| Mentoring has been around for thousands of years. Socrates was Plato’s mentor.
If you study great individuals throughout history you’ll discover they, at one time, served as an apprentice. This apprenticeship usually lasted for years during which time they served as assistants to a master. These masters had them sweep floors, run errands, and do the “dirty work.” In exchange, the masters would eventually share their secrets, their sources, and their contacts. In the process the dedicated apprentice learned to think like they thought, do what they did, and get the same masterful results. In 1500 BC the King of Ithica, Odysseus, needed someone to look after his son, Telemachus, while he was fighting the Trojan War. He entrusted an old friend to take care of the boy and to impart his wisdom, values, and learnings. This wise and trusted counselor was named Mentor. |
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Bloomfield Public Schools | ||
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Be A Mentor | ||
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The Big Picture | ||
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An Inter-district Magnet School Educating One Student at a Time LEARNING THROUGH INTERNSHIPS | ||
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860–769-6600 | ||
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Learning Through Internships, the LTI | ||
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THE LTI Learning Through Internship is the center of the curriculum. High school students go out on internships at businesses and organizations throughout the greater Hartford area. At the worksites, students take on real world tasks. | |
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STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES - Contribute real work to the internship site | ||
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MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES - Call the school if the student is absent
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FEATURES OF THE LTI Before starting an internship, students do a good deal of interest exploration. This exploration begins with reflection on their strengths and weaknesses and their goals. Students then identify several interests to research by reading periodicals, books and doing internet searchers. | |
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After the students have a background in an area, they begin to take part in informational interviews through which students strive to gain a deeper understanding of the profession, the road to that profession, and the nuances of the daily work environment. After interviewing at several worksites, the students identify a few sites where they would like to spend a day shadowing the professional to learn more about the daily flow of the job. It is also an opportunity for potential mentors and interns to meet and to know each other. A successful Shadow Day may lead to an LTI. When a student is interested in a mentor and workplace, he/she asks the advisor to help set up an LTI. Together, the advisor, the student and the potential mentor decide the days, hours and parameters for the LTI. | ||
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INTERNSHIP SCHEDULE The students are at their internships two days a week (usually Tuesday and Thursday) for 6 -12 hours per week (usually 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.). The internships are set up in three-month renewable increments. |
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ABOUT THE SCHOOL The Big Picture High School is an inter-district magnet school scheduled to open September 2005. It is designed to educate one student at a time, so each student’s curriculum is determined by his or her unique interest, background, and learning style. All students work on projects in real world settings related to their interests and develop strong relationships with teachers (advisors) and project mentors. The Big Picture High School will enroll families, not just students. | ||
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Bloomfield Public Schools |
PARTNER SCHOOLS Students from the following school districts will be participating in the school. | |
Bloomfield Public Schools
1133 Blue Hills Ave. Bloomfield, CT 06002
860-769-4200
Fax: 860-769-4215
