What is an ASE Internship Like?

2025 ASE application will open January 13, 2025.

ASE typically offers about 75 internships each year. Mentor partners vary but usually fall under one of the following general disciplines: Biology, Health or Medicine, Earth or Environmental Science, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics. From mid January to late February ASE will update position descriptions in the internship catalog as mentors submit them.

Interns contribute to one or more projects at the mentor’s organization throughout the summer. Interns complete 8-10 weeks of work with their mentor between June and late August. Internship hours are usually scheduled by the mentors during typical work hours of Monday-Friday, 8-5.

Learn all about the program and the application by attending an Information Session!

Select from the following:

Work with your mentor to approve your schedule for the duration of the internship, including the expected daily schedule, vacation arrangements, and start/end dates. Most internships are eight weeks of full-time work (around 320 hours), including three days for attendance at the orientation and conferences.
Arrive promptly at work days and events, including meetings. Discuss expectations with your mentor regarding schedule and availability, including but not limited to arriving for work, leaving, lunch and break; whether in person or remote. Meet agreed upon timelines for each stage of the project, or in advance, discuss with the mentor any need to revise the schedule. Make sure the mentor is informed of any barriers to progress. Discuss progress and questions with the mentor fully and openly.
Attend, and participate fully in required ASE Program activities, including Orientation, Midsummer Conference and Symposium. Submit any requested materials to program staff in preparation for these events.

Conform to all rules and regulations of the internship site, especially health and safety practices and policies.
Conform to mentor organization rules for proper use and etiquette of internet, email and phone/cell phone, including both personal and organizational devices and software, as well as organizational confidentiality practices.
Become familiar with the background of the internship topic by asking your new colleagues questions and by studying any assigned reading.
Write thank you letters to the individuals responsible for your position as directed by program staff.
Be a positive representative of the Saturday Academy ASE Program, your mentor and your host organization.
Respect and embrace the diversity of all involved, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and/or physical abilities.
Inform the program staff in a timely fashion of any harassment or harassing behavior.
Enthusiastically participate in the project provided the host mentor organization. Engage with colleagues at the hosting institution and participate in social activities whenever possible.

Read all communications from program staff, Saturday Academy Staff, Mentors, and the host mentor organization and respond in a timely manner whenever necessary. Interns should be reachable via email or phone easily in the case of emergencies.
Cooperate with your Teacher Monitor and ASE in tracking your performance and evaluating the program.
Notify your Teacher Monitor immediately about any problems at the internship site or changes to your schedule.
When questions arise about culture or behavior at the hosting company, notify your Teacher Monitor to determine if the experience is expected or common, and to acquire tips about how to best navigate the situation.
Maintain a daily activity log book. Retain a copy of the log for twelve (12) months following your internship.
Cash stipend check disbursed by Saturday Academy within fourteen (14) days of its receipt in the mail.

What are the Expectations of Parents of Student Interns?

Your child’s full participation as an intern in the ASE Program requires them to take primary responsibility for their internship experience. Your supporting role is key to their success. We expect the following support from parents and guardians.

Agree that your student may participate fully in the ASE Program, including full-time 8 weeks at the internship site, i.e. the agreed-upon schedule arranged with the mentor, and full attendance and participation in ASE Events: Orientation, Midsummer Conference and Symposium.
Encourage and facilitate your student in carrying out their responsibilities and learning activities. Make a good faith effort to attend the ASE Symposium.
Inform yourself of the activities occurring in the mentor’s facility and of those activities in which your student will be participating. Saturday Academy has not formally inquired into or assessed the hazards or the safety record of the host facility, and has no power, authority or control over the host facility. Except for professional qualifications, Saturday Academy has not conducted a background check on the mentor and their associates at the host facility. Use your judgment to decide whether your student will be able to work safely in the environment of the host facility.
Mentors are informed that parents and guardians are welcome to visit the host facility at least once prior to or during internship, unless otherwise prohibited due to COVID requirements or other limitations.
Assume responsibility for the safety and conduct of your student while they are traveling to and from the internship site or other program activities.
Carry appropriate medical insurance coverage for your student. If you do not have medical insurance coverage, please call the ASE office, 503-200-5860 for assistance before the start of the student internship.
Consult with program staff (Director, Manager, Coordinator, and Teacher Monitor) in a timely manner about any concerns that may arise during the ASE Program.
Understand that your student may be involved in new and unfamiliar situations in their workplace. With the exception of any inappropriate conduct, this is an important part of their learning experience. Note that our program offers student support and tips for best navigating workplace dynamics and we encourage students to reach out to Teacher Monitors and program staff directly with concerns and questions.
Allow Saturday Academy permission to collect follow-up information on your student’s continuing interests and participation in STEM for the purpose of long-term program evaluation required by funding agencies.
Respond in a timely manner to all requests for information made by ASE staff.
Allow your student to be the primary communicator with ASE staff, mentors, and colleagues.
Notify program staff in a timely manner if any medical care was needed in relation with the student’s participation in the program. Program staff will work with guardians to complete our insurance processes - parents and guardians should plan to actively participate in these processes.

How Much Time Does an ASE Internship Take?

ASE Program Time Commitment

Internships involve an 8-10 week commitment between mid-June and the end of August. Most ASE internships are full-time, which can be up to 320 total hours, with some part-time options that are 100-200 hours. The majority of this time is spent with the mentor, but interns also attend three ASE Program events: an Orientation in late-May; the Midsummer Conference in mid-July; the Symposium in mid-August. We strongly encourage interns to make the internship their primary activity of the summer. Student “after-hours” preparation will vary, as with any educational experience. Substantial reading is typically assigned by the mentor, and Symposium preparation typically takes students several hours.

You can use the Calendar Calculator tool to estimate your internship days/hours.

IMPORTANT: The Calendar Calculator is only useful in determining whether or not you can possibly participate in the program. All schedules are ultimately at the discretion of your ASE mentor. Some mentors have family vacations planned during the summer or need students in the lab during specific times during the summer for research. Most internship schedules allow for 2 weeks of vacation during the summer. Internships CANNOT start before the end of the school year. Most start dates will be the week of June 16th. All internship hours must be completed by August 22nd.

Events
Requirements

Select from the following:

1. Orientation - Date and time will be announced in April

Students will meet virtually with ASE staff and alum in late May to prepare for their ASE internship experience.

2. Midsummer Conference - Week of July 14, 2025, exact day TBD

This conference includes: (a) career lectures and seminars led by scientists, engineers, and other technical professionals; (b) hands-on workshops in various technical areas such as DNA electrophoresis, measuring air pollution, and computer modeling; and (c) a workshop on making professional scientific presentations.

3. ASE Symposium - August 14, 2024

Interns present their summer projects to each other and other guests. At this conference each student gives a 15-minute oral presentation presided over by professional scientists or engineers. When students are not presenting their own projects, they attend sessions where other students describe their experiences. Students typically spend several hours preparing for the Symposium.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

To be eligible to apply students must:

Have not been an ASE intern before. A student may only have one ASE internship during their high school career. This is to ensure that more students are able to participate in the ASE program.
Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader (or equivalent).
Be interested in pursuing a career in math and science, motivated to learn, and prepared to participate in a professional environment.
Live near our internship locations (usually in the Portland-Metro area, and the Albany/Corvallis/Eugene areas) OR have adult family or friends that you can live with during the summer near our internship locations. (ASE does not provide housing for students and does not allow students to live on their own.) If you apply for positions that are greater than 50 miles from your home address or local address provided on your online application, ASE will remove your application from those positions, even if the position is virtual, because all students are required to attend one in-person ASE event.
Regardless of internship type (in-person or online), ASE is unable to support international applicants at this time.
Have reliable transportation to and from our internship locations. (Public transportation is fine.) ASE does not provide transportation for students.
Have proof of health insurance.
Applicants may not apply for positions wherein the mentor is a family member.

Note: There is no minimum age required for ASE, but some host organizations have age requirements for their positions. For most positions with age requirements, applicants must be the minimum age by June 16th, but for the VA Healthcare System, they must be 16 by May 15th.

Check your eligibility with this quiz!

In-Person Internships & COVID-19

Many of our internships take place in-person or have in-person elements, and we recognize that exposure to COVID-19 and other communicable diseases will always pose a risk. We defer to the mentor organizations for their policy on wearing masks, physical distancing, and communication & quarantine protocols should an exposure occur. Interns will then sign a waiver agreement that they agree to follow any protocols provided by their mentor, and understand potential risks.

As COVID-19 vaccination is widely available, workplaces, organizations, campuses, and laboratories may require interns to have their vaccines as a prerequisite to an in-person program. Please look to position descriptions for clarity or email ASE@saturdayacademy.org for more information on this policy. Vaccination requirements are subject to change at the hosting organization's discretion.

ASE Midsummer Conference is in-person, and attendance is required for all interns, even those with remote internships. Interns will be expected to follow Saturday Academy's safety policies for in-person events, which are updated quarterly.

Please note ASE & partner mentors reserve the right to cancel internships at any time.

Updated December 2024

Select from the following:

How do I Apply?

IMPORTANT: Review our ASE Application Guide carefully for useful tips and a successful application experience.

Join our mailing list to be notified about important details of the 2024 process.

Get started on your application. Start by browsing current internships. To apply, add internships to your locker - from here you can start your application and create an ASE Internship account. This will allow you to save your progress. For a step-by-step guide on how to open an application, visit our ASE Application Guide.

If you have questions or experience technical difficulties during the application process, please contact us by phone (503-200-5860) or email ase@saturdayacademy.org. You can also find contact information for specific ASE staff here.

Please contact ASE Staff ONLY - DO NOT contact ASE mentors. Contacting the mentors may disqualify your current application and future applications to the ASE program.

OHSU
VA Portland Health Care System