High School Research Internship
The High School Research Internship program provides local high school juniors and seniors with an opportunity to earn high school credit for researching in a Notre Dame faculty lab in STEM. Twice a week during the academic year, students research in a lab on campus and work closely with a graduate or postdoctoral student research mentor. Throughout the year, they participate in Friday group classes led by Program Director Catherine Wagner at the South Bend Technology Resource Center to engage in discussions about research topics from the lab and other college preparation topics of interest.
This program was formerly housed in ND Energy as the Notre Dame-Mishawaka High School Internship Program and transitioned to the CBI in Fall 2024.
Participant Goals
- Gain experience conducting research in a university laboratory
- Gain a deeper understanding of STEM topics that are not regularly taught in the classrooms or learned from textbooks
- Develop skills that will help students succeed in college and beyond
Participant Outcomes
- Increased confidence in STEM
- Identity as a future STEM professional
- Continued education in STEM fields as undergraduate students
Since the beginning of the program in Fall 2013, 92 participants have participated in the program across 21 different faculty labs on Notre Dame campus. As the program grows, we are now expanding beyond energy-related projects into other research groups in STEM.
Partner Schools and Organizations
From Fall 2013 to Spring 2024, the program consisted of students from Mishawaka High School. As the internship program came under the administration of the CBI in Fall 2024, it expanded to include students from the Career Academy Network. Starting in Fall 2025, the program added additional student interns from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Indiana Corridor and the Portage School of Leaders.
More Information
To learn more about the High School Research Internship program, please email Catherine Wagner (cwagne10@nd.edu).