Summer Youth Internship Program Kicks Off 11th Anniversary Year, Connecting M-DCPS Students with Local Businesses

The Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP), which connects high school students with hundreds of employers so they can earn job experience, kicked off its 11th year on Tuesday, April 7. The event welcomed potential internship partners and encouraged them to join the program. Attendees also heard directly from previous student interns on how they benefited from the experience.

“Students are graduating with a high school diploma, industry credentials, and solidified internships with local businesses in our community,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jose L. Dotres. “It is an initiative that is really empowering students, their families, and is also generating a pipeline of talent to strengthen our own community here in Miami-Dade County.”

For the past decade, SYIP has given M-DCPS students the opportunity to register for a five-week paid workforce experience over the summer in a myriad of fields. Participating employers benefit from these students at no cost to them. Last summer, 3,661 students successfully completed the program, and the goal this summer is to increase that number to 4,000. 

“I certainly am where I am today thanks to great internships. So many people I know in this community found their paths through internships,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “What we do here deeply matters not just to individuals and their families and their communities but to our economy.”

M-DCPS is partnering with The Children’s Trust, Miami-Dade County, Career Source South Florida, EdFed – The Educational Federal Credit Union, the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, and the M-DCPS Foundation to offer internships, which are available to 10th- to 12th-grade students who complete the application process by May 1, 2026. All new and former employers must register at miamiinterns.org and can hire up to ten interns.

Students have been placed in Miami-Dade County offices, veterinary offices, restaurants, engineering firms, daycare centers, law offices, and many other fascinating places. All students enrolled in the SYIP receive high school credit and may be eligible to receive college credit through dual enrollment with Miami Dade College.

Giving students the opportunity to explore future careers while getting paid and earning high school credit is another example of why M-DCPS is your best choice.

Students can also earn dual enrollment credit related to their career pathway during the school year through Miami Dade College and can also complete a pre-internship online course on soft skills called Florida Ready To Work, which employers say are vital in any job.

At the end of the summer, students come away with tangible experiences about their future careers that help them make decisions about their future.  

Melanie Monge, an 11th grader at Miami Coral Park Senior High School, interned at Big Kids of America last summer, a camp where she gained valuable experience working with young children. This experience gave her a better understanding of early childhood behavior, an important tool when she returned to her Teaching Academy in the fall.

“Most kids now are on computers and iPads. I’m glad I got the opportunity to help the little kids go outside and exercise, to create games, and learn new activities,” said Monge. “It gave me an experience that most students don’t have at my age, especially with teaching. It made me develop a stronger love of teaching.”

Last summer, students from 92 schools were paired with 924 employers. M-DCPS and its partners invested $7 million in the program. 

“It’s a win for the students, which is the most important part. It’s a win for the community and the school system,” said EdFed President and CEO Michael Dibenedetto, who said that all of the SYIP interns open accounts at EdFed ,get  information on financial literacy, and are eligible for EdFed scholarships. “We really want the students to be good financial stewards as they move into adulthood.” 

For additional information, please call 305 693-3005 or visit miamiinterns.org. 

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TOP CAPTION: 2025 SYIP intern Melody Monge with her Miami Coral Park Senior High School Teaching Academy teacher, Madelyn Torres