Back for 2024 and Better Than Ever!
Our 2023 America’s Next Great Intern contest was a HUGE hit.
- 200 students participated from 17 states
- The 200 students completed a combined 1,000 employability skill activities
- More than 10,000 people voted nationwide to select the top three students
Watch the video of our 2023 winner, Bezawit Abate from Virginia, and then register for the 2024 contest!
Psst — don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for contest updates and announcements.
—
Contest overview: Rubin, the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills, will stage the second-annual America’s Next Great Intern contest in winter/spring 2024.
The contest is 100% free. All participating students receive a certificate of completion and a ready-made portfolio of their submitted contest materials.
Purpose: Challenge students to showcase their employability skills in a national competition.
Rubin is a Proud Partner of the Association for Career and Technical Education
Contest Ends on March 3, 2023!
Can’t access the registration form? Email support@rubineducation.com with the subject line “Contest registration,” and we will make sure you are set up.
Contest Details
The free contest is open to middle school, high school and postsecondary students in any CTE or project-based (hands-on) class or program.
Students will need to submit examples of their work for the following categories:
- Elevator pitch: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional giving a brief elevator pitch about the student’s background and interests/passions.
- Ethics and Leadership: Written response to a challenging ethical dilemma.
- Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job.
- Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or task at an internship.
- Job Interview Preparation: Student provides questions for a real company to show curiosity and research ahead of an interview conversation.
Rubin will provide instructions and examples for each category and a single Google Form for students to submit all components.
The instructions are drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a library of 300+ instructional items for employability skills like email etiquette, public speaking, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.
Every student who participates in the contest will receive a certificate and e-portfolio of their submitted work! The e-portfolio will come to the students as a Google Doc.
Important Dates
- Wednesday, February 1, 2024: To coincide with National CTE Month in February, Rubin launches America’s Next Great Intern contest and opens for student submissions. Teachers can register their classes throughout the month of February.
- Friday, March 1, 2024: The student submission period closes.
- Monday, March 11, 2024: Rubin unveils national student finalists and starts the public voting process via RubinEducation.com.
- Friday, April 5, 2024: The public voting period closes.
- Wednesday, April 10, 2024: Rubin reveals America’s Next Great Intern.
Follow us for contest updates and announcements!
Share the official contest flyer around your school district!
Can’t access the registration form? Email support@rubineducation.com with the subject line “Contest registration,” and we will make sure you are set up.
high school and post-secondary students in any CTE or project-based (hands-on) class or program.
The Rubin team, in coordination with industry professionals and ACTE, will determine the national finalists after a review of all submissions.
The public will then vote on the finalists, and the students from grades 9th-12th and post-secondary programs with the highest vote total after the voting period will win 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Rubin will also announce an “Up and Coming” winner from grades 6th-8th.
The finalists and winners may be featured in press releases directed at the national CTE community and the general news media (ex: local newspapers, TV and radio).
All students who enter will receive a certificate of participation and a portfolio that displays the work they submitted for the contest!
The national finalists will each receive a certificate of achievement, $25 Amazon gift card and letter of recommendation from Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from high school/post-secondary along with the overall middle school winner will receive a banner for the school to display.
The teacher/coordinator of the 1st place student from the high school/post-secondary level will receive a cash prize of $250 to be used for the classroom.
In addition, the 1st place student from high school/post-secondary level will receive:
- National recognition throughout the CTE community and general news media
- $200 gift certificate to purchase professional business attire
- Complimentary professional headshot
- The opportunity to serve as a paid virtual intern for the Rubin team in summer 2023 or fall 2023
The judging panel will be Rubin team members and staff from ACTE’s national office. Judges will also include industry professionals who have hired and managed interns at their places of business.
When does the contest start?
The submission period begins February 1, 2023 and runs through March 3, 2023.
Does it cost money to participate?
NO! It’s 100% free to participate no matter how many of your students compete.
How do I register?
Teachers or administrators need to complete this short form. Upon completion, you will receive an email with all submission materials.
How many of my students can participate?
You can have as many students participate as you would like. However, you may want to hold an internal competition first and send your top students to the national contest.
Do my students need to register?
No, students do not register. Students only need to complete the student submission form for the contest. In that way, we will have record of their submission.
What data will you collect from my students?
We will collect first/last name, grade level and email address. We will also ask students to submit videos of a handshake and phone skills as well as written submissions. Students or their parent/guardian are required to sign a waiver provided in the contest packet (teachers: register here for the contest packet).
If your school needs Rubin to agree to additional data-sharing terms, please contact us at support@rubineducation.com.
Does our school or CTE program have to be a Rubin customer to participate?
No, any school or CTE program can participate in the contest. The Rubin team has taken activities (ex: How to do a handshake) from our popular Emerge curriculum and made the resources available for all students to complete.
What grade levels can participate in the contest?
Students in grades 6th-12th are eligible as well as students in a post-secondary CTE program.
Rubin is the leader in online training for employability and work readiness skills. The company provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a real-time notification tool for soft skills called Propel.
Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”
Can’t open the drop-downs above? Click here for full contest information.
Rubin resources trusted by educators across America
Suggestions