Berkeley IT sponsors and One IT hosts high school interns from the Achieve Scholars program for five weeks during the summer. The interns engage in mentoring and shadowing opportunities, learn about the operations of numerous technology units in higher education, and work directly on projects across One IT.
The Achieve Program selects ~80 high school scholars to receive 4+ years of intensive academic support and professional development to propel them toward successful matriculation at a four-year university. Scholars attend high school in Oakland, Alameda and San Francisco, and the majority identify as Black, Latinx and/or Southeast Asian. The program is fully funded by Barbara Bakar.
Each summer, the scholars take on different internships across multiple industries and the Achieve Program pays their salaries for the internships. In summer 2022, bIT hosted three interns who worked on multiple projects, from recording Telecom training videos to user experience testing to computer decommissioning/salvage. In summer 2023, One IT hosted one returning and five new interns across the One IT community to promote their personal discovery and professional development.
Internship Learning Outcomes
Throughout the internship, students are able to:
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Gain meaningful exposure to different career paths in information technology through hands-on projects, site visits, and mentorship from IT staff.
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Grow as young professionals and leaders through development workshops and guided reflections.
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Form community between one another, and with One IT students, career staff, and executive leaders through participating in project work, student panels, informational interviews, and One IT staff-wide activities.