Host a Cooke Intern

The Cooke Center Internship Program

At the Cooke Center School, we provide our students with the resources to become independent, contributing members of society and active participants within the New York City neighborhoods in which they live. The Internship Program extends our collaboration with schools to private and public sector employers who offer our students job training, internship and employment opportunities.

Get Involved

Corporations and organizations large and small have benefited from opening their doors to Cooke Center students. Students are partnered with a site that matches their strengths and interests and gives them the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to the work community. Students are supervised by Cooke Center staff while on the job.

Periodic evaluation ensures that the partnership is beneficial for both the student and the employer. Cooke Center students have proven to be valuable assets to many corporations and organizations, by completing ongoing, necessary tasks that reflect their individual skill sets. Sample job skills that our students could bring to the table include, but are not limited to:

Levels of Involvement

Companies and organizations can participate in the internship program in several different ways. These include hosting a student as a volunteer or as a paid intern.  Upon outreach, Cooke staff will discuss with you the specific details of how our students might fit into your organization.

All of our students are initially sent to their placements under direct Cooke supervision, escorted by a staff member.  Some will eventually be able to attend their internship independently, and others will need ongoing support.

Many of our student's internships evolve into paying job positions. After learning the ropes of employment in a supervised context, our students gain the confidence and skills to take on the responsibility of a paying job. At this level, supervision is provided by Cooke on an as needed basis.

Interested in hosting a Cooke intern? Simply fill out the brief online inquiry form, or contact Jillian Ma, Cooke's Internship Coordinator, at jma@cookecenter.org or (212) 477-1297 x111 to learn more about how to host a Cooke Center Academy intern.