The last two weeks at school can feel like forever for seniors who have finished all of their AP exams and SOLs, but spending the last two weeks in the Langley Leap program is a popular alternative.
Seniors have been counting down the last day of school since the start of the school year, but many students will end the year with the start of Langley Leap. Langley Leap is a program offered to eligible seniors that will give them the opportunity to select an internship in an area of interest that they chose.
After AP exams and SOLs, the remainder of school before graduation can be spent participating at the chosen internship. Langley Leap allows seniors to get out into the real world and explore something they wish to carry on in the future. Student feedback on the program has shown its positive effects.
“Seniors have come back to me and told me of how Langley Leap allowed them to reveal their passions,” said Mr. Thomas Meier. “The program gives seniors an opportunity to grow as a person and many have said it was an “eye-opening” experience for what they hope to accomplish in the future.”
Seniors can chose any internship that appeals to them. Langley has had seniors take a spot in a variety of positions.
“Many students have chosen to go to their old middle and elementary schools to shadow their favorite teacher, but we have a variety of other internships as well,” said Mr. Kevin Howard. “We have had students intern at Capitol Hill, research labs, and even a winery.”
Seniors that participate in the program can chose to follow an area of interest that they hope to pursue in the future.
At the end of the 2 week period, they will be graded on a 10 minute presentation. Seniors that participate will be exempt from taking their final exams and will have their grades in by the time that the program starts.
The program will begin on the 27th of May and will run through June 9th. Seniors that are interested must have a GPA of 2.75 and a good attendance record. The application process consists of a variety of aspects.
“Applications are mainly a combination of grades, attendance and discipline,” said Mr. Kevin Howard. “Students must also complete an application packet about what their internship will be.”
Student interest in Langley Leap has increased greatly over just three years. 25 students participated in the program in its first year, and over 100 students participated in the second year. This year, Langley Leap expects over 200 students to participate.
The applications are due on April 9th and students that have any questions can talk to Mr. Howard, Mr. Meier, or their English teacher.