ECPO invites county residents, currently high school juniors, to apply for summer internship

Essex County residents who are currently high school juniors (next year’s graduating class) are invited to apply for an internship in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Theodore Stephens II, the prosecutor, says.

The four-week program is a mix of workshops, guest speakers and class trips. It exposes students to careers in law, law enforcement and government. The interns will learn the functions of the prosecutor’s office and meet assistant prosecutors, detectives and staff. They will take workshops on college preparation, career readiness and business etiquette and discuss topics such as internet safety, gang awareness and substance-abuse intervention.

Guest speakers include representatives from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Secret Service, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI and IRS.

Nicole Graves-Watson, the community justice coordinator who manages the program, said: “The Summer Youth Internship has been fundamental to the growth of so many high school students from Essex County who now work professionally in criminal justice and law enforcement. So, if you are a high school junior with an interest in these fields, this is the internship for you.”

The program runs from July 5 to Aug. 2, 2024. Classes start at 9 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m., and students who complete the program will receive stipends. The internship is only for Essex County students who will complete their junior year in June.

Applications for the internship program are on the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office website at www.njecpo.org under Community Programs. The application deadline is March 18. For more information, contact Graves-Watson at  nicole.graves@njecpo.org.

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