Walton Works / Educator Externship

The Development Authority of Walton County is excited to host the sixth year of the Walton Works/CONNECT NEGA Educator Externship program June 3 – June 7, 2024. The externship is an opportunity for educators to observe and interact with local companies while gaining real-world industry experience to bring back to their school. Through this program, participants create a Walton Works portfolio/presentation featuring a summary of the company visited, an overview of occupations found within the company, information regarding higher education and/or post-secondary training requirements, and ideas to reinforce the soft skills/employability skills needed to succeed at the company.

Selected educators spend five consecutive days participating in the Walton Works externship. Time will be spent understanding the local economy and exploring career opportunities in our industrial sector. While at industry sites, educators meet with key leaders to hear about the mission and vision of the company, participate in a company tour, and shadow employees in key occupations. During the afternoon hours of the externship experience, participants work to develop a Walton Works portfolio, including a presentation shared at the end of the week as well as a plan to take the information back to their school. After completing the externship, including the presentation and development of a school plan, educators received a stipend of $1000.

Selected educators are responsible for their own transportation to all locations, including various locations in and around Walton County and the local industry or industries they are assigned. 

This experience is designed to be both rewarding and interactive. Ultimately, this work will be the springboard to opening future doors and opportunities for Walton County students. We hope this experience will strengthen the partnership with education and industry, and we will use what we learn together to produce a better-equipped workforce for Walton County!