Going Virtual with Externs and Interns During COVID-19

CareSource is proud to announce the completion of the first virtual externship for high school teachers and virtual internship for college students. Thanks to the IT infrastructure that already existed, externs and interns were able to onboard remotely and work throughout their time with CareSource from home.

High School Teachers Complete Virtual Externship at CareSource

The week-long externship program was a first for CareSource and offered two local high school teachers a glimpse into Software Quality, Cyber Security, Infrastructure & Operations as well as Client Systems. The externship was created in partnership with Montgomery County Educational Service Center’s Learn to Earn program and the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education’s Miami Valley Intern Academy.

“The externship was a wonderful insight into a complex IT group including standards, strategies and methodologies in use at CareSource,” said participant Laura Campbell. “The connection with industry was a great opportunity to see where our students are headed, and how we can in the classroom better prepare them for success in the real world. It also was a great chance to build partnerships with industry professionals that were eager to share their skills with our students.”

The teachers gained hands-on experience in understanding how the skills they teach are applied at CareSource. Laura Campbell teaches 8th graders about web design and other IT fundamentals at the Dayton Regional STEM School. James Miller teaches a two-year intensive technical program, which offers a seamless transition from high school to a bachelor’s degree at the university level.

“This externship serves as a prequel to a larger program we’re launching at CareSource,” said Devon Valencia, CIO, CareSource. “Our goal is to create a high school or trade school internship program that serves as a talent pipeline right in Dayton so we can continue to elevate our innovative work for our members.”

College Interns Complete Virtual Internships at CareSource

CareSource's eight summer interns successfully completed their internships in early August. This is the tenth summer intern cohort but first all virtual one. Even though interns missed out on the experience of working together with peers in the office, they still had the opportunity to learn, add value and contribute on their teams.

“I was able to see which of my skills I need to work on and learned other skills on the journey in this internship, said intern Jaden Dear from Wright State University. “Lastly, this internship has helped me grow as a person by learning more skills and career tactics from a multitude of people and how this internship will help me in my career down the road.”

This summer our intern cohort engaged in meaningful work while also bringing a new perspective. They helped automate processes in Operations, assisted in the budgeting process for IT teams, looked analyzed and reviewed contracts in the Legal department, helped to chart processes of our Provider Information Management team and analyzed data from providers. All eight interns will continue with CareSource on a part-time and virtual basis, during the fall semester. ​​