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A Reimagined Internship with Dan Gonzalez
Welcome to the Education Equation, a new podcast focused on what the evidence says actually moves the needle in education. In this episode,Jeremy Singer talks with Dan Gonzalez, co-founder and co-CEO of District C, a national nonprofit reimagining the internship experience. Dan's career spans engineering, the classroom, and corporate leadership,
In 2016, Dan and his wife, Ann Jones, launched District C to address a crucial gap between academic learning and the collaborative skills students need for the modern workforce. Their solution, called Teamship, offers a new internship model where student teams solve real-world problems for real businesses.
Referenced in the Episode:
Dan C talking about the "3-point economy" - https://www.districtc.co/point-of-view/
Dan’s Education Book: Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol: https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Inequalities-Children-Americas-Schools/dp/0060974990
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Finding Purpose: Dan explains how he found purpose in the "unlikeliest of places"—a crisis at Manhattan Prep—where a team rallied together to protect the company they had built after a major security breach. This experience taught him the importance of a common purpose in professional life.
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The Problem with Traditional Education: Dan argues that the education system often prepares "two-point players" for a "three-point economy" by focusing on individual achievement rather than essential collaborative and problem-solving skills. Teamship aims to develop these "three-point skills" that are valued by every employer.
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Teamship's Model: The Teamship program involves teams of three to four students who work on a real business problem over four to six weeks. The time commitment for the business partner is intentionally light—just five hours total—with an educator trained by District C serving as the coach. Dan provides examples of typical projects, which fall into categories such as operations, marketing, or human resources.
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Challenges of Scaling: The biggest challenge for scaling District C is getting school districts to adopt the program, as it doesn't have an existing "vessel" or a specific class where it easily fits. Dan hopes to solve this by creating a dedicated space for this type of programming within the school day.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of education and workforce development. Dan Gonzalez offers a compelling look at how to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the skills students need to succeed in the real world. He discusses the benefits of Teamship, the power of a shared purpose, the challenges of scaling educational innovation, and the importance of preparing the next generation with essential collaborative skills.
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