Heights-Hillcrest Regional Chamber of Commerce (HRCC) 
and the South Euclid-Lyndhurst City School District have partnered to build upon the successful Bridge to Success Internship program that was piloted last summer. The program is designed to help students from Brush High School and ArcTech Academy explore career opportunities and develop workplace skills.
Building upon the successful placement of six students last year, this year’s program has grown to place twelve students who will be exposed to career opportunities in the community and in the school district. Students attended a series of job training workshops titled Workplace Etiquette, Overcoming Obstacles in the Workplace and Employer Expectations. “The workshops were an excellent opportunity for us to set the table for our students to be successful in their summer internships and we taught some fantastic skills that will follow the students for a lifetime,” says Jeff Berenson, Transition to Work Coordinator for Brush High School.
The City of South Euclid will host six of the interns. Students will experience a variety of workplace opportunities such as working with younger students, building community gardens, shadowing city building inspectors, police officers and fire fighters. The other six interns will be working for the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District summer grounds crew. All students will work a total of six weeks, earning a stipend for their internship.
The internships are fully funded through a $10,000 grant awarded by the Legacy Village Lyndhurst Community Fund of The Cleveland Foundation. “This is a win-win for our students, the school district and for the community.” says Matt Rutkowski, director of ArcTech Academy – the alternative school for Brush High School. “We have students doing meaningful summer work where they will gain valuable experience and we are serving the greater good of the community, all at zero cost to taxpayers.”
“We are delighted to work with SE-L Schools, the students, and the City of South Euclid. Collaboration is an important element of doing business today. We’re so pleased to model that for our students in a way that is tangible for them,” said Pohlman. “We’re so fortunate to have the support of the Legacy Village Lyndhurst Community Fund.”
HRCC is the premier chamber in Northeast Ohio, strengthening commerce in its six member cities – Cleveland Heights, Lyndhurst, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, and University Heights – and empowering business people across the region with innovative personal, professional and business development opportunities and cost savings on essential business services and products. For more about HRCC, call (216) 397-7322 or visit www.hrcc.org.