[NMScience] Summer Job Opportunity at AFRL for High School & College Students

[Ronda.Cole]

Dear Teachers,

Last year was the inaugural year for Air Force Research Laboratory's (AFRL) successful new Junior Scholars program.  Junior Scholars is a summer employment opportunity that provides students the chance to work with AFRL scientists and engineers on a variety of programs.   This year's deadline for candidates to apply is February 16, 2009.  Applicants must be at least entering Juniors in High School through Juniors in College.  Junior Scholars intends to be a bridge between our AFRL La Luz Academy, which includes students through high school, and our Space and Directed Energy Scholars program for university undergraduate and graduate students.

Successful applicants will be paired with AFRL Directed Energy Directorate and Space Vehicles Directorate scientists at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.  Last years' tasks included working at our Adaptive Optics, High Power Microwave, Satellite Assessment Center, and Integrated Space Experiments facilities on such projects as atmospheric reflection and nanosatellite technology. At the end of the summer, students were required to present a paper and poster to be reviewed by AFRL personnel.  The benefit for students working with our scientists goes beyond acquiring scientific and technical knowledge.  Students interact with senior scientists at lectures and are also mentored while working on their assigned tasks.  Junior Scholars get an "eye opening" introduction to the working world of math, science, and engineering that allows them to determine if this is the direction they want to head in their careers.  And they get practical day-to-day experience in how to function in meetings, and acquire workplace discipline and flexibility.

Fifteen students were employed by the lab during the summer of 2008.  They came from several New Mexico high schools and colleges, including New Mexico Tech, Penn State University, and Texas Christian University as well as Hope Christian High School, St. Pius High School, and even a home schooled student.  In the upcoming 2009 cycle, there may be as many as 30 slots available.

For more information, contact the Junior Scholars coordinator, Ms. Jennifer Donaldson, at 505-853-7676.  For application packets, please send a request to PTi at kirtland.af.mil 

Please share this information with any students you know who might be interested in this opportunity.

 

Best regards,

Ronda Cole

Director, AFRL La Luz Academy

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.aps.edu/pipermail/science/attachments/20090114/81f29f0d/attachment-0001.html