Akamai internship experience in more detail

ACCEPTANCE AND PROJECT PLACEMENT: During the acceptance process, applicants are carefully matched with a project and a mentor who will supervise them during their 8-week project. (See where the interns work.) Mentors have identified essential skills needed to do the project (which are used to match interns to projects), and expect to provide on the job training for many other skills. Applicants who are accepted are sent an offer that includes the internship site and project, as well as information about housing and transportation, and have a short period of time to confirm that they will participate in the program. Applicants are invited to ask questions about the site and project during this phase. Once applicants have completed their acceptance package, they are introduced to their mentor via email to get oriented to their projects.

PREP COURSE: Prior to starting work on the project, all interns attend a 1-week residential intensive (and fun!) preparatory course located on either Maui or Hawai‘i Island (TBA). All interns are provided housing and meals during the PREP course. The program covers airfare to the PREP course if needed. During the prep course interns meet the other interns and the Akamai program’s dedicated staff and team of instructors, who work with interns and mentors throughout the program to ensure a high quality experience. By the end of the prep course, interns feel prepared for working at their site and have made friends and connections that will support them throughout the summer and beyond.

INTERNSHIP PROJECT AND SITE: After the preparatory course, interns go to their internship site where they will complete their project and become part of the work environment. The project addresses a real need identified by the host organization, and will be a valuable training experience for the intern. If housing is needed, interns are provided with housing (usually double occupancy with another intern), and provided with a transportation allowance if needed. Interns will pay for their own meals during the internship, except during the one-week prep course when they are provided. They work approximately full-time on their project, meet others who work at the site, and may visit fellow interns at other sites during the summer. The specific details of housing and transportation are outlined in an acceptance offer. 

CO-MENTORING BY AKAMAI STAFF: The program’s experienced staff team works closely with mentors and interns to ensure the best possible experience. Interns stay connected with the staff team through recurring meetings that focus on professional STEM communication. Midway through the internship program our staff will visit interns at their host sites.  Following site visits, interns will practice giving an oral presentation on their project background to the staff team, which helps prepare them for their final symposium at the end of the summer. Our staff will check-in with each intern-mentor pair, making sure each interns’ experience is high quality and that the mentor is satisfied with the project.

STIPEND: Interns are given a stipend of $4600 over 3 installments through the summer. This amount may be supplemented to include additional, variable costs incurred by the intern to cover transportation, etc. Stipends, and any supplements to stipends are taxable income, and interns will receive a 1099 earnings statement from UCSC.

POST-INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: After completing the program, interns are welcome to apply for a second internship. Additionally, our alumni are invited back for occasional workshops, and are regularly connected with relevant job opportunities in the islands. Telescopes and local tech companies know that Akamai alumni have had excellent training, so often seek them for new jobs.