Paid internships available for future science educators


ASU interns teach science-based topics at Arizona Science Center.

Arizona State University’s STARR Noyce Scholarship Program is teaming up with the Arizona Science Center to offer paid internships to students 18 years and older who are interested in teaching science to middle or high school students. Science Teachers for Arizona – Recruitment and Retention (STARR) Noyce is a program aimed particularly at identifying and supporting science teachers who will persist in high-need education environments.

Ten interns will be selected in March 2013. Those chosen will volunteer at Arizona Science Center and help develop tabletop activities or demonstrations, create curriculum, or serve as a teaching assistant at science camp or in class. Interns will receive $1,000 stipends once they have completed a required number of volunteer hours.

To help recruit potential science educators, the internships are hosted in an environment where students can gain hand-on experience in both teaching and leadership.

“This is a unique opportunity for anyone who has ever considered teaching to try it out in a dynamic, fun, and playful environment,” said Suzanne Cassano, ASU STARR Noyce scholarship specialist. “For anyone interested in science, we encourage them to bring their enthusiasm and creativity to this exciting internship.”

Accepted interns must participate in a three-hour orientation and tour, become proficient in presenting science-related topics from at least three tabletop activities and two ASC galleries, and commit to volunteering 125 hours at Arizona Science Center.

Applications must be submitted between Feb. 4 and March 4, 2013. Candidates must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens; currently enrolled in high school, or at a community college or university; have a GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale; be at least 18 years old; be committed to working at least 25 hours each month for five months; and interested in teaching.

Interns will receive other rewards for volunteering at Arizona Science Center including: two general admission and planetarium passes after 50 hours of service, a free basic membership after 100 hours, free parking and a discount to the ASC cafe.

The ASU STARR Noyce Scholarship Paid Intern Program is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The program is designed to identify students who are underrepresented minorities or the first in their families to pursue a college degree and provide incentives to complete their degrees and work as science teachers in high need schools. ASU’s School of Life Sciences, School of Earth and Space Exploration, and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College oversee and promote the program.

To apply for the ASU STARR Noyce Scholarship Paid Intern Program at Arizona Science Center, contact Suzanne Cassano at 480-965-2561, suzanne.cassano@asu.edu, or on Facebook at ASU STARR Noyce Scholarship Program: https://www.facebook.com/pages/ASU-STARR-Noyce-Scholarship-Program/324602122248.

School of Life Sciences is an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.