Five Keys to a Teacher Externship: Why Seneca's Day at Norton Healthcare Was More Than a Field Trip
The Academies of Louisville model is built on a powerful principle: for students to make authentic connections between the classroom and a career, teachers must first be immersed in the industries they're preparing students for. This is the very purpose of a teacher externship, a deep-dive professional learning experience where educators gain fresh, real-world knowledge to better prepare their students. For Seneca High School, this experience extended beyond career tech teachers to include educators from core subjects like English, math, science, and social studies, creating a truly interdisciplinary approach.
But not all externships are created equal. The recent experience of Seneca High School's Health Science Academy teachers at Norton West Louisville Hospital was a model for success, transforming a day of observation into a catalyst for an entire school year. By intentionally structuring the day to be a feedback loop between education and industry, the Seneca team created a powerful roadmap for other schools to follow.
Corenza Townsend
The Experience: The Keys to Discovery
The day began at Norton West Louisville Hospital, where Seneca teachers were immersed in the facility's culture. They were immediately struck by the hospital's welcoming atmosphere and its practice of calling patients "neighbors." This powerful term, which speaks to a deep commitment to community, resonated with the Seneca team and became a key lesson.
Key 1: Cultivate a Culture of Community. A powerful externship uncovers a shared philosophy between an industry partner and an academy. By seeing this value modeled so authentically, teachers were inspired to bring it back to their own academy, reinforcing that a culture of care is a foundational element of both a successful hospital and a successful school.
The teachers also heard directly from Norton Healthcare staff about the critical need for "soft skills" in the modern workforce. They emphasized communication, compassion, and empathy as key areas where new employees often need more development.
Key 2: Look Beyond the Obvious. A successful externship goes beyond the well-known career paths to showcase the full breadth of opportunities within an industry. By exploring a wide range of roles, the teachers left with a much wider range of career options to share with their students. This broadened perspective ensures that every student, regardless of their specific interests, can see a viable and exciting path for themselves within the health industry.
As the day continued, the teachers' understanding of the healthcare field expanded. Camille Jackson, a College and Career coach at Norton Healthcare, challenged them to look beyond the obvious. "We know nurses, we know doctors, but do we know surg techs?" she asked. The group learned about a vast spectrum of opportunities, from roles in sterile processing to urban agriculture connected to the hospital’s on-site food pantry.
The Transformation: The Keys to Action
The externship came to life as the Seneca teachers began to see direct connections between their academy and Norton Healthcare. Discussions about their experience at Norton Healthcare, which began at the hospital and continued back at Seneca, helped the teachers turn observations into action.
Key 3: Focus on "Success Skills." While technical skills are important, the Norton Healthcare team emphasized the critical need for "soft skills" in the modern workforce. The Seneca team took this to heart, using their planning time to connect this insight to their own needs. They began to formulate a plan to focus on these success skills—like compassion and empathy—as a guiding theme for their upcoming school year. This ensures that every student will be intentionally taught and mentored in the essential human skills needed to thrive in any career.
During this focused planning time, the team translated their insights into concrete strategies for the school year. They planned to launch a new VR program to expose freshmen to healthcare careers, host a family night to address student fears of shots and medical tests, and develop a common greeting protocol for their academy—an idea inspired by the welcoming atmosphere at Norton Healthcare.
Key 4: Prioritize Action Over Observation. The true power of an externship lies in turning a day's worth of learning into an entire year's worth of action. By building their externship around an afternoon of dedicated planning, the Seneca team was able to immediately translate their insights into a list of concrete actionables.
The day's experience gave the teachers a clear framework for guiding their students' futures. The Norton Healthcare team presented a variety of opportunities, from volunteer programs for 14-year-olds to paid senior internships and the Norton Scholars tuition assistance program.
Key 5: Build a Continuum of Opportunity. A model externship provides teachers with the tools to guide students along a clear career pathway. This powerful continuum of experiences available to their students empowers teachers to help students map out their future, ensuring their education is a direct link to a life of purpose.
This interdisciplinary approach ensures the continuum of opportunity extends across the entire academy. By including teachers from core subjects like English, math, and science, the externship empowered them to see how their curriculum connects directly to the healthcare field. Even the art teacher was inspired by the local art displayed throughout the hospital, seeing new ways to connect creativity to the healing environment. This collective understanding makes the career pathway more accessible and relevant to every student, not just those in career tech classes.
This externship was a success because it was designed with a clear purpose and a plan for action. It serves as a powerful testament to the Academy model's ability to build lasting bridges between education and industry, ensuring that every student is prepared not just for a job, but for a life of purpose.