On January 8th, 2025, RMHS students who applied for education internships received an email informing them that the state government grant the school applied for was rejected, and they would not be getting paid for their work during the fourth quarter.
The RMHS internship program is an opportunity for seniors to expand job training skills in a work environment that can help as they begin a new chapter of their lives. Students ideally intern at places that connect to their desired career path, however it is not guaranteed that anyone will get paid for their work.
Each year, the school requests a federal grant to pay students interning in Reading elementary schools. For the last few years of this program, this grant has been approved. This year, the grant was denied.
Nearly twelve years ago, RMHS introduced this program, but over the last few years, it has significantly increased student interest, and participation is popular among the student body. It is a conversation starter, an idea provoker, and a motivating way to get through the last stretch of senior year.
This year, students had a diverse range of positions to choose from. From working beside an accountant to reading stories to elementary-aged students, every student has a place to enjoy and learn from throughout this process.
Senior RMHS journalism students compiled interviews with faculty members involved with these internships, as well as the real-life students affected by this denied grant. While there is mutual disappointment between staff and students, faculty members are doing their best to stay positive and encourage those affected to continue and embrace the opportunity, despite the lack of compensation.
According to Principal Callanan, the school requests these grants through MassHire, a program that looks to create connections between businesses and job seekers through a statewide network. This specific program gets its funding through the state, where the request for the RMHS grant was originally denied. Despite multiple efforts made by Callanan, she kept coming back to the same response that funding was paused, and the grant could not be approved.
Mrs. Callanan said, “It was very disappointing. We do know every year there is a chance it won’t be funded, but it was still disappointing.”
This became a mutual theme between staff members involved in this program. Assistant principal Kadi Buckley was “really bummed” and truly wanted students to get paid because it is the “equitable thing to do.”
However, each faculty member was quick to emphasize the “wonderful opportunity” students have from doing an internship.
Mrs. Fiorello, a teacher in the health department, commented, “Being in a quarter-four internship gives you an amazing opportunity to learn new skills–being able to practice those skills at a time where motivation might be down a little bit as seniors get ready to take that next step.”
While staff members are doing their best to stay positive about this, students who are directly affected by this grant’s denial feel more passionate about the situation and its disappointment.
Seniors Mary Lewis and Sophia Nazzaro plan to participate in the education internships, but felt discouraged by the news.
“It made me not want to do an internship,” Lewis says. “I wanted to just find a new one that would actually pay me. It was disappointing because I am interested in education.”
Nazzaro, who is part of of Field Seminar, a class where students get the opportunity to work among young students K-5, said, “I was upset that I found out I wasn’t getting paid because I have spent so much time in the classroom and I was excited for it to turn into a job.”
While efforts are being made to have this grant further considered, as of now these students are not going to be paid for their hard work, despite its approval in years prior. However, students are still open to participation and realize the opportunity they are getting to have a real hands-on experience in a real-world setting.
