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Seeking 2020 Summer Autism Internship participants

Posted by on Monday, January 27, 2020 in News.

Mentor Noah Austin and intern Preston Batts, Summer 2019. (Photo by Susan Urmy)
Mentor Noah Austin and intern Preston Batts, Summer 2019. (Photo by Susan Urmy)

The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation is excited to announce the second annual Summer Autism Internship. The participating interns will work on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) research and projects throughout summer 2020.

The Frist Center is seeking participants who have an interest in STEM and would like to explore these topics further. To apply, an individual must be 18 or older and have a diagnosis of autism. Generally, interns are recent high school graduates considering STEM as a career field.

There is no charge to participate in the internship, and it is unpaid. Selected participants must have transportation to and from the Frist Center (at Vanderbilt University) each day, and will need to provide their own lunch.

Interns will work directly with mentors who are autistic college students or recent college graduates in the STEM field. These mentors will provide instruction on research projects and guidance on navigating college as an autistic person. Mentors will be compensated for their work.

Dr. Dave Caudel with several of the summer 2019 interns and mentors. (Photo by Susan Urmy)
Dr. Dave Caudel with several of the summer 2019 interns and mentors. (Photo by Susan Urmy)

Diversity is of the utmost importance to the Frist Center, and we welcome and encourage people of various ethnic identities, races, abilities and genders to apply.

If you or a family member are interested in being an intern in summer 2020, you can email Frist Center Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel for more information (david.d.caudel@vanderbilt.edu). You can also contact Dr. Dave if you are autistic undergraduate or recent STEM graduate with an interest in being a mentor.