About Us

"You will all be working at terrific locations... Take advantage of this experience. This is a chance to invest in yourself. Become connoisseurs in your passions. Talk to your mentors. Let them know what you want to gain from working with them."

– Darrell Begemann, NASA Intern 2013

About Us

The DC Public Schools (DCPS) Career Ready Internship initiative is managed by the DCPS College and Career Programs Division.  The Career Ready Internship initiative allows highly qualified Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) applicants to interview for paid internships with leading industry employers in their career field of choice. These internships are designed to expose students to the world of competitive employment and help guide students through the career exploration process.

Each Career Ready Intern receives employability skills training prior to interviewing for an internship opportunity. Our intern preparation utilizes the Tenacity – Employability Skills Curriculum, which centers on the development of three character strengths: poise, initiative and tenacity. The objective is to train students to adopt and apply these three character strengths to their own working habits. The goal of the training, and, ultimately, the internship experience, is not only to provide students with the hard and soft skills necessary for success but also to promote a continuing culture of excellence.