Science Learning Institute

External Internships

Internships are an important part of a STEM student's experience.

• You gain valuable work experience.
• You get a better idea of your own academic and professional goals.
• You network with others in the field.

Find out more about Foothill College's tips and resources related to internships at our Internships page.

Resources for NASA Internships

We know there are those of you especially interested in internships at NASA! We are hoping to build more resources to support you in that effort. 

Resources for Other STEM Internships

SLAC Community College Internships

The Stanford National Linear Accelerator (SLAC) has summer internships for community college students to get involved in cutting edge research in physics, computer science, engineering, and more. SLI hosted an information session in partnership with Hillary Freeman (STEM Education Program Manager at SLAC) to help promote SLAC internships and provide more information about the application process. See resources below:

• • information session Zoom recording
  • information session slides (from Hillary Freeman)
  • link to SLAC internships - deadline is Tues, Jan 9, 2024 at 5pm Pacific Time

Tips and Strategies

Internet Search

First, SLI is keeping a running spreadsheet of scholarship and internship opportunities and deadlines by month. This is a dynamic sheet, so bookmark it in your browser and come back from time to time.

Also, a good start for finding STEM internships is to do an internet search with the following key terms:

• "STEM internships for community college students"
• "undergraduate student internships in STEM"
• "summer internships for college students"

Online Ecosystems

• Handshake - go to MyPortal to activate your Handshake account. You will find listings of jobs and internships, tailored to Foothill College students.
• LinkedIn - set up your profile, connect to your instructors, classmates, and others you know.
• Career websites like Geeky Girl Reality (for women in STEM) and Internships.com

Online Guides

Here are some articles that provide valuable tips for finding internships:

• The Online Internship Playbook for College Students (from OnlineColleges.me)
• Finding and Internship: Guide and Worksheet (from Southern Illinois University College of Mass Communication and Media Arts website)
• Your Guide to Internships from Best Colleges
• College Student Internships & Employment from Accredited Schools Online
• Your Guide to Computer Science Internships from University of the People
• Best Computer Science Internships for College Students from Career Karma
• Guide to Internships for Students from study.com
• Internships in Tech: A Complete Guide from TechGuide.org

Tips for Preparing for Internship Interviews

Here are some links to sites to help you prepare for internship interviews.

• Sample Internship Interview Questions by the balance careers
• 13 Questions to Ask in an Internship Interview by Chegg
• Top Internship Interviewing Tips by the balance careers
• What to Expect During an Internship Interview by indeed.com
• 30+ Questions to Ask in a Job Interview by indeed.com
• Top Interview Tips: Common Questions, Body Language, & More by Indeed (YouTube video)

Internship Listings

Here are some well-known internship programs across the country that are competitive and are amazing opportunities for community college students:

Name of opportunity	Deadline
Community College Internships with Department of Energy	early January
NIH Summer Internship Program	March 1
Base 11 Summer Fellowship Opportunities	February
Research Internships for Community College Students at Stanford	varied for different opportunities
STEM Undergraduate Internship Opportunities (extensive listing)	varied for different opportunities
Research Experiences for Undergraduates through National Science Foundation (listing by STEM discipline)	varied for different opportunities

 

For an ongoing listing of opportunities, kept up to date by the SLI team, bookmark this Google Sheet.