Previously published on Petworth News.
Nine students at Roosevelt High School are participating in paid summer internships through the NAF (National Academy Foundation) program at their school. The NAF program was started at Roosevelt two years ago as part of the DC CTE Network and sponsors two programs: Culinary Arts, and Global Service and Diplomacy. NAF’s mission includes bringing work-based learning experiences by partnering with high schools in high-need communities across America.
Over 70 students at Roosevelt participated in the NAF program this year. These students participate in unique experiences like field trips and speaker events associated with their NAF program. Students decide to participate in the NAF program when enrolling in classes freshman year. Those in the Culinary Arts program take cooking classes as part of their curriculum, and the Global Service and Diplomacy students take classes like Foreign Service and Diplomacy and National Security.
The NAF program at Roosevelt has become even stronger by partnering with several community members who have donated their time, resources, and expertise to the students. James Wozniuk of Makan, a Malaysian restaurant in Park View, hosted 40 students at his restaurant when they were closed on a Monday and made an entire buffet feast for the students. He talked about each dish, how it was made, what ingredients were used, and had each student try everything. This eye-opening experience allowed the students to tour the restaurant and see the lay of the land while not disrupting business hours, and it made them interested to try new and different foods.
Another Petworth resident, Stephen Baldi, CEO of Baldi Management Group had connections with Call Your Mother and Founding Farmers and was able to set up the partnership to gain internships for students there.
As part of the Career-Ready Internship program sponsored by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education and managed by the DC CTE Network, six students from the Culinary Arts program will be interning across the city at restaurants like Makan, Founding Farmers, and Call Your Mother. Tenth grader Deanna Mozee will be interning at Founding Farmers this summer and sees how the NAF program will benefit her future. She told Petworth News that she will be able to thrive in the culinary industry if she chooses it as her career after high school, but even if she doesn’t the program has already exposed her to so many diverse opportunities.
Three students from the Global Service and Diplomacy Program will be interning at the Bush School in DC, international law firm Baker Botts, and the Ralph J. Bunche Center at Howard University. Eleventh grader Keilyhan Echeverria Padilla is excited about her internship at the Texas A&M Bush School DC. She is looking forward to taking the knowledge, experiences, and skills that she has gained in the NAF program and will in her internship to college and her future career.
Not all students that are part of Roosevelt’s NAF program will be participating in an internship this summer, yet all students are supported and encouraged to complete an internship experience before they graduate. Since it is only in its third year, Roosevelt hasn’t had any NAF graduates yet. They’re looking forward to their first graduation cohort and the continued offering of Culinary Arts and Global Service and Diplomacy pathways, so the students of Roosevelt have access to career-focused curriculum, support from local business partners, and an internship that serves as the culmination of the program’s work-based learning experiences. It’s truly an amazing opportunity for its students.
The students at Roosevelt are serious about their future and partnerships like this help give them an extra edge to succeed.