
Each summer, Information Technology Academy (ITA) students take their technology skills into their communities as they complete 60-hour internships. The internships push students to apply their skills to real-world issues, while gaining invaluable professional experience and exploring potential careers. For many, the experience helps students reflect on how their academic strengths and interests could be applied to their future.
ITA Madison rising juniors complete internships on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus with faculty or staff. ITA Lac du Flambeau and ITA Oneida rising seniors complete internships in a variety of community settings such as tribal government entities, small businesses and non-profit organizations.
This year, the 29 ITA Madison students had a wide variety of opportunities on campus. That included Elena Hind who redesigned the Application Programming Interface (API) website for Memorial Library’s Shared Development Group. James Hayes and Pahlee Thao interned at the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC), where they helped organize digital files and code a virtual reality space. Cassandra Solano interned with the UW Health Human Resources Information System (HRIS), where she explored the way the organization delivers information and enjoyed gaining experience operating the system healthcare providers use. Adam Lee, Elias Fox Baker and Cris Cruz Montes De Oca designed marketing materials and produced jingles and public service announcements for WSUM Radio, the University’s student radio station. To help share their experiences with each other, this slide presentation was created showing each student’s internship, what they liked about it and a photo of them at work taken by Oscar Cruz Delgado, an ITA Madison graduate and current student at UW-Madison.
Eleven ITA Lac du Flambeau students completed internships with Lakeland Union High School, the Peter Christensen Health Center, and the Greater Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, among other placements. ITA Oneida students also completed internships in their community.
ITA students bring to their internship positions at least two years of formal technology instruction, including in Microsoft Office Suite, graphic design, photography, web design, digital video and audio editing, basic operating systems and basic programming. Community members interested in hosting an ITA student as an intern can learn more on this website or by contacting ITA.
Sometimes these summer internships turn into a longer engagement such as with the DoIT Help Desk who have hired ITA high school students to work throughout the year. Currently Aaraf Khondaker and Alejandra Miranda-Naxi, both ITA Madison seniors, intern at the DoIT Help Desk.