The (High School) Apprentice-- You're Hired!

Every July, the Museum offices welcome some new faces for the summer: the High School Apprenticeship Program interns (HSAPs for short). From February to May, these students--who are chosen from New York City public schools--learn about Jewish heritage and the Holocaust through a series of bi-weekly after-school seminars. From July to mid-August, they not only give tours to young people visiting the Museum, but also work in a number of departments in one-week rotations.


I am the Communications department mentor (which we call "departmentor") and work with a student a week on a variety of tasks. Not only is it great to have someone there to help complete department projects, but it's also a lot of fun working one-on-one with the interns. They are all genuinely curious to learn and eager to take on new jobs and responsibilities. The students, who are from a variety of different backgrounds, all bring something unique to the table and it's great to watch them realize their potential as well as learn new skills. I'm continually impressed by what these teens are capable of.

(Pictured: This week's Communications HSAP, Shannon.)