Hi!
My Junior just got herself a Summer Internship with the National Stem Honor Society. It sounds promising, except I can’t find anything about the organization online. Does anyone know anything about NSTEM? Is it worth her time or should she look for something else?
TIA!
Are you paying for this honor and internship? If so, then move on. Do not be impressed by the gold foil lined envelopes that some of those folks send.
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Hi…No, she had an interview, after she had to fill out an extensive application with GPA details, transcripts, long essay answers, etc. We definitely aren’t doing anything that requires paying. 
Thank you!
Looks like it is this - It does not look trustworthy and I have never heard of it. I work in a high school.
Internships at NSTEM™
Are you a good fit for NSTEM™? We are looking for dedicated virtual/remote interns of all ages who are interested in gaining experience in:
Social Media Marketing; Email Marketing; Customer Service, Member Support & Care; Public Relations (PR); E- Commerce & Merchandise; Video, Film, & Media Production; Website & Technology; Human Resources (HR); Business Management & Operations; Analytics
These job descriptions are questionable at best - I think they are data mining teacher and school emails and sending spam emails to get sponsors for “new chapters.” https://www.nstem.org/internships/job-descriptions-and-skills-required
Yikes -
As Interns join NSTEM’s leadership, they take on increasing responsibilities and are not required to do weekly information collection.
And then they are going to get hit up for money when they want college credit I think…free if a “volunteer.”
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Are they going to pay her?
Wayback Machine shows the URL as “available for sale” or forbidden access until November 2020.
Every organization needs to start somewhere/sometime. Marketing, web site, analytics, etc., look like they’re looking for interns to help with ongoing startup activities. With very little data on existing chapters, membership, leadership, etc., it looks to be very aspirational.
Edit: an earlier version of the About Us page said “ The National STEM Honor Society™ (NSTEM™) was founded in 2017”.
Fwiw, the Google reviews certainly read as formally planned ‘go post this as a Google review and we’ll respond with “thanks for the great review”’.
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Ugh… So bummed! I think she would be better served by just working this Summer. She was offered a camp counselor job at the nature center she volunteers for. She was doing this as a volunteer, not for school credit. I believe that was actually a question she asked me to help her answer.
So, not great, but aspiring. Not sure it’s worth her time. Back to the drawing board!
No pay…But, I didn’t think a paid internship was necessary. Should they try to get a paid internship?
No, that is not necessary and hard to get in high school.
Camp counselor or a regular teen job is probably better.
This is a good life lesson for her. We were confused by a few offers over the years.
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No, a paid internship is not necessary, but it’s certainly nicer to be paid. Being paid would also have lent a little more legitimacy - as in, the organization actually has funding already and is not depending on some sort of “You work unpaid for us and you can call it an internship on your college resume” kind of deal, which is a bit what it sounds like.
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The continuity of working as a camp counselor for the organization she already volunteers for sounds better. Sustained commitment to something real and local is better than a one-off unpaid internship, even if the organization is nominally legitimate.
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It is so hard to decide at 16, how to spend your last Summer before applying in the Fall.
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Thank you…That helps clarify things. It does lend continuity to her application, and her love of the animals and nature.
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True…I really have no idea how kids find paid internships. I looked a little online and I found a lot for college students, but it was sparse for the high school kids.
Our school has an annual list plus a part-time coordinator who helps them with applications. I wish your school had something similar because it is really helpful.
Wow! That is amazing! I will ask her counselor if we have anything similar. Maybe DD just didn’t hear about it. She is at a large, competitive, public school so it seems like they should.