The Indiana CTSI’s SEED/STEM program expands to academic-year internship opportunity at Carmel High School
Beginning this fall, students at Carmel High School have the opportunity to gain valuable professional research experience during the school year. The internship opportunity, made possible through a new partnership between the Indiana CTSI, IU Indianapolis, and the work-based learning program at Carmel High School, is an extension of the Indiana CTSI’s SEED/STEM summer program for high school students.
Matt Allen, PhD, leads the Indiana CTSI’s workforce development programs. He said that SEED/STEM typically receives three times more applications than it can accept for the summer, indicating the high demand for this type of learning opportunity. Eleven students in Carmel are enrolled this fall.
Allen worked with Leah M. Nellis, PhD, assistant vice president for school partnerships at IU, and Wes Drew, coordinator of work-based learning at Carmel High School, to establish this pilot internship program.
Carmel students enrolled in the program will work in research labs at IU Indianapolis throughout the academic year. They will be paid, and block scheduling will give them some flexibility to alternate their work days.
Additionally, the students will meet learning objectives aligned with work-based learning standards set by the state, Allen said.
Nellis said this hands-on opportunity will allow high school students to develop skills, build professional connections, and gain an authentic understanding of what it means to work and learn in a university research environment.
“Just as importantly,” she added, “these experiences give students an opportunity to discover more about themselves—their interests, strengths, and values—while building confidence and helping make more informed decisions about their future education and career pathways.”
Carmel High School was a good fit for a program meeting these goals because of its “mature work-based learning infrastructure,” Allen said.
“We are incredibly excited to begin this new partnership with IU Indianapolis,” said Drew, whose role involves helping students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-world settings through internships. He appreciates that this new research internship opportunity is built upon the relationships that Carmel High School has already built with the SEED/STEM program and IU researchers.
“This partnership will expand access to meaningful learning experiences for our students. We look forward to seeing the growth and impact that will come from these incredible opportunities,” he said.
Allen said that the SEED/STEM program will be expanding to additional high schools in the future, with similar opportunity at Herron High School in Indianapolis already underway.
