This Work-In-Progress paper underscores the impact of a 6-week summer internship program for high school upperclassmen in a cohort of participants. The purpose of this study is to explore how participation in the internship program affects students’ STEM career interests. Lent, Brown, and Hackett’s 1994 Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) provides the theoretical framework for this investigation of different elements of career interest. Kolb’s 1984 experiential learning theory connects SCCT to the internship experience. The high school students in this study were assigned to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and guided through a research project on a STEM topic of their choosing by two immediate supervisors. These topics were required to be related to the host employer’s work and have ample current literature available to explore. The internship also featured cohort-based activities including site visits to museums, workplaces, and learning institutions. Other features include professional development sessions, guest speakers, and a culminating event where participants presented their work and research via scientific posters to a diverse audience. The study underway employed surveys and semi-structured interviews as the primary data sources to investigate students’ experiences and how they relate to STEM career interests. In addition to the pre-survey, post-survey, and exit interviews, we also collected secondary data from weekly reflection writings from each participant. Quantitative data from each survey will be analyzed using a Wilcoxon signed rank sum test to determine differences between pre- and post-responses. Qualitative data will be coded using reflexive thematic analysis to identify themes and sub-themes of students’ experiences. Currently, the analysis is in the data familiarization stage. The expected results include increased self-efficacy and an emphasis on the importance of an engaged supervisor for developing student’s career interests. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2025.
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