Student Delights in Bones to Pick: Street School Internships Place Teenagers, Such As an Aspiring Te

Apr 07, 09:19 AM

Current Headlines: By Ginnie Graham, Tulsa World, Okla.

Apr. 7--Street School internships place teenagers, such as an aspiring teacher and wannabe paleontologist, exactly where they hope to be someday.

Fossils have fascinated Nick Berntson ever since he found weird-looking rocks in dirt piles as a child.

He persuaded his parents to take a family vacation to Florida to hunt for fossils.

Now 17, he researches ancient bones and rocks. He delights in pointing out fossilized animal poop and fish.

But it was not until a Street School internship class that Berntson discovered how to make money from his passion.

For six weeks, he has been working at the Geoscience Center, 8801 S. Yale Ave., which is operated by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

"I got a better understanding about getting the type of education I need and the opportunities it can provide," Berntson said.

"I've always been interested in paleontology. I thought it would be good to get some first-hand experience with people in the field about how a career could be achieved."

The Street School internship class has been offered to 13 students each year for the last three years. Students are asked about their career choices,

then the teacher searches local companies for placements.

Each student has chosen a different career path.

In the current class, students are working at a funeral home, the Tulsa Zoo, a school, an interior design office, an engineering company, a heating and air service, a metal-working company and a nonprofit organization that deals with domestic violence.

Students also learn about resum[ 191] writing and interviewing in the class.

"The internships have all been very unique because our students are unique," Street School instructor Kim Camp said.

"Their interests are not the basic doctor/lawyer. Although we have had students interested in those, they tend to find fields ranging from chef to embalmer.

"They maintain the knowledge and obtain other skills companies are looking for, such as communication and teamwork," Camp said. "There is always high interest in the class because it is a hands-on, contextual approach."

Berntson enrolled in Street School in March 2006 after an illness kept him out of school for five months.

He entered Street School six months behind but has made up enough credits to graduate a semester early.

"Street School has a fairly different teaching style," Berntson said. "Teachers have small classes, so we get more one-on-one time. That really helps us actually get the help we need to understand the material."

Berntson plans to go to college to work toward a degree in paleontology or geology and then pursue a master's degree and possibly a doctorate.

As an intern, he has helped elementary school students discover the porosity of rocks to figure out that oil is found in sandstone.

He helped one geologist prepare fossils for a class at the University of Tulsa.

Another geologist worked with Berntson to identify fossils found in Oklahoma digs.

Many professionals at the center have taken Berntson to lunch, offered advice and told of their own journeys.

"It's opened my eyes to more in the career field," Berntson said. "I know more about the different job opportunities instead of going to college, then jumping into a job I might end up hating.

"I also see how well everyone here enjoys their job, and that says quite a bit to me," he said.

Susan Henley, the administrator for the Geoscience center and Nick's supervisor, said the center enjoys having interns.

"Our society's aim is to acquaint kids with science and about the world where we live," Henley said. "And our next goal is to get kids who are interested in careers in geoscience and pair them with a professional.

"So an internship dovetails well with those goals."

Berntson said he is entertaining several options but is leaning toward teaching.

Through the internship, he has discovered the joy of sharing information with children.

"They are all really interested in fossils," Berntson said. "Their interest level is the same I have, and I love fossils. You have to create an almost imaginary world for these animals that lived 500 million years ago.

"Discovering the history of these creatures is fascinating for me."

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Ginnie Graham 581-8376 ginnie.graham@tulsaworld.com

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What is Street School?

Street School is a United Way-supported nonprofit agency that provides an education and counseling to students who have dropped out or are near dropping out of school.

The students have tailored plans to help them earn the credits needed for graduation.

The school is at its 90-student capacity and has a waiting list.

The average graduating class is 22 to 25 students.

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Copyright (c) 2007, Tulsa World, Okla.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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