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Cooperative Education

Definition
Cooperative Education refers to a structured and coordinated work experience that relates closely to the occupational aspect of the student's educational program. Cooperative education programs involve:

• a combination of academic course work and work based experiences
  
• students earning high school credit while on the job
  
• a written cooperative agreement between the high school and the employer
  
• connecting activities between the classroom and the work experience.

The School to Career Transition Office offers a variety of cooperative education programs. Programs fall under the general categories of work experiences or internships. Cooperative Education programs include career oriented programs, diversified occupations, career and technology education completers, apprenticeships, tech prep programs, and job shadowing programs. Each program is briefly defined in the differentiation of programs section of the website. Please contact individual schools for specific program details.

Work Experience Goals

• Academic development: Students apply knowledge learned in the classroom to the workplace setting.
  
• Skill development: Students apply skills required in the workplace and career field.
• Career development: Students enhance personal knowledge of the qualifications and responsibilities of a career field and the processes for accessing that career field.
• Personal development: Students strengthen decision-making and critical-thinking skills, personal responsibility, confidence, and self esteem.
• Technology utilization: Students use technology as it applies to the industry. Achievement of these goals will be demonstrated by student participation in academic courses, experiences at the work site, and connecting activities.