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Biology Internships for High School Students

By Eric Eng

By Eric Eng

a female student looking through a microscope

Biology Internships for High School Students

The importance of biology internships for high school students

Biology internships can be a big help for high school students. High school students should take advantage of internship opportunities to receive real-world experience and put their classroom knowledge and abilities to use.

AdmissionSight listed several factors that make biology internships for high school students crucial. Check them out below:

Career exploration: Through internships, students can learn more about potential careers in biology and develop a clearer idea of the type of job they might want to do after graduation.

Networking: Internships give students the chance to interact with professionals in the industry, which can result in beneficial connections and references for future employment openings.

Hands-on experience: During an internship, biology students can get useful experience firsthand by working on projects, doing research, and taking part in lab work. Gaining the expertise required to succeed in the field requires this experience.

Competitive advantage: Students who have internship experience on their resumes may have an advantage when applying for jobs or graduate programs. Employers and graduate institutions favor candidates with in-depth industry experience.

Young female student smiling at the camera.

Building confidence: An internship can help students feel more confident in their skills and in the professional path they have chosen. This is especially helpful for students who may not be sure what they want to do when they graduate.

Overall, internships can help students get real-world experience, learn about other career options, and build a network of business contacts that can help them in their future biology careers.

Types of internships in Biology

You’ll discover that there are several types of internship programs for high school students to match the scope of biology. These can be categorized into the three groups listed below:

  • Laboratory Work: Internships in a laboratory require assistance and support. Expect to perform tests and experiments under the direction of a lab manager.
  • Fieldwork: Internships in the field take place in the elements or region of your study. Expect to spend time outside gathering samples and information. Fieldwork-related internships are very practical learning opportunities.
  • Academic: Academic internships entail reviewing and putting research to use. Within a college or university biology department, tenured instructors are frequently in charge of academic interns. Some academic internships that are part of a program can be used to earn college credits.

List of biology internships for high school students

Biology is a fascinating and adaptable subject that provides a view into the natural world. The study of biology provides a number of intriguing prospects for research, regardless of your interest in the human, plant, or animal life.

However, it is a common issue for students to sift through long lists of research opportunities in search of ones that properly match their interest in biology. Here are 15 biology internships for high school students:

Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (ICLEM)

iCLEM is a paid summer science intensive for economically disadvantaged high school sophomores and juniors in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco, hosted by the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) of the U.S. Department of Energy. The curriculum aims to increase students’ knowledge of microbiology, biotechnology, and biofuels. The program exposes students to job discovery and application process preparation in addition to having them complete a research project.

Biotech Academy

For high school students interested in learning more about biotechnology, Biotech Partners, a partner of JBEI, arranges 6–8-week paid summer internships at Berkeley, Oakland Tech, Antioch, and San Marin.

a female student holding her school stuff and looking at the camera

The academic program at the Biotech Academy combines classroom instruction with practical lab experience to equip students with the information and abilities needed to pursue professions in biotechnology. Students get help with science and study skills, writing resumes and practicing for job interviews, and more. Business leaders and academics also give speeches.

Wave Hill Youth Internships

In order to prepare high school students for further education and professions in the fields of community participation, environmental stewardship, and teaching, Wave Hill offers paid youth internship programs. Students can do a paid internship as stewards of the arts, community, and environment for a year, an internship in ecological restoration and urban ecology for the summer, or a 14-month mentorship program for research in woodland ecology.

Student Conservation Association (SCA) Youth Programs

By joining an SCA crew, high school students can connect with other young environmentalists all over the country.  Students can build a sense of community, help restore parks, improve their leadership skills, and get ready for a career in conservation by taking part in the wide range of local to national programs offered by Student Conservation Association.

Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

One of the biology internships for high school students is the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program, sponsored by the American Fisheries Society. It is an eight-week paid summer internship and mentoring program for high school students. Its goal is to pique the interest of underrepresented groups in aquatic science. Students who take part get a $3,000 stipend and free travel to the Hutton Scholars Summit.

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Volunteer Opportunities in Research

The sole academic health facility in Oregon is OHSU, where ground-breaking studies have produced new treatments, higher standards of care, and a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles behind biomedical discoveries. The university provides volunteer opportunities in areas like clinical trials for solid tumors and hematological malignancies, new interventions in pediatric healthcare, and clinical research in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine.

Linking Individuals to Their Natural Community (LINC) Summer High School Program

This six-week course for high school students focuses on community service and environmental protection in parks and local communities. Week to week, different projects and activities are undertaken, such as habitat restoration, career development, leadership workshops, iNaturalist practice, and technical job skills. At the program’s conclusion, each participant is given a scholarship of up to $2300.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Student Intern Program

Students who work with the USDA as assistants in the scientific, professional, technical, and/or administrative fields acquire significant professional experience. Paid or unpaid internships offer students a glimpse into potential careers with the USDA. Throughout its 19 departments, 16 administrative offices, and 7 mission areas, the USDA hires thousands of students each year.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Apprentice Program

A fantastic opportunity for teenagers to learn about agriculture and the environment is the Garden Apprentice Program (GAP) at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. This biology internship for high school students is offered from the eighth through the twelfth grades. Apprentices can advance through a four-tiered curriculum as they get work experience, supervise educational activities for children, and learn about botany and environmental issues. From March through November, students commit to GAP for a nine-month period that includes spring training, summer programming, and a weekly commitment in the spring and fall.

Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Internships

The MATE Center is a coalition of organizations from throughout the country that aims to enhance marine technical education and prepare high school students for careers in the ocean. Locations for internships range from Key West, Florida, and South Bimini, Bahamas, to Santa Catalina Island, California, and Wallops Island, Virginia.

Iowa State University George Washington Carver Internship Program

By providing interns with chances to do research under the supervision of College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) research faculty members, the George Washington Carver Summer Research Internship Program encourages the integration of “science with practice.” The goal of the internship program is to close the knowledge gap between people who don’t have access to technology and information and those who do.

There are projects and research opportunities in many fields, such as agricultural engineering, agronomy, animal science, molecular biology, genetics, horticulture, microbiology, and sociology.

Cornell Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI) High Research Internships

Students interested in computational biology and plant science research can currently apply for internship slots at BTI. This one of the biology internships for high school students does not require prior lab experience for these positions, and accepted students become a part of a global network of scientists and attend conferences and workshops where they may pick the brains of experts in their disciplines.

Female student smiling at the camera.

The chosen students will collaborate with their mentors to finish a predetermined project suited for the six-week program. Each student will have at least one research mentor.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) Citizen Science Projects

In initiatives like the Chesapeake Bay Otter Alliance, the Chesapeake Bay Parasite Project, and the Salt Marsh Census, SERC aims to actively incorporate citizen scientists. Project Owlnet, River Herring Conservation, and Bluebird Monitoring are a few other seasonal initiatives. View further recent and ongoing work at the website mentioned above.

UC Davis Young Scholars Program

Approximately 40 high-achieving high school students will be introduced to the realm of original research in the biological, agricultural, environmental, and natural sciences during the summer program at UC Davis. For six weeks, participants collaborate one-on-one with research faculty in cutting-edge labs.

Each student will complete a unique project, write a paper of journal quality, and present their findings at a symposium. Students in high school who take part will also earn five units of group study credit at the university.

UC Santa Barbara Research Mentorship Program

Students in the Research Mentorship Program select a research project from a broad range of fields, such as biology, engineering, and astronomy, and are paired with a graduate student, postdoc, or faculty member. High school students will spend the seven-week program studying research methodologies, acquiring knowledge of professional research-based prospects, and maturing their academic goals, in addition to developing a close relationship with their mentor.

Overall, biology internships for high school students offer a fantastic opportunity to obtain practical biology experience and hone crucial abilities. In order to obtain one, you must, however, improve your work ethic, talents, and habits.

Group of female students laughing and talking in front of a laptop.

You can always get more suggestions and advice on what to do and how to best prepare for the exam from college admissions experts like those here at AdmissionSight if you need help securing a seat for your biology internship.

We at AdmissionSight have more than ten years of experience helping students navigate the challenging admissions process so they can enroll in the best colleges in the world. Book your consultation today. The world’s leading Ivy League and college admissions consulting company. Available via Zoom and Skype.

 

 

 

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