Pewaukee Insight Program helps high school students get head start on careers

PEWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Students in the Pewaukee School District are getting hands on work experience, and they haven't even graduated yet.

At Insight students get to explore careers ranging from nursing to sports management. Each day, students get closer to knowing what they want to do once they graduate.

Insight is a program through Pewaukee High School that gives students hands on experience with the professionals.

For two hours a day, 100 juniors and seniors spend the school year shadowing and learning the tricks of the trade from their mentors.

Some students even earn college credit and become certified nursing assistants through the program.

Students say working with the mentors helps narrow down the career fields they're interested in.

"You're getting that real world experience. You're getting out of the classroom. You're not going, first period, second, third and fourth. You're integrating everything into one kind of time period," said Kate Majeski senior, Pewaukee High School.

"We've heard from a number of students who have receieved paid internships, scholarships, job opportunities through the networking that they acquired during Insight. So we've definitely seen that Insight has propelled them faster than perhaps their peers and get them into a high-interest career field faster," said Danielle Bosanec, Chief Academic Officer, Pewaukee School District.

Insight is doing so well that other school districts are considering starting similar programs.