Are you a Georgia resident who loves STEM and is looking for an opportunity to explore your interest during the summer?

Great. Glad you’re here. Because an internship with the Georgia Tech Research Institute for high school students could be the answer.

Below, we’ll talk you through

What GTRI is
What the internship covers
Who the program is designed for
And how to apply

Sound good? Good.

Let’s dive in.

What is the Georgia Tech Research Institute?

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research organization of the Georgia Institute of Technology, which you probably know as Georgia Tech (Side note: If you’re going to apply to GTech for college, check out our guide to the Georgia Tech essays here). Its headquarters are on the Georgia Tech campus in Midtown Atlanta, Georgia.

GTRI develops advanced technology solutions and large-scale system prototypes. The goal of their work is “to enhance the state of Georgia's economic development, serve national security, improve the human condition, and educate future technology leaders.”

Sound like something you want to be a part of? Maybe a summer internship is right for you.

What is the GTRI high school summer internship?

The GTRI high school summer internship is a great opportunity for you if you are a Georgia high school student looking for a hands-on opportunity to engage in science and engineering research. If you want to get to know more about what happens at Georgia Tech, this is the perfect opportunity.

What to expect:

The internships, which are paid, last for five weeks.
This five-week program takes place over 6 weeks (interns don’t work the week of July 4th).
You’ll work up to 24 hours a week during Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (No evening or weekend work for interns)
There are places for an average of 60-70 students each year.

What opportunities are there for high school students?

Internship projects can potentially focus on a whole range of topics, from piezoelectric systems to rapid prototyping, from robots and drones to the physics of radar emissions. Past projects have seen students build educational kiosks that provide educational information on night vision or help build piezoelectric tiles to create energy for the NASA visitors center.

One particularly great opportunity: High school students have the chance to work with GTRI mentors. These internships are an opportunity for you to learn what it is like to work in a STEM field. You attend workplace orientation, tour labs at Georgia Tech, and receive training in STEM skills like soldering and assembly tools.

At the end of the five-week program, you and your team share the results of your work in a final presentation.

Who are the GTRI programs for?

If you’re a Georgia high school student who is at least 16 years old and interested in learning more about work in STEM, you could find yourself working on a paid internship at one of the GTRI labs.

Interns work on projects at the GTRI Atlanta campus, Cobb County Research Facility, and the Warner Robins field office. Working and learning alongside the experienced teams at GTRI, you will gain real-world experiences in science and engineering research.

STEM@GTRI High School Summer Internship eligibility requirements

In order to apply you must:

Show proof of citizenship or US person status (NISPOM 2-208, EAR Part 772, and ITAR 120.15).
Be a Georgia resident attending a public, private, charter, or home school in Georgia.
Be at least 16 years old by Sunday, March of that years program.
Have reliable transportation to the assigned work location (Housing is not provided).
Be able to work from usually early June to mid July during Georgia Tech's regular business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm ET).
Attend an all-day STEM@GTRI orientation.
Attend and participate in an all-day final presentation.
Be available to work 24 hours/week for five weeks (more than 24 hr/wk will not be approved).
Not be enrolled in the Georgia Tech Ignite Summer Program.

How do you apply to STEM@GTRI?

If you would like to apply, you should register with the Contact Registry for STEM@GTRI High School Summer Internship. This will make sure you receive all the information about next summer’s program and get the link for pre-application when it is launched (around 5th December).

It’s worth remembering that it isn’t enough to be on the registry. You will need to complete the pre-application process to be considered for one of the 60-70 summer internships. You’ll need to send a PDF of your resume as part of the pre-application (so why not start working on that straightaway?).

To register, use this link: https://gatech.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9pBG06FgiqJaaPQ.

Questions? To find out more, you can reach out to the STEM@GTRI team, Therese Boston and Dr. Erick Maxwell, at support.hsi.stem@gtri.gatech.edu.

If you don’t live in Georgia or this doesn’t look like quite the right fit for you, there are plenty more opportunities to explore. Have a look at the links below to see more great ways to spend your summer:

Jane Longley is a devoted reader, writer, and educator. Her love of stories began when she discovered the joy of reading at an early age. She’s rarely without a book, and this interest persists today in her work as an essay coach, helping others share their stories. Having graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Modern Languages, Jane worked as a teacher in the UK for ten years before moving to Nicaragua, where she has lived for over two decades. She has worked with students from every continent except Antarctica and loves to discuss books, films, characters, and the best way to write about them.

Top values: Honesty, Empathy, Communication