Elevate is a Connected Lane County initiative. We focus on career-connected learning and post-secondary success, connecting students to high-wage, high-demand jobs in our community.
We connect Students, Educators, and Industries:
Career-connected learning complements in-classroom learning by demonstrating practical applications of abstract concepts and encouraging students to think about what kinds of skills they want to develop in the future.
Learn more >
Educators benefit from career learning as well. To best prepare students for the demands of today’s careers, we pair educators with industry partners through externships to equip them with skills to bring back to their classrooms. What are externships? They’re like internships, but for educators. We place teachers with local companies for up to 6 weeks during the summer, giving them a comprehensive look at today’s world of work.
Learn more >
Our Work with Local Industry
Our relationship with industry partners is the third piece of what makes Elevate successful. We work closely with local businesses to create robust experiences for students and educators, including:
- In-person & virtual job site tours
- Career Expos & Hiring Fairs
- Internships / Externships
- Equipment procurement
- Advisory Boards
- Student Work Sponsorships / Mentorships
- Classroom experiences through our in-residence programs
- In-person & virtual job site tours
- In-person & virtual job site tours
Student Resources
If you’re a student looking for career-related opportunities, we’re here to help!
We have a wide variety of programs available for students, including job shadows, internships, mentorships, and more.
Apply for a Mentorship
Open to all Lane County High School Students! Come up with a project of your choosing—we’ll pair you with an industry mentor and give you the resources you need to make it happen!
Apply for a Job Shadow
Open to high school-aged youth, job shadows provide an opportunity for a sneak peek into a dream career. Applicants are matched with a company in their field of interest for a 3-hour job shadow experience.
Apply for a Micro Internship
Elevate micro internships fulfill the work-based learning requirement for students working towards their CTE program completion. Micro internships allow students to apply what they’ve learned in their CTE classes to real, hands-on workplace projects with the guidance of an industry professional.
Apply for an Internship
[Note: Our Summer Internship program is currently closed. The 2022 Summer Internship application will open in the winter. Please check back in January—thank you for your interest!]
Open to Juniors and Seniors. Apply for a 3-week internship* and we’ll place you in a local company to learn the ropes.**
**Required: 4-8 hours of open time during business hours (M-F, 9 am-5 pm)
Pathway Docs
Career Guides for
Local Industries
Virtual Tours
Guided Tours of Lane County Businesses
Educator Resources
We believe educator enrichment is a core part of helping both teachers and students succeed in the classroom. Elevate partners with a multitude of businesses to create externship experiences, Q&A panels, and other resources for teachers.
About externships
Educators have a chance to work with industry hosts to complete mutually beneficial externship experiences. With these externships, educators will have the opportunity to expand their skill sets in an industry of their interest and make new connections within the community. We believe that work-based learning and educator experience are key components in developing students to become successful future employees.
Apply for an Externship
We believe one of the best ways to promote student growth is to help grow the educators that teach them. We create custom experiences for teachers called externships, where they have a chance to work with industry hosts to complete mutually beneficial externship experiences. With these externships, educators have the opportunity to expand their skill sets in an industry of their interest and make new connections within the community.
Educator Experience Guide
This guide will help you prepare yourself to get the most out of your career-connected learning experience.
Industry Panel / Guest Request
Is there a specific business or industry your students are interested in learning more about? Submit an industry panel request and we’ll work with you to get an interactive experience ready for your class.
Community Resources
The area served by Elevate Lane County has a school population of over 47,000 K12 students. Two-thirds of these students are served by three districts in the Eugene/Springfield metro area. Jobs in Lane County require individuals with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets that will enable them to compete for high-wage, high-demand careers. Elevate Lane County will increase the number of youth who have career-connected learning experiences before graduation in the industry sectors of Lane County that will see the most economic growth.
Our relationship with industry partners is the third piece of what makes Elevate successful. We work closely with local businesses to create robust experiences for students and educators, including:
In-person & virtual job site tours • Career Expos & Hiring Fairs • Internships / Externships Equipment procurement • Advisory Boards • Student Work Sponsorships / Mentorships Classroom experiences through our in-Residence programs
Host a Student
Student job shadows, internships, and other experiences let students get a first-hand look at your industry, allowing them to make the most informed decision possible about their future careers.
Please download our Industry Internship Guide to learn more. If you are interested in hosting a student, contact us at info@connectedlanecounty.org.
Host an Educator
Educators who get an inside look at local industries and businesses can learn real-life skills that they then take back to their classrooms. These experiences for teachers—which we call externships—are a great way to enrich students by providing educators with the tools they need to show students real-life, tangible applications for their curriculum. Contact us to become an externship host.
Partner with Us
If you’d like to work with us to create a school-to-work pathway for students, we’d love to work with you to create a pathway document specific to your industry. Examples of our current pathway document resources can be found here.
Sponsor an Elevate Initiative
We couldn’t do what we do without generous contributions from community partners. If you’d like to sponsor an event or donate equipment to students, please get in touch with us.
Become a Mentor
Become a mentor for a Lane County high school junior or senior. Students come up with projects and we pair them with an industry mentor and provide the resources to make the project come to life. If you are interested and would like to learn more, send us an email today.
codeORcreate is an annual three-day hackathon hosted each December by Connected Lane County. Participation is free and open to all Lane County high school-aged youth and Lane Community College students.
Teams of up to five come together to create a tech-based solution for a community challenge. Teams are paired with an industry mentor and have 48 hours to build a website, app, or video game, and then present their final project to the panel of judges and fellow participants.
Watch the 2021 promo video.
Interested in mentoring next year? We’re always looking for industry mentors with experience in web, app, or game design to guide our student teams through their projects. Please contact us at info@connectedlanecounty.org.
2021 Sponsors
About the Student Job Board
The jobs below have been identified by our team as potential opportunities that may be good for youth. If you find a job you would like to apply for, but need assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Elevate staff members. Our team can review your resume and application, and provide additional support for you in your job search. Email us at info@connectedlanecounty.org for support.