SLI Internships

Summer SLI Internships

SLI provides internship opportunities for Foothill College students during the summer. Stipends are provided through the generous support of SLI donors and allow students to pursue these opportunities.

Summer 2024 Summer Internship Opportunities

Through SLI, Foothill College students will have an opportunity to engage in an internship either in research or industry, under the guidance of a mentor/ supervisor. Institutions and companies include biotech startups, Stanford University labs, and more!

Student Outreach and Information

DEADLINE IS CLOSED

Project and Mentor Catalog (updated 4.19.24)

Note: Project and Mentor Catalog was updated on Fri, 4/19 - new projects #38 and #39 were added.

To help you apply, we have a few resources - please take advantage of these because we will have limited capacity to provide one on one support or to answer questions individually.

Help on your essay, resume, and application - we have Amanda Carbajal working part-time with SLI as Internship Program Specialist. She is available to support in short Zoom sessions leading up to the deadline! Email her directly at acarbaj3@ucsc.edu.
Information session recording - we had an info session on March 21. Here is a recording and the slides. Please review these to answer a lot of your questions before reaching out for help!
FAQ about the internship program - this will be updated as questions come in - please review this before you send an email with any questions. (updated 4.5.24)
Guidelines for preparing to apply - this is an overview of the various components of the application. Read this before completing the application for the best chance at being reviewed.

You can also express your interest in the internship program by filling out the interest form (button below). This is NOT the same as the application, but it just indicates your interest. We will send out notifications from time to time related to the internship.

Eligibility Criteria

Interest in STEM discipline(s). You don’t have to be a STEM major!
Review the “required skills” in the Project Catalog (not yet posted) and make sure you meet the minimum requirements. For some projects, this may include advance coursework and for others there are minimal requirements.
Have completed at least 6 units at Foothill College in the winter 2024 quarter.
Be enrolled at Foothill College in spring 2024 for at least 6 units.
Have Foothill College as your primary school (more credits at Foothill College than at De Anza College).
Full completion of the application, including naming a faculty/staff reference and upload of a resume. A full letter of recommendation IS NOT required.
You must be 18 and over to apply.

Priority given to:

Students who have demonstrated financial need (through completion of the FAFSA, CA Dream Act or an explanation of financial need in the supplementary questions).
- We encourage you to fill out the FAFSA for 2023-24 if you haven’t done so already. This will greatly improve your chances of positive review, especially if you show high need.
Students who have not previously had an internship or company experience.
Students who have the intent to transfer to a 4-year university.
First time degree earners (no prior degree such as a Bachelor’s or Associate).

Internship Commitment

All internships will be either 15 hours per week or 20 hours per week for nine weeks. All internships start the week of July 8, 2024 and run through the week of September 2, 2024.

All internships require:

Summer enrollment in ITRN with Dr. Miloni Gandhi (depends on projected number of hours of internship). Course tuition will be covered by the Science Learning Institute or your financial aid.
A program orientation before the end of spring quarter and a training before the internship starts (7/2/24). These are run by the Science Learning Institute.
Submission of a final report of your internship experience at the end of the summer.
Final presentation in early September for an audience of all interns and mentors in the program.
Attendance at a biweekly (every other week) cohort seminar on professional development topics (included in your hours/week) – total of four seminars – all required.
All above activities/ sessions are included in the total hours of your internship, on top of the hours on your internship project.

Important Dates

These are all required. You must sure you can attend for all these days. Vacations and transfer schedules should accommodate these dates:

Mandatory training for all interns (2 options) – Tues, July 2, 2024
All internships start: week of July 8, 2024
All internships end: week of September 2, 2024
Final presentations – Thurs, Sept 5 and Fri, Sept 6 (two options)

Application Requirements

Before submitting the application, there are actions you can take to make the application process run more smoothly. Click on the button below.

Guidelines for preparing to apply

Fill out academicworks general scholarship application.
Fill out supplemental application questions, including uploading your resume.
Upload resume and unofficial transcript to scholarship portal.

Project Choices

For Summer 2024, please review the Project Catalog (see above). Please review them carefully. You will be able to choose up to 5 projects that you are interested in, and you will indicate that in the application.

Internship Stipend

There are two types of projects and corresponding internship stipends:

15 hours per week for 9 weeks - $2600
20 hours per week for 9 weeks - $3500

Scholarship payments will occur in two installments and will depend on successful completion at each stage: one in the middle of the internship and one at the end after completion of the final report and final presentation.

Depending on your eligibility and the arrangement with the partner, there will be different ways you will get paid:

as a scholarship
through a program called LAEP where you will become a temporary employee
directly through the internship partner in which you will have to complete their hiring paperwork

Selection Process and Timeline

A team from SLI will work with the project mentors/ supervisors to review applications and then select candidates. Finalists may be contacted for an interview depending on the project. Review the Project Catalog for more details. Students may get more than one offer but can only accept one project. Final decisions will be made by end of May.

Host Placement Outreach and Information

SLI is looking for mentors and companies to host a fully-funded Foothill College student intern for summer 2024. As an internship host:

You will propose a 9 week project related to your research or work that a student can work on independently, with some guidance from you.
Then you'll get matched with a Foothill College student, and they will work with you for the summer (starting 7/8/24 through the beginning of September).
You have the option for 15 or 20 hours per week for the nine weeks.
This will involve a 5 - 7 hour per week commitment as a mentor.

Please read more in this program overview and flyer. Deadline has passed.

If you are a first time internship mentor, here are some resources to help you determine the scope of an internship project:

- - Check out past project catalogs which are listings of all the internship placements we offered through partnerships with mentors at industry and research institutions.
    - - Summer 2023 project catalog
      - Summer 2022 project catalog
  - Check out videos of student final presentations from this YouTube playlist.
  - Reach out to SLI Director Sophia Kim with questions or a quick chat.

Past Summer Internships

Find out more about past summer internships, including past project catalogs and final report journals.

Past Summers

Student Eligibility for Internships

Students who participate in the SLI STEM Summer Internship program should be aware of the following guidelines:

Commitment

Enrollment in ITRN 50 or 51 (depends on projected number of hours of internship).
Course tuition will be covered by the Science Learning Institute or your financial aid.
A program orientation for the summer internship program in late June with the Science Learning Institute. Some placements also require additional meetings, sessions, and professional development.
Submission of a final report of your internship experience at the end of the summer.
Part-time weekly commitment for 8 - 12 weeks. Duration and weekly commitment varies for each placement.

Criteria

All placements require some kind of minimal coursework depending on the relevant discipline.
Applicants should be full time Foothill College students majoring in a STEM discipline.
Priority is given to
- Students with demonstrated financial need, who have not previously had an internship or company experience, and who have the intent to transfer.
- First time degree earners (no prior degree such as a Bachelor’s or Associate)

Benefits

Scholarship/ stipend provided through the Science Learning Institute
Work-based learning and experience to add to your skillset and resume
Mentoring and support from your placement and from the Science Learning Institute

Application Process

Each placement has a different application associated with it - this is to be able to allow students to focus on making their case for each company or institution.
Some internship placements may require uploading a resume and/or participating in an interview.
Pay close attention to the application process and fill in all necessary forms.

Questions? Email the SLI Director

How to Apply

All internships offered by SLI that have a stipend can be found at https://fhda.academicworks.com/ (directly through the link or see the AcademicWorks tile in MyPortal. Search for "SLI."

Find out more about filling out the application at the Scholarships page.
Direct any questions about the internship opportunities to sli@foothill.edu.

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