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NASA is a symbol of American excellence, one of the highlights of what the country has done. They are well known for their technical skill and innovation, and many careers in engineering end up there, either working for NASA itself or one of the many private companies they contract with.ÌýMost of the they offer are for college students, both to give the students experience, and as an onramp to recruit talented candidates into NASA directly out of college. There are, however, also ways for high school students to get involved in NASA internships, and this is what we’re going to be exploring today. We’re going to go through these options, and explore how to apply to each, and how each can benefit you. Let’s jump right in!

NASA’s Pathways and OSTEM Internships

NASA’s premier internships are the and programs. Both of these are intended for college students, but high school students can sometimes take part in the summer internship programs. Note that most applicants are college students, and that the level of these internships is geared towards that. We recommend only advanced high school students with significant math and science knowledge apply for these internships. 

You must be at least 16 and enrolled full time to apply for either program. They do not just take engineering students, but also have paths for those interested in programming, math, database management, and other STEM fields. Yes, these programs are great for engineers, but they are worth checking out for students interested in other fields as well. 

You must apply to both of these online, through NASA’s site. For Pathways specifically, you must apply through the governmental jobs . This will require creating an account. Note that none of these internships provide housing; they advise only applying for programs near where you live, especially for high school students. You will be responsible for your own transportation to the internship each day. 

There are set application periods for both; for summer internships, applications are due in February. We advise working on your application and submitting them early, just to be safe. These sites are generally reliable, but internet connectivity issues can happen, and you don’t want that to be the reason your application wasn’t submitted. 

Your Resume

The Pathways internship requires a somewhat unique resume, one you’ll need to build specifically for this application. This isn’t too hard to do, but can trip you up if you aren’t expecting it. 

Your resume should be in chronological order, and should be in a narrative format. For each past position you have held, you should clearly and concisely explain what you did, telling the story of your time there. Specifically, they want to know the following: 

• Challenges; what problems or opportunities did you encounter while in this position
• Actions: What specific actions did you take in response to those challenges
• Results: What were the results of the actions you took, and how did they address the original challenge

They encourage you to be specific, and include quantifiable data where possible, to give a sense of the scope of what you did. You should do this for each past job or position, describing what actions you took and how you faced the challenges at each, telling the story of you through your resume. This can and should be longer than a regular resume, but is not an essay. You should still be concise with these, getting to the point and sticking to the facts. 

You should also include any skills you gained over this time. They are interested in both soft and hard skills; here’s some examples of both: 

• Hard Skills: programming languages, software experience, equipment experience (such as welding)
• Soft Skills: communication, leadership, teamwork

Finally, make sure you include your contact information. They will primarily reach out to you through the email address you provide, so make sure it is one that you check regularly. 

The STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Internship

The is one offered by NASA specifically for high school students. While competitive, it is significantly less so than the OSTEM and Pathways ones, and is a better option for students with less STEM or engineering experience. Offered in partnership with UT Austin, this is a summer internship for students currently in grades 10 and 11. 

The program is free of charge, housing, tuition, and meals during the program are provided by the program. During the program, students work on a project in a specific area under the guidance of a mentor; this begins with remote work, and then there is an in-person portion of the program. Students are also expected to complete learning and training modules before beginning work. 

This program doesn’t provide college credit, but students are introduced to many concepts they otherwise would not be, and have the chance to do hands-on engineering and STEM work under the guidance of a mentor. 

Applications to this program must be submitted , and are due in February. The application requires answering a significant number of essay questions; they advise writing these in a separate document, and then pasting them in when you’re ready to apply. Here are the questions they ask; you must respond to each in 250 words. 

• What subjects interest you most?
• What is your current academic path?
• What are your career plans, and how might SEES affect them?
• Describe important academic STEM experiences (courses, science fairs, school competitions, etc.). OR Describe important life STEM experiences outside of school (e.g., cooking with the scientific process, caring for animals, exploring nature, video game or code development, hobby astronomy, math clubs, robotics, tinkering, or crafting).
• What skills have you gained from extracurricular activities that will help you as a research team member?
• How did you hear about the SEES Internship Program?
• Have you participated in similar STEM programs, or is there a lack of STEM opportunities in your area?

A single recommendation is required. This is not a letter, but rather a form your recommender must complete by the deadline. This must come from a teacher, counselor, youth leader, or principal. These are due by the 1 of March. We advise asking your recommender well in advance of this deadline, ideally in January, to make sure they have sufficient time to complete it. 

The application requires a short video introduction. In this, you must explain who you are, where you’re from, and why you’re interested in being a NASA intern. This must be uploaded to a hosting site, and the url shared in your application. Make sure the video is not private or password protected, this will result in your application being rejected. They want videos to be unlisted. 

Finally, the application requires a transcript or a report card. There are no minimum GPAs required to attend, but they do want students with the academic aptitude to succeed in a rigorous program. Students with high GPAs are more likely to be accepted. They also want to see that you have some grounding in math and science coursework. 

NASA Student Launch

is a nine month engineering challenge where students design, build, and launch a rocket carrying a scientific or engineering payload. This culminates in launches from Huntsville, Alabama. This competition is open to students in Middle school, high school, and college, across different divisions.

Students submit designs for their rockets, which are then competitively reviewed by NASA subject matter experts and third party contractors who do the work of rocket design for NASA. Teams must pass multiple stages of design review before they are allowed to build, and more before they launch. This is designed to exactly mirror the processes NASA uses with their own rockets, to ensure the safety of the systems and those who use them. 

Teams must be registered through your school, and applications are submitted by a school for their team. This may be done . If you are interested in competing in this challenge, you will first need to assemble a team at your school, including a faculty member to oversee the work you are doing. This can be a challenge in itself, but is one well worth doing. 

Dream With Us Challenge

The challenge is open to teams of students in grades 6-12, who are asked to design aviation-related systems in response to a specific engineering problem set each year. This is an engineering challenge, asking students to create a practical solution to a real world problem. 

Teams register in September, this is done through your school. Teams of three to seven students are allowed. Submissions are due in January; there are several rounds of judging, with finalists invited to present their designs in March (though this is by invitation only). This is quite competitive, but is a great way for students interested in engineering and design to gain some hands-on experience, especially for students with an interest in aviation and aeronautics. 

Other NASA Opportunities

NASA offers other ways for students to get involved, though these are their main internships and competitions. They list all of the upcoming ones online ; you can filter this by who the opportunities are intended for, or the subject area of interest. 

Many of these opportunities are designed primarily for college students, but there are plenty of ways for high schoolers to get involved as well. Other activities can be found on their website , though this is primarily educational activities and competitions, and solely for students in high school.

NASA is a government agency, and is reliant on government funding to operate. During budget crises and shutdowns, these programs may be unavailable, and some may be cancelled if budgets are cut. These programs seek to draw students into NASA, to inspire the next generation of engineers and explorers, but are not critical to the agency’s functions, so may end up on the chopping block if things get tight. 

Final Thoughts

NASA offers students a lot of options to get involved in their programs, at many different levels. Some of these are more competitive than others, especially those aimed primarily at college students, but they are all quite popular with students interested in engineering, and for good reason. If you are interested in engineering or STEM, then these are definitely something you should consider taking advantage of as well.

If you are looking for help finding the right opportunities for you to take advantage of, or for the best ways for you to get involved with engineering in high school, then Ivy  Scholars can help. Our mentors are experts at helping students find the right opportunities for them, and apply to them strategically. If you are looking for help with your own applications or endeavors, then schedule a free consultation with us today. We’re always happy to hear from you.