began his service in June, and his time wound down on Wednesday, but the days in between were busy as he helped district Technology Coordinator Rachael Granatir and Assistant Coordinator Tyler Roush provide IT support. He said it has been beneficial as he seeks to one day work in the field.
“It has definitely helped me get way more prepared. I just learned a lot,” he said, adding that he intended to take a gap year before heading on to college. “I made repairs to multitudes of Chromebooks and prepared new ones, and I helped with tickets coming into the tech leads. I really like it.”
Waugh also recommended the internship program to his peers.
“I highly suggest it for anybody who wants a summer job,” he concluded. “It gives you an idea if you’re going into the tech field.”
District Assistant Superintendent Julie Kireta said the internship has helped four teens gain on-the-job experience since the program first began. Tech students have a chance to assist the district technology department or an area business and generally work from May to August, but Waugh stayed until the end of September.
“One graduate worked with Knight Time Creations in Toronto. They were looking for part-time employees and we took high school students to [the business] to get a feel for it prior to applying. We’ve also had a student participate with Pierce Media (in Steubenville) in the past,” she explained. “I was also applying for the program because we have the summer internship in the district and we receive funding through the Appalachian STEM Collaborative, so the company gets reimbursed for some of the intern’s pay.”
She added that the district has an application process for interested teens and must provide job descriptions, hourly wages and other pertinent information as part of the reimbursement grant.
“The program requires the district to pay above minimum wage, and if the students work more than 250 hours, the district is reimbursed for 75 percent of the wages,” Kireta said. “Students are getting experience and we’re getting extra help in IT.”
She noted that Waugh assisted Granatir and Roush over the past few months to get ready for the start of school.
“Between Chromebooks and iPads, every student has a device, and we had a lot of updating to do,” she said, adding that the district includes about 1,400 students in addition to faculty and staff. “This is a high school internship and is open to students in high school or who are just graduated. It’s a great opportunity for businesses and our students, and if other businesses are interested, we can help find a student who might fit their needs.”
Granatir said having Waugh on board has been useful, and his experience with the EHS student tech program was advantageous. The student tech leads are pupils with IT skills who have helped repair and maintain Chromebooks and related technology for the schools.
“He was a student tech lead and helped set up Chromebooks. We do new Chromebooks in the first, fifth, and ninth grades every year,” she continued. “We also check in all Chromebooks in the elementary schools from first to sixth grades. He checked them out for the next year and also assisted with the new wireless access points at Stanton and John Gregg.”
The department also sends outdated equipment for recycling and Waugh was tasked with gathering, boxing and shipping those items, plus he aided with general office cleanup and organization.
“He gained an understanding of how the network works,” Granatir said. “It’s nice because you see them learning and understanding and it gives them a sense of responsibility. Cam’s seen the real-world impact of what we’re doing.”
Edison Career Pathways Coach Leah Eft said the program was promoted through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce as means to get more students into the in-demand field.
“We have a robust CTE Information Technology program led by Emily Waggoner that we go to when we need students for these types of opportunities because they are prepared to work at this level,” Eft said. “Typically, we ask Emily if any of her students are interested or she suggests students that would be good for the program, and we discuss it with them. We also ask those who are student technology leaders in the building as they have a deep content knowledge in this field.”
She noted that previous interns Jamie Barker and Cheyenne Jordan planned careers in computer science while Maddie Somerville went into communication. Waugh was the latest participant expected to make his way in the tech field.
“This program fits seamlessly into the district’s career-ready vision for all students. The best way to teach students to be prepared for the workforce is to put them into work experiences and guide them to do it with the soft skills and fidelity that is needed of modern workers. Our students are thriving in this type of work,” Eft added. “The district is not just talk when it comes to our students being ‘prepared for tomorrow.’ We are working hard together to ensure this is becoming a reality. The board and the superintendents are sacrificing time, money and effort to make sure students get these valuable experiences.”