We had some fun this summer connecting education and industry through our Educator Externship Program during the week of July 28!

The Hennepin West Consortium Educator Externship – hosted in partnership with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber – brings career-based learning to life. Through this unique professional development opportunity, secondary and post-secondary educators, guidance counselors, and administrators are immersed in the day-to-day operations of key regional employers. These onsite experiences help create a bridge between business and education. Participants meet industry leaders, learn what is needed to be successful in career pathways, and get real-time insights into industry needs and trends.

The Externship is a four-day event that includes an opening session, five business visits, and a closing session. The opening session is a kickoff to the program, and provides an overview and introduction to the upcoming activities. The closing session provides an opportunity for all participating educators to share and compare experiences, ideate around how best to translate those experiences into classroom impact, and create tools and resources to use with students.

This amazing experience would not be possible without the fantastic Maddy Fisher and all of her incredible connections, organization, and creativity. Thank you to our business partners for hosting us this week:

Mortenson, Kraus-Anderson and SRF Consulting Group
3M
5 Iron Golf
Amira Choice – Plymouth
Best Buy
Blaze Credit Union
City of Hopkins
Fairview Health Services
Great Wolf Lodge
Hennepin County
Hennepin Healthcare
McGough
MEDITECH
Medtronic
Metro Transit
Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Mortenson
Mosaic Venue
Nemer Fieger
Project for Pride in Living (PPL)
Ryan Companies US, Inc.
Second Harvest Heartland
SRF Consulting Group
St. Catherine University
Touchstone Mental Health
U.S. Bank
Unity Radiation Therapy Center