Internships & Partnerships

Internships are integral to Next Steps, providing students with opportunities to gain hands-on experiences in a variety of fields. IDEAL’s inclusion model applies to the workplace as well, and our internship program provides appropriate job coaching and support through the curriculum and on-site. Students will be carefully placed in internships based on their skills and interests and our faculty will work closely with them to set them up for success. 

Students set internship goals and track their progress at various internship sites. Faculty members serve as a job coaches at internship sites, modeling tasks for students and supporting them as they begin to take on work. These job coaches also provide a resource to the internship hosts to learn how to best support student interns. In all internships, our goal is to fade support and increase overall independence and confidence.