JESSE Internship

Junior Engineers Summer STEM Experience (JESSE)

The Basics:
Dates:                              Monday, June 2, to Thursday, July 10, 2025
Program Cost:                $400 (fee waivers available to those who demonstrate need)
Eligibility:                         High school juniors going into their senior year
Application Fee:             None
Application Deadline:    Monday, February 17th at 11:59pm HST.

Program Description:

The College of Engineering’s JESSE Internship Program invites all qualified high school juniors (current juniors going into their senior year) to explore this unique opportunity to experience a higher level of academics at the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa. Students will engage in hands-on engineering projects and/or assist college undergraduates, researchers, and professors with their research in state-of-the-art facilities. A faculty mentor and/or graduate student will be assigned to each intern to facilitate various research tasks based on their engineering interest within the designated laboratory.

Objectives and Goals:

• Promote UH Mānoa’s College of Engineering to promising prospective students interested in STEM pathways
• Support the belief that students become more involved when they actively participate in research and hands-on projects.
• Support the successful transition from high school to college by providing opportunities to engage with faculty and students in a college setting. As such, priority will be given to students with a real interest in attending the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa’s College of Engineering and who express a real interest in the field.

Role of Engineering Faculty and Student Mentors:

An engineering faculty member and/or a graduate or undergraduate student mentor will be assigned to each intern. These faculty and student mentors will take the role of facilitators and answer any questions interns may have regarding their assigned lab.

Placement:

Intern placements will be based on both lab openings available and the student’s engineering interests and academic skills. Due to limited spots and faculty availability, students are not guaranteed to be placed in their first choice option, and will not be notified of their lab placement until after they have accepted a spot in the program.

Program Elements:

The internship will run from June 2 to July 10, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday. In addition to their lab hours, students will also participate in outside activities, such as industry site visits, engineering and professional workshops, talk story sessions with professionals, and opportunities to connect with other students. At the end of the internship, students will take part in an end-of-program reception to showcase what they have learned and experienced, presenting to faculty and student mentors, counselors, principals, parents, and fellow interns.

Expectations of Interns:

This internship program is rigorous and competitive, and students who are selected must be 100% committed. This means that students must ensure any additional summer plans (ex. summer school, travel plans) do not conflict with internship dates. There will be no make-up dates. This is especially important the last week of the program as students are working together to create their presentations to showcase to families and guests at the program’s conclusion. Any student who is selected and does not fulfill the program requirements to complete lab hours and attend scheduled activities will be dismissed from the program so that a student from the waiting list may be given the opportunity to participate.

Students are expected to be on time, complete an established number of internship lab hours (varies per lab), complete various tasks in research laboratories, complete assignments and participate in sponsored activities. Interns will be expected to meet all deadlines, turn in all required documents, and keep a daily log of their lab activities.

Application Procedures:

Applications will be accepted via this page. Please have all necessary information at hand when you start the application, as this form does not allow you to save your progress. Applications must be complete to be considered and will be reviewed by a selection committee. The application will close on Monday, February 17th at 11:59pm HST.

Accepted Interns:

Applicants will receive an update on their program admission status no later than March 7th, unless otherwise notified. If accepted, applicants will have 14 days (exact date will be specified in acceptance letter) to confirm their spot by returning acceptance paperwork and program fee. Please make sure the email address provided below is one that is checked regularly, as all important reminders and updates will be sent through email. All accepted interns will be required to submit a Release/Waiver of Liability and Indemnity Agreement signed by a parent or guardian, along with an intent form confirming their participation and the $400 program fee by the designated deadline. The acceptance letter will provide a deadline for submitting these materials and instructions on how to make the payment. If you are unable to provide the $400 program fee, you may request that the fee be waived by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/wxAy6gFCtQaRb7ou8

With questions, please contact Kim Perez Hults, Director of Marketing & Outreach Relations, at hults@hawaii.edu or 808-956-7426.

Note for students residing on the neighbor islands or mainland: Interns are responsible for his/her own housing and transportation to the UHM campus. We encourage interns to reach out to family and friends for assistance with housing if possible.

 

 

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