Career Exploration and Work Experiences

Ready to become a YST approved employer and host a high school intern? Email us! We look forward to scheduling a conversation  to see how we can work together to provide meaningful work experiences to students. Together, we will work through the official YST Employer Approval process.

Guest Speakers 

Come in to speak to high school students during their flex hour on Thursdays to share your experience in your given field. We are also hosting guest speakers at our early arrival program (Hornet Central) at both middle schools. 

Facility Tours

Facility tours provide potential interns with an opportunity to learn about the company's operations, see different departments and teams in action, and get a better understanding of how the company works as a whole. 

Enrichment Classes

Explore different ways to find your purpose through fun enrichment classes. Try something new and exciting to find what really sparks your interest and find ways to weave this interest into a future career pathway!

Career/Job Fairs

Attend our career fair and/or job fairs to give students the opportunity to learn about different companies and industries.

Job Shadowing

By spending time with a professional in a field that students are interested in, students can learn more about the job duties, skills required and education and training necessary.  

Hosting an Intern

Ready to become a YST approved employer and host a high school intern? Start the process by filling out the interest form. From there the Youth Career and Pathways Program Coordinator will reach out and have an initial conversation to discuss what needs your business has and how the YST Program Coordinator can help support interns at your site. Once businesses have confirmed interest in the program we will follow the YST employer approval process to have your business become an approved employer! 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a department at Edina High school that provides courses that are directly related to careers. CTE programs typically offered in conjunction with regular academic classes, and they can lead to industry-recognized certifications and/or associate degrees. CTE programs also typically include a mix of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and work-based learning experiences.   

Ways to Get Involved with CTE:

Serve on our CTE Advisory board to help strengthen school-to-work partnerships. The role of a CTE advisory council member is to provide guidance, input, and recommendations to help shape and improve career and industry-related programs in a school or a district. 

Career and Technical Education Department Leads

Jodi Ramirez (jodi.ramirez@edinaschools.org) 

Jodi Ramirez has been teaching engineering and computer science classes at Edina High School and Valley View Middle School for the past 15 years. She has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, and a Masters in Education from St. Mary’s University. Prior to teaching, she worked as a civil engineer in the Air Force assigned to Ellsworth Air Force Base, Rapid City, South Dakota; Los Angeles Air Force Base; and Eskan Village Air Base, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She also worked as a civil engineer in the private sector designing residential and commercial developments for Bohlen Surveying and Engineering, Savage, MN. Jodi has three sons that have all graduated from Edina High School.

 Components of a CTE Class:

• Align to career pathways and industry standards
• Provide technical skills training
• Integrate academic and technical instruction 
• Offer work-based learning (WBL) opportunities 
• Lead to industry-recognized credentials/certifications
• Prepare students for postsecondary education and career success 

There's no better way to explore a career than with a formal work experience.  Edina students can explore career pathways in a variety of ways such as volunteering, job shadowing, internships or paid work experiences.  

We are very excited that Edina Public Schools received a 2025-27 Youth Skills Training Grant from Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry. This grant will allow us to deepen pathways for students to explore the fields of Healthcare and Information Technology. We’re using this as a foundation to help connect well-prepared students with paid internships in many different career fields.

  Learn more about the YST program