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Internship Program
The Quality Education for
Minorities (QEM) Network Internship Program
The QEM Network Summer Internship Program includes three
components: Science Student Internships supported by the Office of
Integrative Activities (OIA) at the National Science Foundation (NSF);
Health-focused Internships supported by the Office of Minority Health
(OMH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and Science
Education Internships supported by NSF’s Tribal Colleges and
Universities Program (TCUP). The Internship Program
is designed to: 1) enhance participating students’ ability
to apply their knowledge to internship assignments;
2) increase their understanding of the
health and educational needs of minorities; and 3) instill a sense
of responsibility in each intern to help others in their communities.
The Internship Program is a ten-week
experience consisting of a four-day, pre-internship orientation
and professional development session; a nine-week site assignment
with a mentor/advisor; and a post-internship reflection meeting.
The Program provides opportunities for college students
to interact with individuals involved in policymaking positions;
increase their awareness and knowledge of the circumstances that
prevent minority communities from receiving a quality education
and quality healthcare; conduct research to become familiar with
programs and strategies being implemented to address these issues;
and become aware of policies and legislation that have an impact
on STEM education and access to healthcare. Topics discussed during
the summer include career opportunities, research and personal
skills development, ethical and professional conduct, graduate
school requirements, leadership, community service, and major issues
related to the health status and educational needs of underserved
groups.
In Summer
2008, the
following internship opportunities are underway:
Science Student Internships at
the National Science Foundation (NSF) that provide undergraduate
and graduate students the opportunity to be mentored by program
officers involved in making science policy and in implementing
national programs focused on science and engineering. The experience
is designed to increase the students’ understanding
of how science policy is made as well as to further develop their
potential for becoming leaders and proponents of increased participation
in science and engineering fields by students from underrepresented
minority groups. Science-focused internships are supported by the
National
Science Foundation's Office of Integrative Activities.
Health-focused Internships at QEM that
provide undergraduate students the opportunity to increase their
knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS and other health disparities
that disproportionately affect underrepresented minority groups.
Health internships provide interns with the background and training
necessary to design, develop, and lead academic-year HIV/AIDS education
and awareness outreach activities aimed at reducing HIV/AIDS in
minority communities. Students must be enrolled at an accredited
Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and returning to
school in the fall semester after the summer experience concludes.
Interns are majoring in
one of the following: a pre-medical or pre-dental program, the
biomedical sciences, life sciences, allied health, physical and
occupational therapy, biomedical research, pharmacy, or public
health. Health-focused Internships are supported by the Office
of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tribal College/Science education-focused Internships that
provide students from Tribal Colleges the opportunity to become familiar
with science education policies and how they affect the education
of American Indians; to learn about health issues disproportionately
affecting American Indians; and to design a community outreach program
that will enable them to share their experiences with peers and faculty
on campus as well as engage K-12 students in their respective communities.
Tribal College internships are supported by the
National
Science Foundation's Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP).
Click on the following links for more details
on the QEM Internship Program:
Program Description
Program
Benefits
Eligibility
Conditions
Application
Process
ALERT:
See TCUP for
additional information on internships for students from Tribal
Colleges majoring in STEM fields.
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QEM INTERNSHIP PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The ten-week internship
includes a one-week pre-internship professional development session,
a nine-week research assignment with a mentor/advisor, and a post-internship
reflection session. Interns also participate in several special
enrichment activities during the summer. NSF internship assignments
are related to science policy and practice, while Health-focused
internships concentrate on HIV/AIDS,
a health disparity disproportionately affecting underrepresented
minority groups. Projects will be designed to allow students
the best opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills and transfer
the internship experiences
to their college studies and communities. Descriptions
of actual projects are available only after students have been
selected for the program. Specific research topics will be based
on research interests, program resources, and the areas in which
mentors/advisors are working.
The Individual
Development Plan (IDP) is a feature of the Internship Program
that results from joint planning for the internship experience
by the student and the mentor/advisor. The IDP specifies the
intern’s learning objectives as well as the training experiences and timetable required for the attainment of the objectives. Interns will be expected to submit written mid-term and final reports on their internship experiences. These reports are to outline the individual intern’s
activities and document progress during the internship as well
as explain specific details of the experience. As part of their
professional development during the summer, interns receive
both mid-term and final evaluations from their mentors/advisors
as well as ongoing feedback from Program staff.
In addition to the ten-week summer internship, Health-focused interns are expected to implement outreach activities during the academic year at their home institutions or neighboring communities upon returning to school in the fall. Each intern must prepare a written description of his/her academic year project, an interim progress report, and a final report on the outcome of the academic year project to be eligible to receive an academic-year stipend.
PROGRAM BENEFITS
ELIGIBILITY
All Internship Applicants must meet
each of the following eligibility conditions at the time of
application:
- Must be a citizen or national of
the United States. (Note: A “national of the United States” is
a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession
of the United States such as Guam or American Samoa. It does
not refer to a citizen of another country who is a U.S. permanent
resident. U.S. permanent residents are not eligible for Science
Student Internships at federal agencies.)
- Must be a currently enrolled student
and have successfully completed at least the sophomore year (freshman
year for Tribal College students) at an accredited, degree-granting
institution by the start of the program .
- Must be returning to a degree-granting institution the
following academic year, either at the undergraduate or graduate
level. (Note: Graduating seniors must be already admitted to
and planning to enter graduate school in the fall in order to
be eligible.)
- Must have a significant interest in working to improve the health and education of minorities; and in participating in community outreach activities that are educational in nature and that involve minority students from low-income or underserved communities.
- Must be committed to participating in the Program for the full ten-week period.
Additional eligibility requirement related
to Science Student Internships at NSF:
-
Must be majoring in one of the following fields: mathematics, science (life or physical sciences, computer science, behavioral sciences, or social sciences), technology, or engineering.
Additional eligibility requirements related to Health-focused Internships at QEM:
- Must be pre-med, pre-dentistry, or majoring in one of the following
fields: biomedical sciences, life sciences, allied health, physical
and occupational therapy, biomedical research, pharmacy, or public
health
- Must have a significant interest in raising the level of awareness about health disparities, particularly HIV/AIDS, and wellness strategies in low-income and/or underserved communities.
- Must be an undergraduate enrolled at a Historically Black College or University.
- Must commit to completing an academic year outreach project upon return to school in the fall.
Additional eligibility requirement
related to Tribal College Internships at QEM:
- Must be currently enrolled in an accredited Tribal
College or University, and, must have successfully completed
at least the freshman year by the start of the Program.
- Must be pursuing a degree in a science- or engineering-related
field.
- Must be returning to a Tribal College the following
academic year except in the case of students who have completed
their degree program at the Tribal College. In the latter case,
such applicants must have been accepted into a four-year or graduate
program that will begin in the fall.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants
must submit the completed application and recommendation forms,
as well as the required transcript, essay, and resumé by
mail to QEM Network in a single package, postmarked
on or before the deadline date – Friday, January
25, 2008.
Hand-delivered application packages will be accepted at the
QEM Network office until 5:00pm on January 25, 2008. Transcripts
may be mailed separately, if necessary, but must also be postmarked
by the deadline date.
View
2008 Internship Program Application (.pdf) (.htm)
For more information, please contact:
QEM Network Internship Program
1818 N Street, NW, Suite 350 • Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 659-1818 • Fax: (202) 659-5408 • E-mail: qemnetwork@qem.org
URL: http://qemnetwork.qem.org/internship.htm
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