Cumberland Summer Teamship
For rising 10th through graduated 12th grade students attending Cumberland County High Schools
Brought to you by
A team-based internship experience
- Work on a team to solve a real problem for a real business.
- Develop the team-based problem solving skills you need for modern work.
- Write about this experience on your college applications and your resume.
- Start building your professional network.
- 3 weeks to choose from
Register for Cumberland Summer 2026 Teamship
Available to 10-12th grade students from Cumberland County public high schools. Seats are limited and are assigned on a first-in basis with some preference given to allow students from all district high schools to participate.
The earlier you apply the better chance you have of getting a spot. Students who register after a section is filled will be put on a waitlist. If additional seats open up, waitlist students will be assigned. You will be notified of your status no later than 1 week following the registration deadline. Accepted students will be asked to confirm their participation via an RSVP form.
Program Details
Summer 2026
Cohort #1:
Terry Sanford High School (24 students)
Engineering Pathway
June 8-11; 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Cohort #2:
Douglas Byrd High School (24 students)
Healthcare Pathway
June 15-18; 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Cohort #3:
Terry Sanford High School (24 students)
Hospitality & Tourism Pathway
June 22-25; 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Logistics:
Lunch and snacks will be provided daily.
Student/families must arrange their own transportation for the program.
Added Benefits:
Certificate of Completion
28 Internship Hours
NAF & Spark NC Credit Available
Attendance Policy:
Due to the fast-paced and collaborative nature of Teamship, students who are absent for the first day (Launch Day), last day (Pitch Event), and/or more than 2 team meetings may be removed from the program.
Next Steps
1. Review this page with a parent or guardian.
2. If you have questions for Teamship, please contact us at CumberlandTeamship@districtc.co.
3. Save the dates on your calendar
4. Register below!
Registration
Seats are limited to 24 students per section. Students will be admitted on a first-come-first-served basis, but if there are more registrations than available seats a waitlist may be created. Students’ registrations will be confirmed within a week of the deadlines.
• March 27th – Registration opens!
• April 24th – Priority Registration deadline
• Students/parents will be notified of their acceptance by May 1st.
• May 19th – Final Registration deadline
Students/parents will be notified of their acceptance by May 22nd.
Don’t currently see a section that works for you?
We’ll let you know when new dates are released.
Some of the businesses Teamship students have worked with
How Cumberland Summer Teamship Works
Team Up
Teamship captains group students into diverse problem-solving teams of 4 students each.
Launch
Teams meet to build their team dynamic and interview their business partner to better understand the business problem and context.
Solve
With support from their coach, teams continue to work together to understand the root problem, test potential solutions, and create a solution proposal for the business partner.
Pitch
Teams propose their solution to the business partner and answer questions in a live workshop attended by community stakeholders, school partners, and parents.
How Cumberland Summer Teamship benefits you
Real Work Experience That Stands Out
Teamship is a reimagined internship experience that sets you apart on applications for jobs and college.
Teamship work — pushing through the positive struggle that comes with tackling a novel problem, working with a diverse set of peers to achieve a common goal, using design thinking principles to develop robust solutions, and presenting ideas and solutions to real business stakeholders — gives you a set of real-world experiences that any college or potential employer will want to hear more about.
Growth
Teamship teaches critical mindsets and tools.
Technology has changed everything. In the digital age, information is at our fingertips. Memorizing facts and figures is now less important than figuring out how to make sense of overwhelming amounts of information to solve big problems and seize big opportunities. The world needs thinkers who can break down increasingly complex problems, doers who will persevere in the face of failure and uncertainty, and collaborators who know how to bring together diverse people and ideas.
Developing and leveraging these mindsets is a lifelong journey. Practicing these mindsets leads to confidence, competence, and the ability to effect change. The Teamship experience gives you the tools to get started and keep growing.
Diversity
Teamship is an opportunity to learn from and build relationships with a diverse set of peers.
The best ideas are informed by unique perspectives, and unique perspectives start with diversity. Teams are made up of students who bring unique skill sets, different world views, and diverse passions and motivations.
Impact
Teams work with real businesses that have real problems to solve.
Whether it’s creating a plan to help a metaverse fashion company sell more digital clothing, working with a fitness technology company to improve a new app design, or developing a strategy to help a software development company attract more female software engineers, the work is real. Regardless of the problem, teams engage in real work that has real consequences and the potential to make a meaningful impact.
FAQs
Rising 10th-12th grade students and graduating 12th grade students in Cumberland County Public High Schools.
Like any other internship or job, you have a responsibility to your team and business partners to be present and engaged for all portions of the Teamship program. You’ll also reap the full benefits of the program when you commit to it in its entirety.
Due to the fast-paced and collaborative nature of Teamship, students who are absent for the Launch Day (day 1), Pitch Event (last day), and/or more than 2 team meetings may be removed from the program.
Only register for sections that you can fully commit to.
Programs will be hosted at Douglas Byrd High School and Terry Sanford High School. Students from any Cumberland County public high school can participate any either location.
Yes!
No. Students are responsible for getting to and from their program location each day.
Yes! Lunch and snacks will be provided each day of the program.
All business partners come from high-tech industries, and every business problem will be real, meaningful, and urgent. Here are some examples of the kinds of businesses and the problems they’ve brought:
- A metaverse fashion company looking to sell more digital clothing
- A fitness technology company looking to improve a new app design
- A software development company looking to attract more female software engineers
- A global tech company looking to improve its college internship program
That’s okay! No prior experience required.
Yes! Your team will be supported by an expert coach who will guide you through the process.
Yes. We survey our business partners after their experience. So far, over 80% of our partners report that they plan to implement, or have already implemented, at least parts of the solutions proposed by student teams.
Yes! We’ve had multiple Teamship students accept follow-on internship and job offers with our business partners. In fact, over 90% of our business partners report that they are more likely to consider a student for a job or internship if that student has had a Teamship experience.
Your Teamship coaches have resources that will help you reflect on your Teamship experience so you can use your learnings to stand out in job interviews and on your college applications. Request these resources from your program leaders for access to them.