Ecosystems of STEM Careers Programs - Summer 2026
The Raptor Center provides funded summer opportunities for middle school and high school students!
Join us for a free week-long middle school workshop or as a paid high school intern.
Throughout summer 2026, The Raptor Center is hosting opportunities for Saint Paul and Minneapolis public middle schoolers and high schoolers to engage with their local ecosystems and the STEM professionals that research and protect them. These “Ecosystems of STEM Careers” grant-funded programs will be hosted primarily on the St Paul campus, and will also include visits to local conservation sites. High school students can apply for our month-long paid internship and middle school students can enroll in week-long summer-camp style workshops. During each of these programs, we will hear from conservation professionals who support animal, water, and ecosystem health and engage in hands-on investigations of outdoor spaces. High School interns will also research and present their own conservation project.
These programs are grant-funded and thus only available to students to attend public school in Minneapolis or St Paul proper. We are not able to make exceptions at this time.
High School Internship Program
The application has closed for this year's program
We are excited to host a month-long internship opportunity for a cohort of 10 public high school and public tuition-free charter school students.
Program Details:
- 4 week program (June 15th - July 10th, University-observed holidays on 6/19 and 7/3). Students must be able to commit to the entire program.
- 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday - Friday
- Lunch is provided once a week, during off-site field trips
- 4 off-site field trips
- Paid, $18/hour
- Open to public school Minneapolis and Saint Paul students entering 10th-12th grade
Application Review Timeline:
Friday, April 3rd, 2026 (11:59pm) - Application Closes
Early April 2026 - Application Review Begins
Mid April 2026 - Candidate Interviews
Late April 2026 - Candidates Selected
Middle School Workshop Program.
Week-long summer-camp style workshop! Registration has ended.
Program Details:
- Free of cost
- 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday - Friday
- One off-site field trip with lunch provided
- Open to public school Minneapolis and Saint Paul students entering 6th-8th grades
Program Dates: (participants can only register for one week)
All sessions are currently full
Questions? Please contact Claire Sponheim at [email protected]
Funding for this project is provided by the Cargill Foundation, which supports STEM Education programs that increase equitable access and participation in STEM.