Written by Communications Services junior associate, Chandler Flowers
The school buildings that make up Dallas ISD all started from a design plan, and this summer students learned all about that process by working with the Construction Services Department.
“This is our second year having interns in our program,” said Nikki Grant, executive assistant at Construction Services. “Our executive director, Michael Garcia, and chief of construction, Brent Alfred, were contacted by Micheal Gange and I worked to arrange the program. We’ve been going strong ever since.”
This year, Grant brought in Joe Flores, contract manager for Construction Services, to instruct the students and assist Grant in making the program effective for their students. The program had seven student interns this year, growing from five the previous year.
During the internship, students learned about every aspect of construction, from making design plans, learning about construction regulations, budgeting the cost of materials, managing invoices and schedules, and learning about city permits. Every Tuesday, the interns visited school buildings in construction to see their learning in person. One important project the interns worked on is the construction at Henry J. Longfellow Career Exploratory Academy.
“My favorite part of the internship is seeing the interns enjoy themselves. They learn so much from Mr. Joe and after they come back from the field, they talk about how much they’ve learned and that they enjoyed their day,” said Grant.
Flores echoes Grant’s sentiments.
“I see myself in these kids. Most of our schools are in inner-city neighborhoods, where I grew up, and there were never opportunities like this. I find it very rewarding to have the opportunity to be their mentor and help them in the next step of their careers,” he said.
On these construction sites, students have the chance to network with people in the field to eventually find a job in the field once they leave school.
“I go to school for architecture and my teacher recommended this opportunity for me,” one of the interns, Princess B. said. “It was good for my resume and a chance for me to network.”
Princess, a rising senior at CityLab High School, is interested in the design phase of construction the most and is excited to put what she learned in school and the internship into practical use.
“They don’t get this opportunity all the time and this is something that can benefit them in the real world. It is a great chance for them to start and grow a career,” Grant said.
