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November 21, 2017

DDC Accepting Applications for 2018 High School Summer Internship Program

Long Island City, NY – The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) and the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) announced today that applications are being accepted for the 2018 High School Summer Internship Program at DDC.

“Our High School Summer Internship program presents a unique opportunity for students to prepare for the growing demands of today’s job market. The program exposes students to the challenges of upgrading and constructing the City’s public buildings and infrastructure while also teaching them much needed job skills for a global economy. We are excited to work with our partners in government at the Department of Youth and Community Development and attract more young people to careers in STEAM,” said DDC Acting Commissioner Ana Barrio.

“The High School Summer Internship Program is a wonderful example of providing young New Yorkers of today with the opportunities of tomorrow. DYCD is proud to partner with DDC again this summer to offer high schoolers hands-on training and STEAM-related experiences—giving them essential professional skills that will help them build their careers—and our city,” said DYCD Commissioner Bill Chong.

The six-week paid internship program is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in architecture, engineering, building trades, public administration, business administration or information technology. Thirty students—most of them from DYCD’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and Ladders for Leaders initiatives—will be selected from public and private high schools across New York City to become summer high school interns. The program is structured to help interns gain exposure to different career paths in the design and construction fields. Through a hands-on approach that includes field trips to various DDC projects, interns learn what it takes to build and maintain public buildings and infrastructure in New York City.

“The demand for workers skilled in STEAM fields continues to grow and these careers pay very well even at the entry level,” said Lee Llambelis, DDC Deputy Commissioner for Community Partnerships and STEAM Initiatives. “Our High School Summer Internship Program is geared towards helping young people develop a fascination with STEAM. Our goal is to expose students to the world of the built environment and provide them with the tools and framework to not only understands how things work, but also how best to make them work to the benefit of our city and the larger society.”

Interns take field trips to DDC projects and participate in Community Day, a day of service working on various projects within the City.

DDC’s office of Community Partnerships and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Architecture and Mathematics) Initiatives was launched in 2014 to create a diverse and inclusive pipeline for young New Yorkers interested in careers in architecture, engineering and construction. Since launching, the office has engaged more than 1,800 students from middle school to college in STEAM programming. Additionally, it oversees the High School Summer Internship program, which has had 82 students since it began in 2015.

“A rewarding aspect of working in the STEAM field is having the opportunity to build facilities and buildings, such as libraries and fire stations that improve our communities,” said 2017 High School Summer Intern, Mariana Heredia. “Interning at DDC this past summer has been a wonderful opportunity, it was also my first experience working the STEAM fields. I am certain that the knowledge and exposure I have gained from my internship at DDC will benefit my future as I hope to pursue a career in engineering.”

“This internship has been a wonderful opportunity. It is helping me prepare for my future as an engineer. I hope to attend City College to pursue a career in electrical or civil engineering,” said 2017 High School Summer Intern, Wilmer Hernandez Lino.

High school students interested in the internship program can submit an application online, now through January 5, 2018. The six-week internship begins at DDC’s headquarters in Long Island City on Thursday July 5th, 2018 and ends Friday August 10th, 2018.

For more information on how to apply and program requirements, click here.