MIT homeschool internship program to address ‘substantial gap’ of STEM-related opportunities

Homeschoolers can feel intimidated over teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – but help may lie as close as their kitchen or garage, explains homeschool dad Michael Strano.

Strano, the Carbon P. Dubbs professor of chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), will work this summer with high-school students in the Homeschool Internship Program for Science and Technology (HIP-SAT).

“Homeschooled students often have an eclectic mix of experiences and credentialing that bring them to STEM,” Strano said in a recent Forbes.com article. “These often include advanced college courses, but also self-taught subject matter, and garage or kitchen table experimentation.”

Registration for this paid summer internship remains open until March 10, according to the program’s website.

“We launched MIT HIP-SAT because we saw a substantial gap in existing high school outreach programs, especially those that provide opportunities to actually work in academic laboratories,” said Matt Shoulders, who is MIT’s Class of 1942 professor of chemistry. 

‘Very limited access to these opportunities’

A homeschooled student himself, Shoulders wanted to give back to the next generation through a program designed for those learning outside the typical classroom.

“More traditional programs often struggle to assess the qualifications of homeschooled high-school students,” he explained. “This challenge can result in very limited access to these opportunities for the growing homeschool community in the U.S. By developing a program specifically emphasizing the homeschooled community, we felt we could help to fill this gap.”

Kerry McDonald, whose daughter Molly participated last summer in the program, praised the opportunity the internship provided to conduct research in an MIT microrobotic lab.

“As homeschooling continues to gain widespread popularity, along with microschools and similar alternative educational models, more colleges and universities should follow MIT’s lead in creating robust programming for students who learn beyond standard schooling,” McDonald wrote. 

Molly is planning to major in mathematics and computer science when she starts college this fall. She credits her lab experience – including robot creation and coding simulations – with solidifying her interest in STEM subjects, according to McDonald.

“This year, the internship program has expanded to include on-campus research opportunities in New York City, in partnership with Weill Cornell Medicine.”

Applicants must be at least 16 years by June 1 and prepare for approximately 20 hours of work every week over an 8-week period, according to the website.

Ultimately, technical experience and preparation can’t compare with an internal desire to learn new skills, Strano noted.

“My colleagues and I have been very impressed with HIP-SAT interns for their curiosity and motivation,” he said.

“I think HIP-SAT serves the needs of a growing portion of the student population interested in STEM but often falling outside of requirements and resources provided by conventional K-12 programs.”