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Geo-Launchpad

🌎 Ignite Your Geoscience Passion this Summer! 🌎

2024 Program Dates: May 28 – August 9, 2024

Ready to turn your summer into a geoscience adventure? The Geo-Launchpad Program (GLP) is not just an internship – it’s your ticket to an unforgettable science experience! Open exclusively to community college students in Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming, GLP is designed to fuel your passion for geoscience and propel you into an exciting world of opportunities.

Program Highlights

πŸ’Έ Get Paid to Learn: Dive into a paid summer internship with a stipend of $720/week– because your passion should pay off!

🏑 Home Sweet Housing: Enjoy free shared housing, so you can focus on exploration, not accommodation.

πŸš€ Launch Your Geoscience Journey: No research experience? No problem! Geo-Launchpad welcomes all levels of curiosity and experience.

What to Expect

πŸ”¬ Unleash Your Inner Scientist: Work on real projects with a mentor, dive into the details, and get hands-on experience in a supportive environment.

πŸ‘₯ Career Circles: Connect with pros in informal settings, hear their career stories, challenges they’ve faced, and get advice. It’s your chance to explore diverse geoscience pathways.

🌐 Professional Development: Boost your skills beyond academics – from crafting a killer resume to acing interviews. Past workshops covered everything from science poster creation to effective science communication.

🀝 Mentorship Magic: Forge connections with peers and professionals who’ve been in your shoes, offering mentorship and support during the summer and beyond.

🏞️ Local Field Trips: Explore fascinating local areas with fellow interns, past trips have explored Morrison, CO, Colorado Springs, CO, and Rocky Mountain National Park.

πŸ“’ Shine at the Finale: Showcase your summer journey with a scientific poster and a lightning talk during the final presentation week.

πŸŽ“ Beyond Summer: Strut your stuff at a professional conference in the fall, with funding opportunities for travel provided.

🀩 What do our alumni say?

As someone with an untraditional academic background, little to no STEM courses under my belt, and absolutely no idea what the scientific community was like, I was incredibly intimidated. To be frank, in the early weeks of the internship I felt an extreme sense of imposter syndrome that I considered giving into. Thankfully, under my mentor who was extremely understanding, very informative, and energetic about educating us, the negative feelings I had began to subside. Day by day, week by week, I felt more and more confident about what I was doing. By the time we began to finalize our poster and presentation, I felt -and continue to feel- very proud of the work we did this summer. This experience has made me excited for my future in the scientific field. Transferring to a university for a science degree no longer feels like a far-flung dream.” -2022 GLP intern

Without Geo-Launchpad, I wouldn’t have the confidence, support, and continued drive in Earth Sciences. This summer I made lifelong memories, I met brilliant people, and was inspired to continue to work hard. With your help, I can now navigate the world of science with a little more ease, knowing there are people who want to see me succeed.” -2021 GLP intern

πŸš€ Ready to Ignite Your Geoscience Passion?

Internship Requirements

At the time of applications, you must:

  • be a U.S. citizen.
  • be enrolled and currently attending classes in a community college in Colorado, New Mexico, or Wyoming through the current academic year (through spring) with plans to transfer to a 4-year university.
  • be at least 18 years old by the start of the summer program (mid-May).
  • have an interest in science, technology, or engineering.
  • have completed or are currently enrolled in college algebra (or equivalent). 
  • have completed or are currently enrolled in at least one science course.
  • have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.

No prior research experience is required!

Preview the application essay questions here. We strongly encourage applicants to respond to the questions on a separate document and copy/paste your responses into the application. Always helpful to have someone review your work before submitting it as well!

🌟 Your summer of geoscience exploration starts here! Apply for Geo-Launchpad and make this summer the one you’ll always remember. Your journey to becoming a geoscience superstar awaits!

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Spend eleven weeks working full time (~40 hours per week)
  • Complete a project under the guidance of a mentor
  • Present at the end of the internship
  • Participate in activities such as science communication and professional development workshops, field trips, and presenting at a national conference in the fall
  • Learn, grow, and have fun!

Most projects are based around Boulder, CO, however, we strive to be flexible in work location. Some projects can be hybrid or 100% remote. If working outside of your home, a working space will be provided to you.

We will do our best to assign you a project that matches your interests. However, we cannot guarantee specific projects, and project topics will depend on the current work of the project mentors.

Applications typically open in late fall and close on February 15 each year. The summer internship program typically begins in late May and runs until early August (11 weeks).

Yes. Free shared housing is available for the duration of the summer internship.

Yes, the program provides financial assistance with travel.

We require that interns are available to participate for all 11 weeks of the program. While we can accommodate a sick day or two, this is a strict requirement.

Summer classes are not advised. You will be expected to work during the core hours of the day (typically 9am-5pm) and unable to attend classes during work time.

The EarthScope Consortium offers multiple internship opportunities at various academic levels, beginning with Geo-Launchpad at the community college level.

EarthScope’s research internship, RESESS, is targeted at upper division undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in the geosciences and serves as an authentic research experience.

EarthScope’s Student Career Internship Program offers internships that are real-world work experiences for upper division undergraduates, graduates, and post-graduates that relate to the students’ major or career goal.

The Geo-Launchpad internship is designed for students (community college only) who are early in their academic career with no prior research experience.

You should apply, and if you are accepted, we will discuss what kind of arrangements would be best for your family and we will make every effort to meet those needs.

Other questions? Please contact geolaunchpad@earthscope.org

The Geo-Launchpad Program is a summer internship program dedicated to introducing early academic career students to research and increasing diversity in the geosciences. This program is hosted by EarthScope Consortium and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Nos. 2117397, 2119440 and 1724794.