How to Record Internships for Credit on Homeschool Transcripts
One of the most valuable experiences a homeschool high schooler can do is an internship or apprenticeship. At high school level, those terms are equivalent, although sometimes an apprenticeship may apply more to a trade.
Before your teens start interning or apprenticing, it is wise to have them complete a basic Career Exploration course. Our homeschool high schoolers used 7Sisters’ Career Exploration, a comprehensive but no-busywork, Christian worldview course (.25 credit on the transcript) that will cover the necessary basics of Career Exploration.
After your homeschool high schooler completes the basics, here are some questions and answers about their internships.
Where do you find internships or apprenticeships?
Sometimes these things happen serendipitously: someone at church just walks up and asks, “Hey, I hear you have a homeschool high schooler, think he’d like to try a month-long internship at…?”
Most of the time, it takes some digging. Look into:
- People at church that are in the teen’s area of interest
- Neighbors
- Family
- Google local businesses and have the teen drop by an experiential resume and proposal
Our local homeschool high schoolers have done internships/apprenticeships in lots of different places:
- Video production studios
- Ferriers
- Doctor’s offices/clerical work
- Accountant offices/clerical work
- Inner-city missions
- Carpenters
- Masonry
- Auto mechanics
Are internships paid or unpaid?
Most of the time, internships or apprenticeships are unpaid and time-limited. Sometimes, due to insurance regulations, the student must be paid (auto mechanics). Some require some special HIPPA training (doctor’s office).
How do I keep records for internships or apprenticeships?
When recording an internship or apprenticeship for a transcript, you will want to record this as a Carnegie credit.
Keep a file of these things:
- Log of hours
- Job duties
- Networking opportunities, if available
- Photos or samples of work done, if applicable
- Feedback from supervisors, if possible
How do I record it on the homeschool transcript?
Try to go in 1/4 credit increments:
- .25
- .5
- .75
- 1.0
- Usually only record 1 credit per year with each type of internship (Thus, if your teen earned 4 credits worth of hours doing one internship, you really should only record one credit.)
You could call the credit:
- Career Exploration Internship: Auto Repair 1 credit A (or P, if you prefer)
Or simply:
- Auto Repair Internship 1 credit A (or P)
7Sisters email subscribers receive periodic practical encouragement, special offers and NO SPAM EVER.
Click the image above to periodically receive real homeschool value in your inbox.
