PROGRAM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Maine students currently in 10th or 11th grade or at least 16 years old by August 2016 are eligible to apply. Younger students may participate without pay.
  • Females and minorities – those underrepresented in STEM – are strongly encouraged to apply.
  • Complete an application and ask for a letter of recommendation from a teacher, counselor, coach or community leader. Students will be partnered with teachers from their school or with community leaders.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING?

  • ENGAGE with your peers and your local community to solve real environmental problems.
  • EXPERIENCE three days on UMaine’s campus, working with your teachers, community leaders, University of Maine professors and students, and industry representatives.
  • LEARN how engineering skills can be applied to solving environmental problems.
  • GAIN experience that will help you prepare for college and rewarding job opportunities.
  • EARN a $600 stipend for participating in the yearlong

WHAT DOES PARTICIPATION INVOLVE?

During a yearlong internship program, high school students will work with their teachers and communities to help create innovative solutions to an important environmental problem for Maine: storm water management.  Participants will periodically monitor and map water quality around their local community, use the latest sensor technology for data collection, and learn to use computer modeling for data analysis in order to help solve local storm water issues.

The program begins with a 3-day institute at the University of Maine, Orono during the last week of June, which will introduce students and their teachers to the issues and science around storm water management.  Then throughout the academic year, students will apply the skills that they have learned through hands-on data collection and research.  At the institute and throughout the school year, participants will engage with university faculty and students, city and state planners, engineering consulting companies, non-profit organizations, and teachers and community leaders to:

  • Collect important water data via probes and sampling.
  • Build and use wireless sensor network units and interfaces.
  • Learn to do chemical water analysis on samples.
  • Use on-line mapping and modeling tools.
  • Assist community water district managers to implement their storm water management plans.
  • Help tell the storm water “story” through outreach activities.

Student participants complete a year long internship where work is assigned by high-school teachers and the needs of your community.

INTERNSHIP DUTIES/PROJECTS

Lab technician demonstrating the use of analytical equipmentAcademic Year Activities
The Smart Summer Institute is followed by the required yearlong internship where you will work with an assigned high-school teacher and your community to help create innovative solutions to an important environmental problem for Maine: storm water management. Your responsibilities include:

  • Meet weekly with the school storm water group organized by your teacher
  • Commit to 2 hours per week to include but not limited to weekly meetings, data collection and entry, and planning
  • Collect and enter data on a weekly basis
  • Provide a written summary (capstone) project at the end of the academic year indicating your role in managing storm water in your community

With these activities, you will periodically monitor and map water quality around your local community, use the latest sensor technology for data collection, and learn to use computer modeling for data analysis in order to help solve local storm water issues.  The logistics of the on-going requirements will be developed by your teacher. For evaluation purposes, you are asked to complete surveys during the program.

Payment
Each student will receive a total of $600 for participating in the program: $200 at the end of the summer institute, $100 in Amazon gift cards for answering program evaluation surveys (4 surveys @ $25 each) and $300 at the end of the academic year based on fulfilling program requirements and approval of the capstone report.

In order to be paid, you must submit a W-9 Form. Students younger than 16 may participate without pay.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CURRENT INTERNS – GO TO SMART PARTICIPANTS WORK PORTAL:  SMART Researchers  

For those students joining mid-year, please provide your Student Contact Info here 

2017 Application and due dates coming soon!

Apply here