Student Definitions

Observing (Shadowing) – According to the North Carolina DPI, observing/shadowing is a short-term educational experience that introduces an individual student to a particular job or career by pairing the student with an employee of a business, industry, or agency.

Observation experiences are permitted for students whose schools are affiliated with CVHS.

Internship – According to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, a Career Major Internship deviates from the General Internship in that the work-based experience is directly related to the classroom instruction and the chosen career focus of the student. It may be integrated within instruction or subsequent to the completion of instruction, e.g. course or course sequence. Unpaid internships are permitted for students whose schools are affiliated with CVHS.

Practicum – A course of study devoted to practical experience in a field.

Co-Op – A course of study devoted work-based learning supervised by an expert in the field.

Senior Project – Students choose a topic of interest and then complete a culminating project which contains four components; a research paper, a product, a portfolio, and a presentation. Through the process of completing a graduation project, students learn about an area of study, interact with mentors or experts in the relevant field, maintain a portfolio of activities and documents, and present their findings to a review panel. Senior Project experiences are permitted for students whose schools are affiliated with CVHS.