Becoming an Akamai Mentor
Requesting an intern be placed with you
Review this page to make sure mentoring in the Akamai Program is a good fit for you
Come up with an idea for a 7-week project
Obtain approval from your organization
Submit project idea (early Jan)
Meet with Akamai Program staff (Jan)
Finalize project description and commit to mentoring (Feb)
You will be notified on whether a qualified intern is identified for your project (Mar-Apr)
Project Ideas
The project should take 7-8 weeks and be of value to the mentor and their host organization AND will be valuable for interns career advancement in their field of interest.
2024 timeline for mentors
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Ideally, submit project by:Â January 8
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Meetings with mentors-staff: week of January 22
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Notification of intern placement: late March to early April
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Mentor workshop: May 17-18
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Interns on site working on project: June 10-August 9
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Symposia:
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Waimea & Kona interns: TBA
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Hilo interns: TBA
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Maui interns: TBA
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Santa Cruz interns: Aug 9
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When an intern has been placed with you
Have a remote introductory meeting with intern (Apr-May)
Participate in Akamai Mentor Workshop (May, encouraged but not required)
Mentor your intern as they complete a 7-8 week project, guiding intern on project, helping them integrate into workplace, and providing career pathway perspectives (Jun-Aug)
Attend the symposium where your intern will present results (Aug)
Complete confidential, brief evaluation of intern (Aug)
General notes about mentoring with the Akamai Program
Interns Onsite
Interns will be onsite at mentor’s place of work, and need a work station
In-person mentoring
Mentors should be onsite for in-person interactions >50% of time
Time Commitment
Typically mentors spend
2-4 hours per week with intern
Co-mentoring
A co-mentor can work well; but not more than one co-mentor
INTERNS DO REAL PROJECTS
Mentors provide a project that is valuable to both the mentor and intern
What mentors can expect from the Akamai Program
Help in scoping out a productive intern project
Identification and placement of a qualified intern from the applicant pool
The program pays stipend, housing costs, airfares, and makes sure intern can get to work each day
Experienced staff team that teaches a preparatory course and provides training on communication skills, including intensive coaching for symposium talk
Check-in from staff team and help adjusting to unforeseen circumstances
More Information
Information about Akamai Internship Program
Guidance for mentor to provide productive intern projects
Examples of past intern projects
Contact us if you have more questions: akamai@ucsc.edu