Be an Intern | Saturday Academy

FAQ

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Your full participation in the ASE Program requires you to take primary responsibility for your internship experience. Acknowledge that recognition for completion of the program and documentation for school credit are awarded through full participation in the ASE Program. Failure to complete the requirements of the program or meet the expectations of the program and the mentor may result in termination of the internship, forfeiture of any stipends, and loss of school credit.

Attendance & Participation:

Work with the mentor to approve your schedule for the duration of the internship, including the expected daily schedule, vacation arrangements, and start/end dates. The equivalent of eight weeks, full-time at the internship, including three days for attendance at the orientation and conferences, is expected.
Arrive promptly at work days and events, including meetings. Discuss with your mentor expectations around arriving, leaving, lunch and breaks. Meet agreed upon timelines for each stage of the project, or in advance, discuss with the mentor the need to revise the schedule. Make sure the mentor is informed of any problems. Discuss progress and questions with the mentor fully and openly.
Attend, cooperate, and participate fully in required ASE Program activities, including Orientation , Midsummer Conference and Symposium.

Workplace Safety & Professionalism:

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.
Be a positive representative of the Saturday Academy ASE Program, your mentor and your host organization.
Provide supportive and positive environments for all involved, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and/or physical abilities.
Inform the ASE staff in a timely fashion of any harassment or harassing behavior.

Communication & Documentation

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.
Maintain a daily research or engineering log. Retain a copy of the log for twelve (12) months following your internship.

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 child 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 child 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 child 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 child 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.
Assume responsibility for the safety and conduct of your child while they are traveling to and from the internship site or other program activities.
Carry appropriate medical insurance coverage for your child. If you do not have medical insurance coverage, please call the ASE office, 503-200-5861 for assistance.
Consult with ASE staff (Director, Coordinator, and Teacher Monitor) in a timely manner about any concerns that may arise during the ASE Program.
Allow Saturday Academy permission to collect follow-up information on your child’s continuing interests and participation in STEM for the purpose of long-term program evaluation required by funding agencies.

Total Minimum Student Hours in ASE Program: 318 hours

The total of 318 hours only includes the internship hours and required ASE events listed below. 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. Click the link and then click Edit Workbook > Edit in Excel to determine whether or not you have 296 hours available this summer in order to participate.

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 either June 15th or June 22nd. Internships MUST be completed by August 21st. Students must complete 296 internship hours. ASE also prefers that students save at least 2 extra make-up days for possible illness at the end of the summer.

Yes! The ASE Program provides valuable experiences throughout the summer. See the following events and requirements:

Events

1. Orientation
Students are given a professional skills training to get them ready for their ASE internship experience.

2. Midsummer Conference
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
Interns present their summer projects to each other and other guests. At this conference: a) Each student gives a 15-minute oral presentation presided over by professional scientists or engineers; and b) each student prepares a scientific poster for a 1 hour scientific poster session. When students are not presenting their own projects, they attend sessions where the experiences of other students are described. (Students typically spend several hours preparing for the Symposium.)

Requirements

1. Internship Evaluation with Teacher Monitor: Students complete an evaluation of their experience with the teacher monitor twice during the summer.

2. Internship Summary: Interns write a 500 word internship summary at the end of their internship summarizing their project and what they learned during the summer. (This summary is quite helpful in developing Symposium presentations.)

3. Thank You Letters: The student also writes formal thank-you letters to people who made their internship possible. The students are given training on writing thank-you letters as many of the letters go to high-level professionals in the academic, business, and governmental sectors.

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 in-person 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.
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.

Note: For positions with age requirements, applicants must be the minimum age by May 15th.

The good news is we are able to offer in-person internships on a case by case basis (see prerequisites in each position description for details). The bad news is COVID-19 is likely to be a risk for the foreseeable future.

Safety is our priority, so for in-person activities to work, the mentor company or organization is required to have a Communicable Disease Plan that meets state, federal, and local guidelines & recommendations for wearing masks, physical distancing, providing hand sanitation stations, and air flow, and communication & quarantine protocols should an exposure occur. Interns will be required to review the mentor’s plan and communicate any concerns in advance of accepting an internship offer. Interns will then sign a waiver agreement that they agree to protocols and understand potential risks. We will continue to adapt to the situation in Oregon and support the safety of students as our top priority.

Potential Interns should be aware that as vaccines become more 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 subject to change at the hosting organization's discretion.

& More

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ASE Staff: ASE team members provide support throughout the summer to students. They…

Recruit students from around the region
Administer orientation and training to all participants
Arrange stipend payments and liability insurance
Provide support throughout the internship with on-call staff
Ensure state and federal compliance

Teacher Monitors: Our program hires teachers in Oregon and Washington to monitor the internships and act as a resource for students and mentors. They…

Assist with orientations and events
Document internships on-site
Serve as communications liaison, problem-solver and facilitator for mentor, intern and ASE staff

Application Skills Workshops

ASE offers free Cover Letter Writing workshops and Interview Skills to all students who start their ASE application. Workshops are NOT mandatory for ASE applicants, however, students that have attended the workshops would recommend them to other students.

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 2021 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.

Please contact ASE Staff ONLY with questions. DO NOT contact ASE mentors. Contact ASE staff here. Contacting the mentors may disqualify your current application and future applications to the ASE program.

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.

Specific organizations have shared information about required steps to complete before starting an internship. Interns should be prepared to do the following background work if their internship will take place at the sites listed below.

(Please note: this list is not inclusive of all organizations with special registration processes and may change from year to year.)

Bonneville Power: BPA Interns will be required to go through a registration process at BPA prior to the start of the internship. Be aware this process may take up to 6 weeks. Interns will need to have the following original, government-issued documents in order to start the security process:

• Drivers License (permit is acceptable), OR

• Passport

AND

• Social Security Card, OR

• Original Birth Certificate (state issued, not issued by the hospital) - must have state stamp of authenticity

Interns will be required to take a security/background check. Interns will be paid a wage directly instead of receiving a stipend, and will need to complete related paperwork.

Intel

Interns will be required to go through a registration process at Intel prior to the start of the internship. Be aware that this process may take several weeks. ASE will send a packet to sign and return to ASE. Interns will need to provide a government-issued photo ID at the time of registration with Intel.

Lumencor

Interns will be paid a wage directly instead of receiving a stipend, and will need to complete related paperwork.

OHSU

OHSU requires a background check, testing, and other paperwork to be completed. Follow this link: https://www.ohsu.edu/office-of-visitors-and-volunteers/become-visitor-or-volunteer to get started on the OHSU on-boarding process. Medical clearance may be required, and may take 3-5 days to process. If required, you will need to provide your personal health records. If you do not have up to date immunizations or cannot find documentation, you may receive medical services by OHSU at no cost to you. Applicants should be aware that on-site parking may be limited and/or unavailable throughout the summer; interns may be required to rely on public transit or alternative transportation.

VA Portland Health Care System

The intern will need to complete several training modules and fill out an application with multiple components at least 4 weeks prior to starting the internship. The intern will be required to take a security/background check. Medical clearance may be required.

Collins Aerospace

Interns will be paid a wage directly instead of receiving a stipend, and will need to complete related paperwork.