Flexible Summer Opportunities

Whether for family commitments, athletic or ROTC obligations, travel, or a variety of other reasons, you may be seeking alternatives to a summer internship or research experience. The options below represent ways to grow and enhance your career readiness competencies.

Develop New Skills and Knowledge

• Forage: Build experience and skills with company-backed virtual work experience programs (free through Cornell-subscription).
• LinkedIn Learning: Learn skills and access numerous courses and video lessons in areas such as electrical engineering, data visualization, design thinking, mechanical engineering, iOS development, CAD, Tableau, and more. Free access through Cornell.
• Cornell Library workshops and resources including GIS and geospatial data, text mining and data visualization. Virtual and in-person options. Free.
• Cornell courses on the edX platform (free)- topics include cyber surveillance, machine learning, smartphones.
• Cornell Scientific Computing Training Series– Free webinars for Cornell students interested in AI, GPUs, Python, HPC, R, and more. The training is sponsored by the Center for Advanced Computing and Weill Cornell Medicine.
• Cornell Computing and Data Workshops– Elevate your computing and data-related skills through free workshop sessions curated by the Cornell Center for Social Science. Session topics include replication, data processing, and qualitative analysis.
• MIT OpenCourseWare: Free online course materials on everything from machine learning, to stats, to AI, CAD, and more.
• Google Guide to Technical Development: build your technical skills and prep for interviews (free).
• Grow with Google OnAir– free virtual workshops, certificates, and events to get the most out of Google digital tools for productivity and job searching.
• Khan Academy: Free expert-created content and resources for every course and level. 
• AWS Educate: free introductory courses to cloud computing and AI and ML.
• Coursera: Offers classes in a variety of subject areas. Some are free; others require payment.
• CodeAcademy: Learn to code with interactive lessons & daily practice. Membership levels start at $0/month.

Get Involved

• Work
  • Reach out to start-ups or start-up incubators or accelerators in your community. Learn more about entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • Parker Dewey Micro-Internships: remote, paid, freelance work.
  • Start your own STEM/AP/SAT tutoring business (or freelance in another area of expertise).
  • Consider seasonal employment if you need flexible work arrangements.
• Volunteer:
  • Cornell Public Service
  • Cornell Lab of Ornithology 
  • Citizen Scientist Opportunities
  • Idealist.org
• Collaborate and Compete:
  • Participate in competitions like those through NASA Challenges and Crowdsourcing and ASME.
  • Hackathons outside of Cornell: Major League Hacking and DevPost for virtual hackathons and other events.

Projects

Code something! Browse a popular Github repository for project ideas across various categories.

Build something! Consult your network or use AI for inspiration. Explore your local makerspace. Combine access to the makerspace resources with free training through LinkedIn Learning or other sources. Consider how you might use 3D printing, CAD software, Arduino/Raspberry Pi, etc. 

Design Your Own Project. Choose a topic or problem relevant to your field and create a shareable project (e.g., on LinkedIn, GitHub, or a portfolio). Consider collaborating with mentors or others. Ideas include: 

• Podcast series
• Social media series on your favorite platform
• Write a white paper or article series
• Host a workshop or event series
• For more ideas on how to develop your project and find mentor collaborators, read Super Mentors.

Partner with Your Favorite Nonprofit- Contact organizations to see how your skills can support their mission. Examples include:

• research and data analysis of a pressing issue
• marketing and search engine optimization
• web development
• developing a rainwater collection system or other sustainability practice
• analyzing and making recommendations about investing in small scale solar power or another product or service
• optimizing a system to improve efficiency 
• creating a data visualization or dashboard to show impact
• STEM outreach and education for youth
• designing more accessible public spaces for users

Network

• Job shadow with a professional in your community to explore their field and role and to ask questions.
• Conduct informational interviews with Cornell alums and others in your desired field.
• Professional organizations offer webinars, regional conferences, and other events. Other groups can be found on LinkedIn or with a simple internet search. Most organizations offer significantly reduced membership rates for students. Seek out the student chapters at Cornell by contacting your major department or checking the Student Activities Office website.

Funding Resources

Fellowships and Funding– Explore available resources to support your summer activities.