** The pre-application process for the 2025 High School Summer Internship Program will open December 2024. If you would like to be notified by email when the pre-application is launched, please complete the contact list. **

Georgia high school students who are at least 16 years old may be eligible to apply for five-week paid summer internships hosted in GTRI labs. Interns work on projects in GTRI laboratories and the GTRI Warner Robins field office with the goal of providing students with real-world experiences in science and engineering research. GTRI researchers mentor students by working with them on projects to engage them in first-hand STEM experience, with the goals of helping bridge the gap in Georgia’s STEM workforce by creating awareness of STEM career opportunities.

Internship projects focus on topics ranging from piezoelectric systems to rapid prototyping, from robots and drones to the physics of radar emissions. Students may build educational kiosks that provide educational information on night vision or help build piezoelectric tiles to create energy for the NASA visitors center. 

In select cases, teachers from local school systems work alongside students and GTRI researchers to develop a finished research project, as well as a curriculum that will incorporate those learning concepts back their the classrooms.

Student interns have the opportunity to learn more about working in a STEM field by attending a workplace orientation, participating in lab tours in throughout Georgia Tech, attending trainings on topics such as soldering and circuit board design, and interacting on a regular basis with GTRI researchers as well as Georgia Tech graduate or undergraduate students.

Interns and their teams present the results of their work in an end of the summer final presentation.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the STEM@GTRI team, Therese Boston and Dr. Erick Maxwell, at stem.gtri@lists.gatech.edu.

Pre-Application

The purpose of the student profile and pre-application is to match high school students with a GTRI job opportunity. Once a student completes and submits the pre-application, the information will be visible to GTRI faculty/staff who have internship opportunities. Once the GTRI faculty/staff member identifies a student as a potential intern, he/she will contact the student by email and/or phone for an interview. It is not unusual for multiple applicants to interview for a single position. As a result, interviews can take several weeks. Completion of the pre-application does not guarantee employment.

Requirements

• Show proof of citizenship or US person status (NISPOM 2-208, EAR Part 772, and ITAR 120.15).
  Note: Most, but not all, positions require US Citizenship because of the nature of the project or information to which the student may have access during the internship.
  Note: GTRI does not sponsor H1B visas.
• Be a Georgia resident attending a public, private,charter, or home school in Georgia.
• Be at least 16 years old before the deadline for completing the full application (Sunday, March 31, 2025 - No exceptions).
• Be in the high school graduating class of 2025, 2026, or 2027.
• Have reliable transportation to assigned work location (Housing is not provided).
• Be able to work from Monday, June 9, 2025 to Friday, July 18, 2025, during Georgia Tech's regular business hours (M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).
  Note: Interns are not permitted to work on weekends or after hours.
• Attend an all-day STEM@GTRI orientation on Monday, June 9, 2025.
  Note: If you miss the orientation, your GTRI internship offer will be rescinded.
• Attend and participate in an all-day final presentation on Friday, July 18, 2025.
• Be available to work 24 hours/week for five weeks (more than 24 hr/wk will not be approved).
  Note: Interns are not allowed to work on weekends or after hours 
  Note: Work will be in-person only.
• Attend any lab-specific safety training (if it applies to their activity/location), i.e. wet-lab training.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Info

How long does the internship last? How many hours do I work per week?         
This is a five-week internship program that takes place over a 6-week period. Interns do not work the week of July 4th. Interns must be available to work up to 24 hours a week during the approved work hours of Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Can I work more than 24 hours a week?         
No, students are only approved to work 24 hours a week.

How many intern positions are open for the internship program?         
On average, we place 60-70 students each year.

Is this a paid internship?         
Yes, this is a paid internship program.

Is housing provided?         
STEM@GTRI does not provide housing for interns.

Eligibility

My 16th birthday occurs after the deadline specified. Should I apply?         
No. Students must turn 16 years old on or before the deadline.

I reside outside the state of Georgia. Can I apply?         
To be eligible, all GTRI summer interns are required to be Georgia residents who attend a high school or home school in Georgia. 

I will be visiting Georgia in the summer and will live with a relative. Am I eligible to participate?         
No. Students must be a Georgia resident who attends a school in Georgia or is homeschooled in the Georgia.

Pre-application

Will I need to submit a resume?         
Yes, you will be required to upload a resume in PDF format for the pre-application.

Do applicants select their own project when completing the pre-application?
Applicants do not select projects in advance. Applicants will be contacted for a phone screen, by a GTRI faculty/staff mentor if their profile matches an opportunity. The faculty/staff mentor will describe the project.

I did not finish my pre-application and/or upload my resume?
To be considered, your pre-application must be 100% complete before the deadline.

After Applying

What is the selection process?         
The selection process is a multistep process, involving reviews of the pre-application, interviews with the GTRI mentor, and then completion of final application. If an candidate receives and accepts an informal offer, the internship program directors(s) will initiate the Georgia Tech Tech Temp Hiring process, through which a formal offer of employment will be made.

There are nine (9) different GT/GTRI departments and offices involved in the GT hiring process and most will communicate with candidates through email. It is critical that candidates are timely in their response to all e-mails received from GT/GTRI. As such, employment offers (both informal and formal) are conditional. Offers are based on candidates successfully completing all the requirements of the hiring process in a timely manner.

Other Opportunities

If I’m not selected, are there other opportunities offered by STEM@GTRI, GTRI, or Georgia Tech?         
Please visit the STEM@GTRI or CEISMC website for updates or consider applying again next year if you are eligible.

If you have any questions, please reach out to the STEM@GTRI team, Therese Boston and Dr. Erick Maxwell, at stem.gtri@lists.gatech.edu.

STEM@GTRI: