Youth living below the poverty line lack opportunities to improve their economic situation; meanwhile, talent shortages persist. Efforts to solve this issue to date often miss one crucial element: prioritizing youth voices. At WorkWonder, we pay youth to co-design programs that meet their needs and enlist industry professionals to provide real-world experiences that equip them for future jobs.
WorkWonder opens doors, paid opportunities for public high school students who are eager for the tools to navigate and analyze the job market in pursuit of their interests and passions.
In applying for a WorkWonder internship, students gain interview and onboarding experience, becoming more self-aware and assured of their abilities with feedback and guidance from industry professionals in a safe environment.
Scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and more work with paid interns to build workplace intelligence skills, emphasizing excellence in work produced, kindness, resilience, curiosity, responsiveness, written and verbal communication mastery, teamwork, and adaptation, among other key competencies. One practice that separates WorkWonder is our insistence on daily and weekly feedback from interns to ensure their voices are valued. Our team members, including youth co-designers, act upon intern comments, constantly iterating programs to better fit interns’ needs.
News about WorkWonder has been spreading by word of mouth via positive client feedback and livestreams of our internship showcases. Youth who participate in our work-based learning opportunities also share their experience with their peers, leading to a steady increase in both industry partners and intern applications each year. When we launched in 2020, we hosted 180 interns. In 2021, that number grew by 78% and we expanded into two additional districts.
This year, we have 373 applicants for 320 spots. We also hosted our first school year internship, taking summer internship alumni into deeper dives over three months, pairing work experience with career pathways. Since launch, we’ve more than doubled the number of work experience opportunities we offer across multiple industry sectors.
For high school students interested in internships, we’re currently offering regular summer and school year internship opportunities based in California. Visit BayhaGroup.com to apply or reach out to us if you’d like internships offered in your area. For professionals or companies interested in working with youth or hiring our interns, please reach out to us at bayhagroup.com/contact.
