In the summer of 2012, six of the CforC partners hosted students from Eastern Senior High School as part of an "Easternship" mentorship program. Students spent one day a week with professionals from OPX, Geppetto Catering, Anybill, OmniStudio, TerpSys and Raffa. High school students who passed their classes were eligible for this program and 16 chose to participate. The Easternships varied by company, but students shadowed professionals and learned about developing the skills, attitude and commitment necessary to thrive in today's workplace. They strengthened their communication skills, learned workplace etiquette and developed skills that will help them become leaders for incoming Eastern students.

After a rigorous three-year application process, Eastern Senior High is now officially an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. Next year, ...