Action Items

• Get Involved: Sign up to inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals. Share your expertise by reviewing resumes and giving behind the scenes tours of your business. Be the first to know about host employer opportunities.
  
  
• Register to host your own high school intern during the 2024-2025 school year. Deadline Aug. 9.
  
• See how AEF spent the summer with six Career Ready Interns (CRIs). Thank you to all the partners who supported their work-based learning experience.
  
  
• Congratulate Zoe Roberts, Membership Manager, Destination DC (DDC) for winning the 2024 NAF Alumni Leadership Award.

AEF hosted six CRIs over the past six weeks as they explored Only1DC topics and experienced the best of DC restaurants, hotels and attractions. They met with hospitality leaders across the industry and presented on weekly topics in experiential marketing.

Thank you to our work-based learning partners and to the professionals who generously volunteered to provide valuable feedback during the interns' weekly presentations.

• Anacostia Business Improvement District
• Ben's Chili Bowl
• Big Bus Washington DC
• Cakewich Craft
• City Cruises - Spirit of Washington
• Concord Hospitality
• DC Public Library
• Destination DC
• Fogo De Chao
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• International Spy Museum
• Ivy City Smokehouse & ProFish
• Moxy Washington, DC Downtown
• Museum of Illusions
• National Geographic Society

• National Portrait Gallery
• Pendry - Washington DC - The Wharf
• Placemakr - 2500 Penn
• Planet Word
• ROCKLANDS Barbeque and Grilling Company
• Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
• Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum
• Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
• Sycamore & Oak
• The Bush School of Government and Public Service
• Washington Hilton

You can see more of their experiences this summer on the AEF TikTok channel, made for and by interns. 

Entering its fourth year, the Washington Nationals Community Relations team has supported high school hospitality and tourism students across the District through the NatsPrep program. The program shares expertise about how departments on a major league baseball team and stadium work together to promote their team and venue. This year, AEF, the DDC sports team and the Nationals partnered to host intern Valerie Benitez.

Valerie, a senior at Jackson-Reed High School’s Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, split her time between the three organizations deepening her learning of the sports marketing industry in the ultimate “Only1DC” way. 

"During my internship with The Nationals, I gained valuable insight into the planning and the many individuals required to create a single game day. My experience interning with Destination DC further exposed me to a diverse array of activities available throughout the city, extending beyond the downtown area. I am grateful to everyone who has supported my growth and learning journey each day."

- Valerie Benitez, Jackson-Reed High School '25

On July 25, over 50 interns and host employers of DC’s CRI program joined AEF for a celebratory luncheon at the Washington Hilton, culminating their six-week journey to network with their colleagues in the program. Thank you to our hosts, the Washington Hilton, and Encore for its AV support.

AEF hosted a planning session for educators and administrators of DC’s high school Academies of Hospitality and Tourism, Culinary Arts and Mass Media. The session created an extensive calendar of work-based learning opportunities for the year, including executive speaking engagements, out of classroom experiences for young chefs, event planning for hospitality students, volunteering for resume reviews and more.

Thank you to Ashleigh Hazley and the Washington Nationals Community Relations team for hosting. 

Interested in being a part of AEF’s work-based learning programs this year? You can donate experiences, participate in speaker engagements or lead a tour of your business.

Help create meaningful opportunities for high school seniors in the Academies of Hospitality & Tourism, Culinary Arts and Mass Media throughout the year as they seek to gain experience in the hospitality industry.

Through the Advanced Internship Program, interns are paid through the city so there is no cost to your company. Internships are 8-12 hours per week and run from Nov. 4, 2024 – May 23, 2025.

Zoe Roberts won the 2024 Alumni Leadership Award at this year’s NAF Next Conference, the national network of career academies that support high school students in their personal and professional development.

Zoe is a graduate of Jackson-Reed High School’s (formerly Wilson) Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (2018) and now serves as the membership manager for Destination DC. She leads the AEF Student Advisory Board and mentors small businesses in DC through the DEI Business Fellowship as well as NAF students across the country.

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