Overview

To make a private, college-preparatory education affordable to urban young people from Baltimore, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School uses an innovative program called the Corporate Internship Program (CIP). This program combines two commonly used business concepts, employee leasing and job sharing, and gives our students the means of financing their education. Through CIP, students are able to contribute to the cost of their education by working five full days each month in entry-level positions at businesses and nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore area.  The Corporate Internship Program is a win-win situation for students and for the businesses that employ them. By assuming the role of an employee leasing agency, Cristo Rey Network® high schools have streamlined the process for hiring their students. The students are not on the payroll of the employing organization. Rather, they are employees of the school’s separately incorporated work-study/corporate internship program. Businesses pay this program quarterly, annually or monthly for the services of our students.

The Cristo Rey Network® currently partners with hundreds of nationally known companies, such as accounting giants Deloitte and Ernst & Young, law firm DLA Piper US LLP, sports shoe manufacturer Nike, and the YMCA.  You may also be interested in viewing the list of corporate sponsors that employ Cristo Rey students across the country. Many local businesses also sponsor Cristo Rey students in their respective cities. By partnering with local businesses and non-profit organizations, Cristo Rey Network® schools are changing the face of urban education in the United States.

For more information, please feel free to review the pages on our website, or please contact:

Janet Shock

Director

Corporate Internship Program

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

420 South Chester Street

Baltimore, MD  21231
(410) 727-3255, ext. 1010

Goals of Corporate Internship Program 

• Provides entry-level work experience in professional office settings and exposes students to college-educated colleagues.
• Gives students the opportunity to develop skills necessary to succeed in future careers.
• Offers a network of corporate contacts which can be a resource for students as they grow into working adults.

Overview

• During the academic year each student works five days per month
• These are real jobs--filing, data-entry, receptionist, scanning, patient transport
• Employers include hospitals, banks, law firms and other local companies
• Students will be trained for their positions through the summer Business Boot Camp
• Four students work on a team to fill one full-time job

How old must a student be to participate in the Corporate Internship Program (CIP)?

All students must be 14 years of age before they begin work for a corporate sponsor.

How many days a week does a student work?

Students work no more than two days or 16 hours any given week. All students are assigned one (1) day that they are to report to work every week. Once a month each student will work two days a week.

What type of jobs do students perform at the work site?

Although there are many types of industries that participate in the Corporate Internship Program, all students will have similar entry-level clerical duties. These duties can include answering phones, working in mailrooms, sorting, copying, and faxing documents, greeting and assisting customers, or running office errands. 

Do students get paid directly?

Although CIP works as a temporary staffing agency, money that is paid by employers goes directly towards the students’ Cristo Rey Jesuit tuition. Students may have the opportunity to work during school breaks if there is a mutual agreement between CIP, sponsor and student. Money earned during school breaks will be paid directly to students.

How do the students get to work?

The students arrive at school every day at the same time. On their assigned day, students will be transported to and from work by Cristo Rey CIP.

Does the work schedule interfere with academic studies?

Following the successful model of other Cristo Rey Network schools, students at Cristo Rey Jesuit fulfill all the requirements of a college preparatory school in an extended day format. The daily schedule is organized so that students complete a full weekly class schedule every week. View the daily schedule.

Do all students go to work?

All Cristo Rey Jesuit students must participate in the work-study program. CIP is part of the curriculum and it finances the majority of each student's education.

Do students choose where they go to work?

After considering students' skill levels and interests and the skillset neded by our corporate sponosr, the CIP Director will determine where students are placed.

Is there a dress code?

Cristo Rey Jesuit students are held to strict standards. All students are required to wear business casual or business professional attire to work. A copy of the Cristo Rey dress code is available in the Student Handbook and on our website. Students must adhere to the dress code at all times.

Will students be introduced to their work-site and supervisor before they start work?

Students are required to attend Business Boot Camp for three weeks prior to the first day of school. During this training session, students will learn business skills and etiquette to help them succeed at work.

Do parents have direct contact with corporate sponsors?

All communications with corporate sponsors are made through the CIP office. If parents need to contact their child, they must contact the school for assistance.

Who supervises Cristo Rey students at the work place?

Students are assigned a supervisor at the work-site to receive instructions and obtain feedback on performance. All disciplinary actions are conducted through CIP staff.

Cristo Rey Jesuit High School is "where learning gets to work." This is, quite literally, true of Cristo Rey Jesuit where low-income students are able to receive a rigorous college preparatory education at a reasonable cost. The bedrock of a Cristo Rey Network® high school is the Corporate Internship Program, which places students in entry-level clerical positions and generates much-needed revenue for the school. At full enrollment, Cristo Rey Jesuit will be able to cover more than 45% of their operating expenses through the work program and a modest family contribution.

Cristo Rey Jesuit's Corporate Internship Program is a win-win situation. It's a win for students and it's a win for the organizations employing them. By assuming the role of an employee leasing agency, Cristo Rey Jesuit streamlines the process for employing their students. The students are not on the payroll of the employing organization. Rather they are employees of the school’s separately incorporated work-study or corporate internship program, which the corporate sponsor pays quarterly, annually or monthly for the services of students.

What Are the Benefits to a Corporate Sponsor?

No Administrative Overhead: All payroll, legal and tax paperwork is handled by CIP, Inc.

Reduced Costs: Hiring entry-level employees is an expensive process for businesses. The average base salary for an entry-level clerical assistant in Baltimore is $30,916. In addition to the base salary, businesses must pay towards Social Security, health care, pension or retirement funds, not to mention pay indirect costs of recruiting, training, and retaining employees. By hiring a student through CIP, your company will benefit from significant cost savings (see chart below.)

                  Cost Comparisons (based on 10 months of work)

* Figures from Salary.com (Industry average for entry-level clerical assistant is $30,916 annually.) 

Improved Morale: A corporate internship team relieves pressures on other employees who perform mundane, repetitive, time-consuming tasks, while enabling them to feel good about mentoring enthusiastic young workers.

Fulfilled Goals: What better way to give back to the community than to help build tomorrow's educated work force?

Public Recognition: Favorable customer/client impressions from this high-visibility national program helps build the kind of good will that’s key to the success of every business.

Our students are ready and able to take on the same responsibilities and tasks that an entry-level clerical employee would have. Through our summer Business Boot Camp, Cristo Rey Jesuit students participate in workforce development classes which include lessons on:

• Personal development
• Professional development
• Technical entry-level office skills

Corporate sponsors are welcome and encouraged to volunteer their time and expertise during our Business Boot Camp.