6 Awesome Summer Internship Programs: Part I

Summer is here, which for some of us means a whole lot of cartoons and cereal for the next couple of months. For others, summer means the beginning of a new opportunity with an internship program in the field of their choice. Today we’re going to be taking a look at some of the coolest summer internship programs out there; many of which make yours truly just a little bit jealous. Let’s get started.

NASA Research Internship Program

Some say that outer space is the final frontier, and now you (yes, you!) can take on your choice of NASA’s summer internship programs. There’s the NASA Office of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Engagement Internship that is geared towards high school and college-level students, a Fellowship Program for graduate students, internships for international students in participating countries, and a Pathways Program for students and recent graduates that can lead to full-time employment at NASA.

Each program provides interns with the guidance of official NASA mentors, and allows students to take part in actual projects – now that’s exciting! These internships aren’t for everyone and require students to maintain a pretty solid GPA in order to participate. After all, you’ll be messing around with space so uh, you’d better be pretty careful. Lastly, if you thought being an intern at NASA wasn’t cool enough already, then get this – the internships are all paid! I’ve been practicing saying “I get paid to work at NASA” in the mirror for years, but imagine being able to say it and really mean it?

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Disney basically owns everything at this point, and whether that’s a good thing depends on who you ask. One thing’s for sure though – that Mikey Mouse is one industrious fellow. If you’re an illustrator with a knack for storytelling, then Disney’s Talent Development Program is perfect for you. Disney offers mentored internship programs for students, as well as apprenticeships for recent graduates that lead to entry-level positions at the company.

One of the coolest aspects of Disney’s summer program is its “Shorts for Summer” opportunity. Here, interns will develop their own story, design and animate their own characters, write their own score, and put it all together to form one awesome short film – all under the watchful eyes of highly talented Disney mentors. What this means is that you’ll be immortalized by the time you finish the program, while having one heck-of-a piece for your new portfolio. Now that’s what I call a great start!

Tesla Internship Program

Sustainable energy is something the entire world could benefit greatly from, and now you can be a part of making it a reality. Interning at Tesla is no joke, as they expect their interns to perform at the same level as their full-time employees; however, the trade-off is you’ll be as close to interning for Wayne Enterprises as you’re going to get. According to Tesla, they often hire interns to come on as full-time employees, so if sustainable energy and cool cars are your thing, this is probably a good fit for you.

While interning at Tesla, you can expect to gain hands-on experience under the guidance of skilled mentors, as well as the opportunity to attend weekly seminars and networking events. Internships are available in many of Tesla’s departments, and will take part in actual meaningful projects alongside seasoned professionals. If you’re interested in interning with Tesla, make sure your resume highlights your technical abilities, and that you’ve been maintaining a good GPA.

We’re reaching critical mass here with all this coolness, which is why we’ll be talking about the rest of our selections of summer internship programs in part two. As an aside, if anyone manages to take on the Tesla program and somehow invents time travel, please contact me so that I can borrow your technology and attend the NASA program, or possibly one of the programs we’ll be showcasing next time (spoiler alert: it has to do with space). With that, keep your internet dialed in for part two of our list of awesome summer internship programs.