Motivated high school students are always looking for ways to prepare for college and careers. Teachers and counselors should remind their students that summer can be a great time to do build their resumes and expand their skillsets by enrolling in college courses and participating in summer internships.

Overwhelming data shows that early college experiences lead to higher rates of college matriculation, course completion, certificate completion, degree completion, and career placement. In most cases, students can take these college courses at community college tuition-free. If this option isn’t available, many digital curriculum providers, like Odysseyware, offer career technical education (CTE) courses. Odysseyware’s Academy allows students to earn high school credit while gaining experience and knowledge in a field they’re interested in. Taking these courses helps students get ahead in their education, explore new careers before officially entering college, and build their resumes.

Summer internships may have formerly been the territory of college students preparing for the final stretch towards employment, but they’re now part of summer enrichment and career readiness plans for many high schoolers. These summer internships are probably unpaid, but can offer invaluable experience, resume-building, exploration, and networking. There is not one way for a high-school student to secure a summer internship, but teachers and parents can help them by suggesting they:

1) Contact local companies and local non-profit agencies;

2) use online resources such as internships.com;

3) tap personal network of family, friends, and neighbors; and

4) asking a high school counselor, teacher, coach, or advisor about any opportunities.

Whether students take college classes, find an internship, or both, summer can still be relaxing, but should also a time to advance students’ long-term goals.

Michael Niehoff is currently a career technical education manager at the College of the Sequoias. He has been a secondary educator for 25 years as a teacher, advisor, director of activities, learning director, and principal. He, as well as his students, programs, and school sites, have been recognized by Apple, Google, CUE, NASSP, NOD, AMAE, CLHS, CSBA, CVCUE, CADA, JEA and many others. He is the founding principal of the award-winning, 1:1, project-based Minarets High School/Minarets Charter High School that opened in 2008. He publishes regularly on his own Education Blog entitled Edu Change & Student Advocacy. Follow him on Twitter @mwniehoff.