Maui Economic Development Board’s (MEDB) STEMworks™ education program is continuing to expand its paid summer internship options this year to meet growing student demand for meaningful, on-the-job training in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. After hitting an all-time high last summer with over 120 interns across the state, STEMworks aims to accept at least 170 high school and college students this summer. The success of the program rests on STEMworks’ role as matchmaker between interns and host companies, ensuring that students enrolled in the program gain experiences that align with their interests and skills.  

STEMworks offers three different options for students interested in STEM summer internships. The first is STEMworks Innovation Internships, a statewide program focused on placing students with cutting-edge STEM companies, covering fields such as cybersecurity, aerospace, manufacturing, medical research, and aquaculture. The application form is online here: https://bit.ly/STEMinno26. The deadline to apply is April 3. 

For Maui County students interested in agriculture, STEMworks Agriculture Business and Technology Internships offer hands-on experience in a wide variety of agriculture-related professions, not just traditional farming. Intern program manager Britney James explained, “While the careers are based in the agriculture sector, students can apply the skills they learn to other fields. Students come away with the understanding that the agriculture sector has many different types of industries that can fulfill their career aspirations.” Students can apply online here: http://bit.ly/2026SummerAgInternships. Applications are due May 8. 

New this year, STEMworks is also launching the Maui County Healthcare Student Placement program. After working with the MEDB-facilitated Maui County Healthcare Partnership, STEMworks staff decided to create a paid work-based learning and job-shadowing program specifically for students interested in healthcare careers to meet the growing need for more healthcare workers in Maui County. Students interested in healthcare job shadowing can find more information here: https://forms.gle/5ktgisJzSqGgmFNq9. The deadline to apply is April 3.