Elevate is a Connected Lane County career-connected learning program.
We focus on post-secondary success by working to connect 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.
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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.
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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
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.
Questions? Get in touch with us info@connectedlane.org.
Register 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.
We have received a large number of registrations for winter Job Shadows! To maintain the quality of each job shadow, we have decided to close the application early. Our team is working hard to place each youth who has already registered. We thank you for your interest!
Apply for a Micro Internship
Elevate micro internships fulfill the work-based learning requirement for students working towards 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. Interns will be compensated at $17 an hour.
Apply for an Internship
Our PAID Internships are available to current Lane County high school juniors and seniors. What makes our internships unique is that we find internship hosts based on the interests of our interns. Over the course of 7 weeks, interns will begin with an internship orientation and a financial foundations course prior to starting their internship of 40 hours per week with a local company and they will end with a celebration and showcase event! The entire internship experience totals approximately 220 hours of valuable hands-on experience and work-based learning.
The 2023 Summer Internship application is currently open through March 30, 2023, and requires one letter of recommendation. Those selected to move forward will participate in one interview before final interns are chosen.
Connected Lane County is a county-wide organization that strives to ensure all student experiences are designed equitably. Paid internships are highly sought after in our region, and with limited spots available, our selection process aims to ensure we have representation from all 16 school districts, applicants who are currently juniors and seniors, equitable representation of BIPOC and white students, and gender identities.
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.
Questions? Get in touch with us info@connectedlane.org.
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
Questions? Get in touch with us info@connectedlane.org.
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@connectedlane.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.
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.
Student Showcases
2023 marketingJAM
marketingJAM is an annual three-day marketing competition hosted each January by Connected Lane County. Participation is free and open to all Lane County high school-aged youth and Lane Community College students interested in marketing, branding, design, and business.
Teams of one to five come together to create a marketing solution for a community organization. Teams are paired with an industry mentor and have 48 hours to complete their materials, and then present their final project to the panel of judges and fellow participants.
- January 20, 21, and 22
- This is an in-person event hosted at Spark on 7th: 22 West 7th Ave. Eugene, OR 97401.
- There is no vaccine requirement for participants.
- Technology will be provided if needed (laptops, tablets, printers, etc.)
- Food will be provided on Saturday and Sunday.
- Prizes will be awarded to teams with the best final project.
- Register before Wednesday, January 11, 2023!
If you don’t have a full team but still want to participate, please let us know in this registration and we’ll pair you with students from another participating school. If you are registering with a team, please be prepared to list your team members’ names.
*Interested in mentoring a marketingJAM team in January 2023? We’re always looking for industry mentors with experience in marketing strategy, planning, and execution to guide our student teams through their projects. Please contact us at info@connectedlane.org.
Participation in marketingJAM fulfills the work-based learning requirement for students working towards their CTE program completion.
2022 codeORcreate
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 one 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.
- December 9th, 10th, and 11th
- This is an in-person event hosted at Wayfair in Springfield: 555 International Way Building B, Springfield, OR 97477.
- There is no vaccine requirement for participants.
- Technology will be provided if needed (laptops, tablets, printers, etc.)
- Food will be provided on Saturday and Sunday.
- Prizes will be awarded to teams with the best final project.
- Register before November 30, 2022!
If you don’t have a full team but still want to participate, please let us know in this registration and we’ll pair you with students from another participating school. If you are registering with a team, please be prepared to list your team members’ names.
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@connectedlane.org.
Participation in codeORcreate fulfills the work-based learning requirement for students working towards their CTE program completion.
2022 Key Sponsor
Student Job Board