SFUSD Summer Career Exploration Program

This summer, over 875 SFUSD students are gaining hands-on career experience through internships and summer learning programs across the city. Spark* is thrilled to support SFUSD’s mission to ensure students are well-prepared on their path to post-secondary success.  From learning from San Francisco Giants’ executives at Oracle Park and working in luxury hospitality at the InterContinental Hotel to using power tools for building sheds and mentoring younger students, these students are honing their skills and gaining valuable experience in a variety of fields, ranging from education and child development to biotechnology, engineering, automotive sciences, construction, health, and ethnic studies. Below are some of the careers SFUSD students explored.

Through a collaborative program between City College of San Francisco and SFUSD, 30 high school students participated in the Automotive Summer Career Exploration Program at George Washington High School, while another 30 students explored careers in construction at John O’Connell Technical High School. Upon completion, each of the 60 students received college credit and a $600 stipend.

Additionally, some high school students gained experience in a sports executive front office with the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. They rotated through multiple departments, including operations, the Giants Community Fund, and Human Resources.

Five SFUSD high school students interned at the InterContinental San Francisco Hotel, where they learned about the luxury hospitality business, gaining experience in culinary services and human resources.

Ten SFUSD students interned with health and medical professionals at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center as part of the district’s internship program.

Several students completed an internship at UCSF's Kanbar Center for Simulation and Clinical Skills Lab, where they practiced life-saving skills that they learned on "sim-man" a talking mannequin. Watch ABC7 news report here.

Moreover, over 200 Latinx SFUSD high school student interns worked at SFUSD elementary and middle schools throughout the Mission, Outer Mission/Excelsior, and Bayview. They supported younger Latinx children while taking a City College of San Francisco course. Latinx district educators served as mentors, fostering community and creating a strong sense of belonging. Many interns took a CCSF Latin American Studies or Child Development course as part of their internship, aiming to inspire future generations of Latinx educators. SFUSD is proud to promote diversity in education by providing environments where high school students can explore careers that positively impact their community, build their college and career resumes, and support their families.