Textron Aviation Offers Paid Summer Programs for Students and Educators
By Caroline Nichols, K-12 Program Manager
Growing up in Wichita, I had no idea about all the career opportunities available in aviation. Now as the K-12 Program Manager at Textron Aviation, I’m blessed to have a job that allows me to connect young people with several programs that can help them find a spark that could lead to an amazing career!
Whether you’re a parent of a kid who’s ready to explore their career options, an educator who helps nurture such sparks in your students, or a young person looking for the perfect path, please keep reading. Textron Aviation offers three amazing programs you should check out.
Textron Aviation’s High School Summer Internship Program
Our company is thrilled to partner with the Workforce Alliance of South-Central Kansas’s Youth Employment Project (YEP) to offer paid, six-week summer internships for students ages 16-19.
The goal of the high school internship program is that within six weeks in one of our departments, students will leave knowing more about what they want to do — or don’t want to do — after high school. Many students have gone on from being high school interns to being full-time employees at Textron Aviation or returning a few years later to be in the college internship program. Watch this video featuring some recent interns describing their experience.
High school kids gain marketable industry skills and learn soft skills such as how to behave properly in business situations. Each intern is assigned a specific role in one of many areas, ranging from engineering and finance to marketing and IT. Students interested in different options can participate in the program multiple years to explore different aspects of aviation.
Rebekah Chavez, one of our 2021 communications interns, said it best: “It was such a good opportunity and pretty much every high schooler should try to experience it at least one year during high school.”
Interns don’t have to permanently live in the Wichita area, but they are required to provide their own housing and transportation. (No housing or transportation stipends are available to high school interns.) Students with a family member or friend they can stay with in the area are eligible and encouraged to apply.
We’re very proud of the diversity of students who participate in this program. Last year we hosted students from 29 different high schools, plus several who were homeschooled. Many formed relationships with peers and professional colleagues they’d never have made without the YEP program.
The 2022 program will run June 6 through July 15, 8 am to noon. We expect to have well over 100 students. Learn more about the program and apply at txtav.com/yep! The priority application deadline is March 15.
K-12 Educator Externship
Before the pandemic, Textron Aviation launched a teacher externship program, and we’re excited to offer that program again in 2022. This two-week, half-day experience offers educators a stipend and a comprehensive overview of what it takes to build an airplane from the ground up. The externship helps teachers bring real-world examples into their classrooms and gives them a richer understanding of all the career paths aviation offers.
Educators of all academic areas are invited to apply, but priority is given to those who teach in disciplines more closely related to our work (such as career and technical education fields). All educators, regardless of their personal specialties, will have the same experience during the program. The dates for the 2022 program are June 13 – June 24. Priority will be given to teachers who apply before March 15. Learn more about the program and apply at txtav.com/yep.
College Internship Program
For those working on a bachelor’s degree, Textron Aviation also offers a 10-week, paid, college internship program. Students can intern in a number of departments across all areas of our business. After graduation, many students go on from this program to jobs in professional-track positions. Students that have not graduated yet can return to spend their summers with us as interns exploring different aspects of aviation.
Learn more about college internships and for-credit learning opportunities through an academic institution at https://txtav.com/en/studentsandgrads/internships-and-coops.
If you have any questions about our programs, feel free to reach out to me at K12Engagement@txtav.com.
Wichita native Caroline Nichols is the K-12 Program Manager for Textron Aviation.