Page 21 - Biotech Career Guide

BIOTECHNOLOGY CAREER GUIDE 21
be surprised by how many warm,
informative responses you get.
INTERNSHIPS
An internship will place you in an
actual biotechnology workplace. It
might be a lab, an office, even out in
the field. One good source of infor-
mation is the website for Innovate-
BIO, a biotechnology education
effort supported by the National
Science Foundation. The National
Institutes of Health run several
high school internships through
the Office of Intramural Training
& Education. A program like
ENGAGES at Georgia Tech brings
area high school students onto
campus to work on biotechnology
projects, and BioBuilder offers in-
ternships in their Boston lab. Re-
member, the connections you make
at summer camp can help you find
opportunities closer to home. And
note that community colleges often
establish internship programs with
local employers, so be sure to ex-
plore possibilities in this area.
APPRENTICESHIPS
The most structured, job-like experi-
ence available, an apprenticeship
offers pay and real learning in ex-
change for a defined commitment
of time and effort. While mostly
available to college grads, appren-
ticeships for high school students
do exist, like the Biotech Research
Apprentice Program at the Univer-
sity of Kansas-Edwards. Juniors,
seniors, and community college stu-
dents can work with and learn from
advanced undergraduates running
experiments in university labs. And
BioBuilder runs an apprenticeship
program for Boston-area students.
No matter what form your bio-
technology learning might take,
you truly cannot go wrong with
whatever you choose to do. Explore,
ask questions, stay open to what
becomes available, and use the
knowledge you gain to keep
moving towards the future that
seems most appealing to you.
HudsonAlpha
Biotech Camp
ALABAMA
Summer Springboard
WASHINGTON, DC,
AND CALIFORNIA
ENGAGES
Summer program
GEORGIA
PHOTOS COURTESY THE CAMPS OR SCHOOLS