Work-based Learning opportunities

Undergraduate and graduate students from all departments at UNM are invited to apply for a $5,000 research grant to undertake interdisciplinary research related to resilience in New Mexico. Students are encouraged to develop the research project in partnership with an external UNM entity, such as a community group, Pueblo or Tribe, business, management agency, or non-profit, to address a real-world problem facing that group.

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program offers stipend-paid internship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate-level university students pursuing STEM degrees, as well as upper-level high school students; select locations also offer internships to university students pursuing education-related degrees and K-12 professional educators. The selected interns gain valuable hands-on experiences working with full-time AFRL scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and technology and are able to contribute to unique, research-based projects. Graduate interns are able to collaborate with AFRL on current research and incorporate the research into their graduate work.

Explora offers over 200 interactive Explorations programs, benchmarked to the New Mexico State educational standards, for schools, homeschool groups, libraries, and community centers. These programs also are offered for adults and seniors. Each year, Explora facilitates more than 2,200 programs for over 70,000 people from all 33 New Mexico counties and from the surrounding states. Programs take place at Explora, at community sites, or virtually and can be offered in both English and Spanish.X Studio at Explora is Explora’s teen center where teens experiment, create, hang out, and learn.Explora’s Career Pathways Internship (CPI) program offers high school juniors and seniors a gateway to move beyond economic limitations and into intellectually stimulating, personally rewarding employment in STEAM jobs that serve the community, contributes to Explora's educational mission, and leads to expanded educational and career opportunities. First Year: Juniors focus on workforce training and STEAM education under mentorship, gaining skills in classroom management and visitor engagement. Second Year: Seniors deepen STEAM knowledge, engage with professionals, and plan for future steps like higher education or certifications.

COSMIAC, a research center under the School of Engineering at UNM, supports many undergraduate, Masters, and PhD seeking students. When on contract, these students perform duties according to their specified training, education, and expertise. A student must be registered for courses in order to be eligible for employment. During the summer session, students do not have to take courses. However, if a student is not taking courses during the summer session, that student must be registered for the following Fall semester.

GoogleIT Certificate course for high school students to gain skills and experience for jobs.

The site of Research Experiences for Undergraduates – Emerging Issues in Cybersecurity is funded by NSF CISE which offers a ten-week summer research experience to a diverse group of undergraduate students. The site is hosted jointly by the Department of Computer Science and The New Mexico Cybersecurity Center of Excellence of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech). The 2023 program will be from Monday, May 22 to Saturday, July 29. The goals of this REU site include providing students with experience in cutting-edge research in cybersecurity, broadening participation in computing, motivating students to pursue graduate studies in computer science, and preparing the future cybersecurity workforce.

This FREE program will allow participants to get a taste of college life, develop an understanding of the complex skills gained in research, and gain information on opportunities available through the STEM field. Participants will be assigned to groups. In these groups they will be working on a research project during this 5 day camp, ending with a research presentation for professional staff and families of student participants.

The College and Career Readiness Bureau (CCRB) administers competitive funding to support schools in their efforts to transform the high school experience. This involves creating a distinctive graduate profile that reflects the needs of the local community, the implementation of work-based learning, career technical education (CTE), capstone projects, social and emotional learning (SEL), and other programs aligned with core academics aimed at preparing students for future success in innovative and impactful ways.

We train students in the areas needed to be ready for research (computer programming, mathematics, critical thinking). At the end of this educational pipeline we offer to pay them to spend summers doing research.

Summer Internship program and professional development and mentoring program