CORPORATE WORK STUDY

The Cristo Rey Network’s Corporate Work Study (CWS) program breaks down the socioeconomic and cultural barriers that often inhibit the future success of individuals. In each of our Cristo Rey high schools, CWS places every student in a professional job (on-site, remote or hybrid) one full day a week during school months, all four years of high school. Student Associates connect classroom to career, while earning a significant portion of their own private education costs. These young men and women contribute and strengthen their social and technical acumen as they develop newfound awareness to pursue and excel in careers or industries they may not have otherwise considered.

How Corporate Work Study (CWS) Works

The Corporate Work Study (CWS) program is a separately incorporated entity within a Cristo Rey school. Cristo Rey students are employees of CWS, not of the company. Corporate Partners pay a competitive, annual service fee to the program for the students’ college preparatory education. CWS operates similarly to a temporary staffing agency with the explicit awareness and approval of relevant state agencies and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Work Schedule
Student Associates work in a job sharing team to fill one full-time equivalent position during standard daily business hours, Monday through Friday, for the entire academic year*. Academic schedules are structured so that students work without ever missing class. Our integrated academic and CWS experience is widely recognized as the critical component of a Cristo Rey education.

Job Responsibilities
A team of Student Associates can be placed in one or more departments and perform a wide range of responsibilities on the job, such as data entry, translation services, IT support, project research, marketing, talent acquisition, and many other tasks. The Corporate Work Study office works directly with the employer to generate a job description and a partnership experience that is mutually rewarding for the employer and our Student Associates.

*Cristo Rey member schools vary slightly in CWS program operation, which may affect the number of workdays during the school/work year, the program fee, and other market-based considerations.

The Corporate Work Study is a cornerstone of the Cristo Rey movement—the backbone of our financial sustainability, an indispensable component of our educational programs, and a major differentiator of our Network.

- Jane E. Genster, Education and Non-Profit Leader