An innovative partnership between the South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center (SFEC) and the Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR) will help reduce barriers between schools and the families they serve.
DLR and SFEC worked together to develop a pilot program where three paid interns are helping schools update their websites, making them accessible and more inviting to families.
DLR provides financial support and training opportunities, and the SFEC provides supervision and mentoring for the project.
The interns started by doing an objective analysis of school websites throughout the state. They are evaluating several areas of each website, including ease of use, availability and timeliness of information, design and visual appeal, functionality, and accessibility.
The interns will consult with schools and offer individualized assistance to complete website updates and upgrades. School officials will use the information provided to create a family friendly website checklist and a template for improving and updating websites.
The direct work with schools is expected to start in September 2021.
Two of the interns are recent graduates from a website development certificate program, and the third has experience in graphic design.
The internship program was designed for interns to learn new web development skills, research skills, how to analyze a website, and determine best practices to recommend improvements.
This project is an opportunity for the interns to build and apply the skills they develop to build a portfolio to achieve meaningful employment after the project is complete.
The current internship program ends in November 2021, with the possibility of continuing this project with a new cohort of interns.
To learn more about internships and other opportunities for students and young adults, fill out the form below, and someone will contact you.
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