Internships @ Space Camp?

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Fatal291
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Internships @ Space Camp?

Post by Fatal291 »

Hello I was wondering how hard is it to get a internship at space camp? How does it work? I am looking to get into some kind of space related activity this summer (I'm 20) and was hoping for space camp. I live in Virginia currently.

I also read that you get credits towards a college or something like that when u attend space camp? No offense but would NASA or any space related projects take a internship or participation at Space Camp seriously? I know some astronauts have been there before and like I said they offer credit it seems but really how far will it get you? I will admit I am still a beginner to astronomy, I don't know shuttle controls or any complicated stuff like that. i just glance at the sky and read up on the latest happenings. Will this hurt my chances because I am not a "expert" in astronomy or as to how Space Camp works?

Like I said I am lookin for something space related to do.. I wish I was in Cali because LaRC never has open events to the public like JPL does. I'm too far from the Air & Space Museum (whole different city) and our Science Museum is a joke. I tried joining the Astronomy Society but ALL the members are old enough to be my parent's parents. Any idea or suggestions would be nice thanks!
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Post by gt0163c »

I don't know about employment or an internship at Space Camp, but I wouldn't write off your local astronomy club. Yes, the people there might be your parents' age, but that doesn't mean they can't be excited about astronomy and excited to help someone new and young learn more about something they are passionate about. You'll definitely have different interests outside of the club and your non-astronomy/space related conversations will be a little weird, especially at first and until you get to know these people. But, given a bit of time, I would be very surprised if it wasn't a great experience for everyone.

Just about every person likes to help get others interested in and involved in something they enjoy. If you go in with an attitude of "I want to learn, will you help me?", you'll probably find all kinds of willing mentors and at least a couple of very cool people.
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Post by pilotgirl21 »

I don't know about internships at Space Camp, but I would assume that since it's already near the end of May, if they had any, they would already be full. Counselor training started last week, so it's too late for employment. I would suggest that if you really want to work there, to apply for a counseling position when the applications come out for next summer (I think usually in January). That's when they need the most help, and you also can get free room and board. Even if you aren't an expert in space, training will teach you all that you need to know to become a counselor.
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Post by monkeynautt »

The main training session is in January when they hire the bulk of the counselors. Any other training sessions throughout the year are based on current needs. Returning counselors are usually at the top of the list when they are hiring for the summer and during the summer they may only hire for AC. Your best bet if you want to work at camp is apply for January when they start taking applications later this fall.
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Fatal291
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Post by Fatal291 »

thank you everyone. I'll try again next year.
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Post by street »

Do start early! Check out the spacecamp.com site in November or early December for the application. Things you'll need to complete the process is a transcript and letters of recommendation. In addition to being a basic space geek (which being a member of this site indicates you are! :P ), you've got to love working with kids.

Good luck, and I'll meet you at training!
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Re: Internships @ Space Camp?

Post by Benji »

Fatal291 wrote:I also read that you get credits towards a college or something like that when u attend space camp?
It's a one-credit pass/fail course, Intro to Space Science, given by UAH and it can be helpful in the right situations. For example, the last time I attended ASA I was a student at U of South Florida, which had a program to fund travel expenses for certain extracurricular activities. This credit helped validate Space Camp as an educational program, and USF paid for my airfare.
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Re: Internships @ Space Camp?

Post by JVH »

From one of the first group of interns (Jan 2008), I will let you know from my experience.

First of all, the internship is a kind of secondary attachment. You are a counselor first and an intern on you off hours. (We didn't get paid for the hours we were not on the clock as camp counselors)

The internship program there was pretty unorganized. I'll assume that to be due to it being the first group coming through and they had no idea what to do with us. The projects pretty much ended up being brainstorm and come up with something on your own.

Now as far as how this looks for a real engineering company: some people looked at it as a good thing, but most honestly didn't care. You don't get a whole lot of engineering experience (if any), which doesn't help you with the real NASA or other real engineering companies.

BUT, the leadership, team-building, initiative, etc... you SHOULD develop as a Space Camp Counselor should reach beyond the technical stuff. Companies want people who have qualities like this. If you can sell your self the right way, working for sprocket comes off looking good.

As far as attending camp, the credit is for the Advanced kids, which the age limit is 18. It's only for a one-credit intro-to aerospace class so I wouldn't worry too much.

That is, in a nut shell, my experience. I could go further in depth, but I won't go into some details.... Hope this helps.

Fatal291 wrote:Hello I was wondering how hard is it to get a internship at space camp? How does it work? I am looking to get into some kind of space related activity this summer (I'm 20) and was hoping for space camp. I live in Virginia currently.

I also read that you get credits towards a college or something like that when u attend space camp? No offense but would NASA or any space related projects take a internship or participation at Space Camp seriously? suggestions would be nice thanks!
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