Editor’s note: The Broadband Report is a regular feature in WRALTeachWire.

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Classrooms can be microcosms of society. This week, students will get a chance to gain a perspective of the real world and put to use what they’ve learned in the classroom in the workplace.

About 24,000 middle school students in all 100 North Carolina counties will be taking part in job shadowing and job mentoring programs this week across the state.

Students@Work Week (March 3-7) is a joint initiative between the N.C. Department of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE). The goal is to raise North Carolina’s graduation rate by offering middle school students a look at future opportunities in the local workplace.

“Thanks to hard work from teachers and students, North Carolina recorded its highest-ever high school graduation rate in 2012-13,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction June Atkinson. “Our state’s business community also plays a vital role in encouraging students to graduate by offering job shadowing and internship experiences that help them connect what they are learning in school to their career goals for the future.”

About 24,000 middle school students in all 100 North Carolina counties will be taking part in job shadowing and job mentoring programs all next week.

Along with hundreds of other businesses and organizations, MCNC will be participating in the program by hosting 20 students in a job shadowing program at the MCNC campus in Research Triangle Park. MCNC is the technology non-profit organization that owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network, or NCREN.

Students from Neal Middle School in Durham will spend the day connecting what they are learning in the classroom with the real world of work in their communities. They also will be joined by administrators from the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability (SES) Magnet School (grades 9-12 in Durham) as many students from Neal potentially could attend the school for high school.

After being welcomed by MCNC’s President and CEO Joe Freddoso, students will hear a brief overview of what the internet is and how people use it in today’s work place. Afterwards they will divide into groups for a hands-on network lab that will demonstrate how IP packets are routed across the internet, thus sending content and information to a user.

There also will be a tour of MCNC’s data center, the network operations center and the video operations center. The data and network operations tours will reinforce concepts learned during the lab while the video operations tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at interactive videoconferencing for a better understanding of the preparation required to setup the type of videoconference the students will participate in while at MCNC.

John Rollack, principal for the School of Computer and Technology Engineering at SES, and SES Principal Kenneth Barnes are scheduled to participate at MCNC and take questions from students about the school, the culture, academics as well as extracurricular activities.

Finally, students will be guided in a discussion of business etiquette focusing on many skills that will be useful in future employment, volunteer opportunities and even within the classroom.

“Students@Work is a great opportunity to introduce students to the world of networking technologies and related careers,” said MCNC Director of Community Education and Communications Darleene Heath. “MCNC is proud to work with NCBCE in this program as we remain committed to offering technologies and services that help students all over North Carolina access digital content and prepare them to live and work in a global economy.”

The Students@Work initiative centers its efforts around middle school students because middle school is a crucial time for dropout prevention. The program helps to emphasize future career options as well as the importance of staying in school – before students enter the ninth-grade.

A complete list of all participating organizations and more information can be found at ncbce.org.