Deadline for application is December 1, 1997. Competitive Internships Open to Students with Disabilties Entry Point, a collaboration among AAAS, industry, and government agencies, is a new initiative designed to meet the human resources needs of the private and public sectors by identifying, screening, and placing undergraduate and graduate students with disabilities pursuing science, mathematics, computer science, and engineering degrees in paid summer internships. These internships represent a new model for mentoring, made possible in part by the emergence of assistive technology that allows the entry and advancement of individuals with significant disabilities into competitive employment and research at all levels. Students with disabilities who have demonstrated high motivation, persistence, and achievement in academic areas are placed in internships in research and development throughout the country. If the internship is mutually successful, and the business environment persists, the student may be invited back for successive summers with the potential for regular, full-time employment after graduation.
Mentors advise the students on future undergraduate course work or plans for graduate study.
In addition to offering competitive salary stipends, the companies and agencies provide assistive technology and other reasonable accommodations needed by the student to be a fully productive member of the technology team. Travel funds and housing assistance may also be provided to students who are relocating for the summer. Currently, there is no deadline for application to the Entry Point program. The Zebra Mussel Mania Traveling Trunk, developed by Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, educates children about problems caused by the spread of exotic aquatic species in the nation's waterways. The traveling trunk contains resources for experiments and other hands-on activities and teaching guides about aquatic nuisance species in the Great Lakes and inland waterways.