12 Geoscience Internships for High School Students

Geoscience is an expansive and varied field, and it includes studying and working with minerals, rocks, soils, fossil fuels, energy resources, weather, oceans and freshwater, natural hazards, environment, and space minerals and rocks. Geoscience further utilizes techniques, technologies, and tools used in the primary STEM fields. How it borrows from and contributes to significant research in STEM makes it a budding STEM field itself.

As a high school student, you may not have enough exposure to geoscience as part of your school curriculum. So, if you’re interested in exploring this subject, you can consider doing an internship in the field. Apart from helping you figure out if you’d like to pursue a career in the field, a geoscience internship will strengthen your resume as well as your college application, demonstrating your initiative, drive, and experience.

To make things wasier, we’ve compiled this list of 12 geoscience internships in multiple sub-fields and formats that you can consider applying to.

1. Ladder Internships

Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students available for 5-15 hours per week for 8-16 weeks
Application Deadline: Spring cohort: February 18, 2024 | Summer cohort (early admission): February 18, 2024 | Summer cohort (regular admission): April 14, 2024. Fall and winter cohorts are also offered.
Dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year. Summer cohorts run in June-August.
Cost: Starts at $1,990
Financial Aid: Full and partial need-based financial aid is available.

Ladder Internships is a reputed internship program founded by Harvard alumni. The program matches students with startups and nonprofits across the world, for virtual internship opportunities. Students can choose which industry they wish to work in, based on their interests. The choices include technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism and more. Students who wish to pursue a geoscience internship should specify the environmental science track on their application forms to match with a relevant company.

Interns will work on a real-world project under the guidance and mentorship of their startup managers and Ladder coaches. At the end of the program, you will get a chance to present your work. The program includes professional skill development and 1-on-1 training sessions too!

2. Geosciences Bridge Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

Location: University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD
Eligibility: High school seniors entering their first year of an undergraduate degree program in geosciences can apply. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have a minimum 2.7 GPA.
Application Deadline: The exact deadline is currently unavailable, but applications are usually due in spring.
Dates: June-August (6 weeks)
Stipend: $500 per week, with free housing, meals, and transportation provided.

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC), the Geosciences Bridge Program at UMES is a holistic internship opportunity for high school students to learn about ocean sciences, atmospheric sciences, civil and environmental engineering, marine biology and chemistry, biogeochemistry, and remote sensing/geographic information systems (GIS). Students will attend lectures, go on field trips, participate in accredited college courses and a number of other activities. 

The program includes credit-based College Algebra or Calculus I and a Freshman Seminar course, lectures, field trips and research, hands-on activities, and projects.

3. SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station (BFS) Internship

Location: SUNY Oneonta campus, Oneonta, NY and BFS, Cooperstown, NY
Eligibility: High school students living in New York State and are at least 16 years old with an academic background in environmental or natural sciences
Application Deadline: April 12, 2024
Dates: Late May-August (9 weeks)
Stipend: $3,000. Housing is not offered to high school students.

The Suny Oneonta BFS Internship is a highly selective program that accepts only 1-3 high school students. Interns will assist the faculty while simultaneously working on their own projects.

Programming for this internship includes an organizational meeting in the mornings followed by a mix of activities, such as fieldwork (fisheries and plant surveys, water sampling), laboratory analyses (water chemistry, zooplankton identification, fish dissection), data analysis, writing, and more. In addition, there will be weekly seminars and course credit, and while housing is not available for non-graduating high school students, there will be daily shuttles to and from the SUNY Oneonta Main Campus. 

Interns will also get to prepare a technical report for publication in the BFS Annual Report.

4. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program

Location: Depends on where you live, although Hutton’s availability of a vast network can place students within a 45-minute commute of their homes.
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 and live and are residents of the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 closed on January 16, 2024. Applications for 2025 will open in November 2024.
Dates: June-August (8 weeks)
Stipend: $3,000 and an all-expenses paid trip to the Hutton Scholars Summit conducted at the University of Arkansas.

Sponsored by the American Fisheries Society (AFS), the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program focuses on fisheries and aquatic science. The program specifically aims to increase interest among underrepresented groups in the field. Accepted scholars will be matched with suitable mentors in their area who can help them in their internship activities. 

As part of the program, students may be required to work on a boat, in an office, in a lab, or in the field. The nature of work and activities students will undertake may depend on their location and mentor, but some potential activities include electrofishing, snorkeling, taking fish population surveys, establishing aquatic vegetation, water quality testing, data processing, and more.

5. USGS Pathways Internship Program

Location: Varies based on position and center
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old with U.S. citizenship and a minimum 2.0 GPA
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Depends on position and center
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a government agency focused on research in areas like natural hazards, natural resources, ecosystems, and astrogeology, among others – which makes it a fairly prestigious place to intern with. Its Pathways Internship Program is an opportunity for high school students to assist with research in these geological sub-disciplines while also gaining invaluable experience working at a Federal agency, helping them explore federal careers. While the duration of the internship may different, you will most likely be appointed to work on a temporary basis that will last less than a year. You may be assigned to work on short-term projects, and you can contact the program for more details about the available opportunities and the nature of work.

6. Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Secondary School Field Research Program (SSFRP)

Location: Piermont Marsh, Rockland County, NY and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, NY
Eligibility: Current high school students who are at least 16 years old
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Dates: July 8, 2024 - August 16, 2024 (6 weeks, Monday to Friday each week)
Stipend: $1,400

Columbia University’s SSFRP is a field and laboratory research internship program in which selected interns will work with Lamont researchers on a scientific research project. The research will primarily focus on the Piermont Marsh, which will act as the main field site and outdoor classroom for the interns.

Interns will be divided into research teams comprising high school students, one or two undergraduate mentors, a teacher, and a Lamont researcher. Interns will collect samples, perform laboratory experiments and analyses, and present their findings at the concluding summer symposium.

7. UNC Summer Geoscience Expeditions & Internships

Location: Robeson Early College High School, Lumberton, NC and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Eligibility: Rising 12th grade students who are 18 years old. Students who are 17 can apply for potential placements in local internships.
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 are not yet open, but 2023’s nomination deadline was in May.
Dates: June-July (exact dates to be announced)
Stipend: $1,275 + free housing

Organized by the University of North Carolina’s Institute for the Environment, the Summer Geoscience Expeditions and Internships is a partnership between the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute for the Environment, UNC-Pembroke, and Robeson Early College High School.

The program allows students to connect with geoscientists in North Carolina, interact with peers, examine and analyze the natural world through field trips and hands-on projects, and prepare for a degree or job in geoscience or related STEM fields. 

Program details for 2024 will be updated soon.

8. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Student Opportunities

Location: Varies based on position / Virtual
Eligibility: High school students
Application Deadline: Varies based on position
Dates: Variable
Stipend: Varies based on position

The NOAA is a government agency working on weather forecasting, protecting marine mammals, conducting deep sea surveys and explorations, regulating fishing, and tracking oceanic and atmospheric conditions. The agency has numerous internship opportunities available for high school students that it tends to update throughout the year.

Students can anticipate activities like field/boat/sea research and data collection, laboratory testing, data analysis, and more. Some current opportunities include the Alaska Beluga Monitoring Program (AKBMP), CIMSS Weather Camp, GLOBE International Virtual Science Symposium, and LiMPETS Network.

9. Brooklyn College STEM Research Academy

Location: Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
Eligibility: High school students, with 11th graders from underserved communities particularly encouraged to apply
Application Deadline: Not specified. Students should contact the academy via e-mail for more information.
Dates: 6 weeks in January-April
Stipend: $1,000

The STEM Research Academy run by Brooklyn College annually selects 25 students each spring and places them in a pre-college urban aquatic ecology course. Students will work with undergraduates, faculty, and industry professionals to learn about the steps involved in the scientific method, including literature reviews, field and lab research, data collection, and testing and analysis. By the end of the program, students will present their findings.

Additionally, students will gain access to events by the American Museum of Natural History’s Science Research Mentoring Consortium.

10. Joint Science Education Project (JSEP)

Location: Greenland / Virtual
Eligibility: High school juniors with U.S. citizenship (virtual program) | Students who are U.S. citizens, 18 years old (but not 19+) by June 1, 2024, and who have completed the remote program
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 closed on January 31, 2024. Applications will reopen later in the year for 2025.
Dates: July/August 2024 (virtual) | June-July 2024 (in-person)
Stipend: None for virtual program | $1,500 for in-person program + all travel expenses covered

The JSEP provides on-site or remote opportunities for high school students interested in geology. It matches interns with undergraduate and graduate student mentors to improve their skills and knowledge.

The on-site program focuses on research in plant and animal biodiversity, ecosystems, glacial geology, climate science, ice coring, and natural resources. The virtual program, on the other hand, is led by Dartmouth University and includes interactive polar science and engineering research projects and learning modules, with a symposium at the end for presentations of findings.

11. Marine Teens Internship at Natural History Museum L.A. County

Location: Natural History Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from the Boyle Heights neighborhood in L.A.
Application Deadline: Applications open on February 16, 2024 and are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Unpaid training in April and May; June 18, 2024 - July 26, 2024 (24 paid work hours per week)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified) for the internship

Running since 2019, the Marine Teens Internship is a selective program for a cohort of 10 teens, with 8 teens from three schools in Boyle Heights and 2 interns from the previous cohort who now act as Peer Mentors. The internship initially involves a training period in the spring followed by a paid internship during the summer.

Students will learn about museum research, collections, program development and facilitation, interpretation, critical thinking and communication, and more. A highlight of this program is to develop a project related to marine science.

12. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) at George Mason University

Location: George Mason University, Fairfax, VA / Virtual / Hybrid
Eligibility: Students who are at least 15 years old by June 18, 2024 can apply. Interns for “wet lab” internships should be at least 16 years old.
Application Deadline: February 11, 2024
Dates: June-August (8 weeks)
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship.

ASSIP allows selected interns to work one-on-one with faculty researchers at George Mason University as well as other partnering institutions. A variety of mentors and researchers belong to disciplines like environmental science and policy, geography, oceanic and earth sciences, climate change, spatial sciences, biology, and atmospheric science.

As part of the internship, students will use cutting-edge facilities to work on hands-on projects, develop their science writing and communication skills, explore career options, and develop creative research skills.

Interns’ will also be able to publish their research papers in a scientific journal.


Bonus!

Check out the Volcanic and Magmatic Studies Group Student Internships for graduating seniors. Research and analysis are the main focus of these internships, with most options involving both field research and laboratory investigations.


If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!

This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper in a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.

You can find the application link here!

Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!

Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!

Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate. 

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