Help develop the next generation of leaders and diversify the environmental fields through hands-on, place-based, and culturally-responsive science outreach in local K-12 schools.
The Bio/Diversity Project offers two separate internship programs hosted through the Women in Science and Engineering Program. These programs are open to University of Arizona undergraduate students in any major.
The Bio/Diversity Project provides students with a hands-on science outreach experience in local Title 1 K-12 classrooms. During the 2024-2025 academic year, we are partnering with local middle schools to facilitate outreach activities with 6th-8th grade students. Bio/Diversity Project interns have the opportunity to work alongside educators in delivering place-based and identity-based environmental science curricula to groups of underrepresented students. In addition, students will participate in a weekly 2-hour professional development seminar focused on developing science communication skills and broadening their understanding of environmental science, gender, and racial equity issues. This internship is a 1-semester commitment and requires 8 hours of work per week. It is an unpaid opportunity, but students are able to enroll in 3 units of academic credit through their home department.
Apply for the Fall 2024 Bio/Diversity Project internship program
The Data Science Outreach Focus of the Bio/Diversity Project provides students with hands-on coding experience within local Title 1 middle and high schools. Data science outreach interns have the opportunity to develop and facilitate environmental science and data science curricula to local youth, and further develop their teaching and science communication skills. Students will participate in a weekly 1-hour professional development seminar focused on developing lesson planning skills and broadening their understanding of environmental science, gender, and racial equity issues. This internship is a year-long commitment and requires 10 hours of work per week. This opportunity is paid at $15/hour and students can choose to enroll in 3 units of academic credit.
Apply for the 2024-2025 data science outreach internship program
The Fall 2024 Bio/Diversity Project internship is unpaid.
The year-long data science outreach program is paid at $15/hour.
Students in both programs can elect to enroll in 3 units of academic credit. Weekly seminars contain professional development opportunities as well as networking potential to connect with local experts in the field.
The Fall 2024 internship requires a commitment of 8 hours each week, including a 2-hour weekly seminar on Mondays from 3-5pm on campus.
The 2024-2025 data science outreach internship requires a commitment of 10 hours each week, including a 1-hour weekly seminar, determined at the time of acceptance into the program.
Eligible applicants are undergraduate students in any major who are:
- Enrolled for at least 6 undergraduate units of credit at the University of Arizona for Fall 2024. Data science outreach interns must plan on being enrolled in at least 6 credits for Spring 2025.
- Living in Tucson during the 2024-25 academic year (*data science applicants are strongly encouraged to have reliable transportation, such as a car or bike)
- Passionate about environmental conservation and teaching middle and high school students at local TITLE 1 schools
- Students with underrepresented identities are strongly encouraged to apply, including students of color, gender minorities, LGBTQ+ students, students with disabilities, and others.
- Eligible to work in the United States (*data science applicants only)
Student interns can enroll in 3-units of academic credit through a number of UArizona departments, including, but not limited to the following:
- Agriculture and Resource Economics
- Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences
- Biosystems Engineering
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Studies
- Family Studies and Human Development
- Gender and Women's Studies
- General Studies
- Geography and Development
- Geosciences
- Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences
- iSchool
- Molecular and Cellular Biology
- Natural Resources and the Environment
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science
- Optical Sciences
- Public Health
- Public and Applied Humanities
- School of Government & Public Policy
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Sustainable Built Environments
- Teaching, Learning, and Social Cultural Studies
- UArizona Honors College
Each academic department has different requirements for enrolling in internship credit. Students are responsible for connecting with their academic advisor in order to learn about the process for enrolling in credit.
April 18, 2024
Student application portal opens
May 24, 2024
Student applications due
By June 30, 2024
Students will be notified whether their application has been accepted for consideration. If so, the student may be invited to schedule an interview with program staff
By July 31, 2024
Students receive final notification of acceptance to the program
August 24, 2024
Orientation meeting with all program staff, mentors, and students, Saturday 9am-12pm on campus
August 26, 2024
Weekly seminar meetings begin, Mondays 3-5pm on campus & TBD for data science interns
December 11, 2024
Internships end for semester-long environmental science outreach program
May 7, 2025
Internships end for year-long data science outreach program
Q: Who is eligible for the 2024-2025 Bio/Diversity Project internship opportunities?
A: The Bio/Diversity Project internship opportunities are open to University of Arizona undergraduates in any major
Q: What do Bio/Diversity Project Interns do?
A: Bio/Diversity Project Interns work collaboratively to gain and develop various professional skills as well as classroom skills that will help them become better teachers. They will learn many of these skills by attending a weekly 2-hour seminar but will also spend time physically in the classroom teaching environmental science lessons to K-12 students.
Q: What are the benefits for students?
A: Both Bio/Diversity Project internship opportunities allow students to develop and grow various professional skills such as science communication, collaboration, public speaking, and more. They will also have the opportunity to develop teaching-specific skills such as classroom management, experience working with lesson plans, and more. Students are also able to enroll for up to 3-units of academic credit for their participation. If accepted into the Data Science Outreach Focus of the Bio/Diversity Project, students will also be compensated $15/hour for their work.
Q: Are the Bio/Diversity Project internship opportunities virtual or in person?
A: The Bio/Diversity Project internships are hybrid opportunities. There will be some tasks and work that can be done virtually but in-person availability will be required for weekly seminar attendance and teaching in the classroom.
Q: Can I do this program if I have another part-time job?
A: Applicants are encouraged to reflect on their workload when applying for these internship opportunities. You will be required to work 8-10 hours per week (depending on which Bio/Diversity Project internship you are accepted to) and will be expected to be available for that number of hours each week.
It should also be noted that undergraduate students are not permitted to work more than 25 hours per week per UA policy and international undergraduate students are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week. Keep this in mind when deciding to apply.
Q: What is the process for application review and internship matching?
A: The first round of the application process is applying to one of the Bio/Diversity internship opportunities through the online application. Once the applications are closed, they will all be reviewed by Bio/Diversity Project staff. If your application is accepted, you will receive an email to set up an interview. Once all interviews are done, we will reach out and let you know if you have been accepted into the program.
Please reach out to Senior Program Coordinator, Elena Greenberg, elenagreenberg@arizona.edu
Thank you to our generous funders!
The Bio/Diversity Project is funded by the Campus Sustainability Fund and the National Science Foundation for the 2024-2025 academic year. Thank you to the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies (2022-2024), the Department of Environmental Science, the Honor's College, the School of Geography, Development, and the Environment at the University of Arizona, the Arizona Institutes for Resilient Environments and Societies (AIRES), and the Office of Sustainability Campus Sustainability Fund (2021-2022), and the Agnese Nelms Haury Program in Environment and Social Justice and the University of Arizona Green Fund for all of your generous support (2017-2021).
