Youth Experiences
Exploring Opportunities
Our Elevate program team coordinates learning opportunities, paid work experiences, and various events for youth. Through our experiences, you'll learn about and explore career opportunities, gain skills, and develop confidence in your abilities! Check out our opportunities below.
Learning Opportunities
Job Shadows
Job shadows provide a sneak peek into a career. Applicants are matched with a company in their field of interest for a 3-hour job shadow experience. Job shadows are held each fall and winter.
We are excited to offer a spring cohort of job shadows for freshmen and sophomores!
Please note the following details:
- This cohort of job shadows is only for freshmen and sophomores.
- We will review the first 30 applications submitted.
- Registration will open on Monday, April 3, and close after the first 30 applications are submitted or on April 19 (whichever comes first).
- Apply early if you would like to be considered!
- Mandatory Orientation: Thursday, April 27 at 4 pm via Zoom.
- Job Shadow Dates: Friday, May 12 or May 19.
DevNW Financial Foundations Courses
We partner with DevNW to offer youth Financial Foundations courses.
Are you working to save for a car, a degree, or your first apartment? Financial Foundations class will teach you the techniques and provide you with the mobile tools to reach your goals. You’ll learn to manage money, build emergency savings, create savings goals for big purchases, build and repair credit, and make smart decisions about taking on loans. Open to all Lane County high school students or youth from eligible programs.
Industry Tours
Each school year our team curates various industry tours ranging from Tech Tours to Manufacturing Tours and much more. Educators typically register groups of youth to attend these events. Please let your school know if you're interested in attending a tour!
Paid Work Experiences
Summer Internships
Elevate 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. 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. The entire internship experience lasts seven weeks and totals approximately 220 hours of valuable hands-on experience and work-based learning.
Applications require one letter of recommendation. Those selected to move forward will participate in one interview before final interns are chosen. Limited spots are available so be sure to get your application in early and follow ALL steps to submit a complete application!
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.
Micro Internships
Elevate Micro Internships are work-based learning opportunities that 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 are paid $17 an hour.
Elevate Events
Hiring Fair
Each spring our Hiring Fair connects graduating seniors to local job openings in high-wage, high-demand career fields. Numerous local companies with open entry-level positions join us for this event.
View the 2023 Hiring Fair flyer for more info.
This event is for graduating seniors and youth from our Navigate program.
marketingJAM
marketingJAM is an annual three-day marketing competition hosted each January for teams of up to five youth. 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.
Participation in marketingJAM fulfills the work-based learning requirement for students working towards their CTE program completion.
codeORcreate
codeORcreate is an annual three-day hackathon hosted each December for teams of up to five youth. Participation is free and open to all Lane County high school-aged youth and Lane Community College students interested in website design, coding, graphic design, or game design.
Participation in codeORcreate fulfills the work-based learning requirement for students working towards their CTE program completion.
Career Expo
Our annual Middle School Career Exploration event is hosted each fall, typically in November! Youth meet with and do hands-on activities alongside professionals from at least 14 different companies. Pre-lessons for educators will be sent in advance.
This event is for 8th-graders.
Youth Resources
Learn about local industries and career options by reviewing our pathway documents. Get to know Connected Lane County by watching videos on our YouTube channel! And visit our job board for youth to find a local job!
Looking for a Job?
Check out our youth job board where we share local entry-level positions.