Internships with the Little Shop of Physics
The Little Shop of
Physics, a traveling hands-on science outreach program at Colorado State
University, has funding for 3-4 student internships for the 2008-2009 academic
year. These would be great positions for future scientists and science
teachers.
What is the Little
Shop of Physics?
The
Little Shop of Physics has been visiting schools in Colorado and neighboring
states for over 15 years now.
Along the way, we have shared exciting, hands-on science with over 250,000
students. We have also shared a
philosophy: that science is exciting and accessible, something that anyone can
do.
The
Little Shop of Physics has a national reputation for innovation in science
instruction, and for just having a lot of cool stuff. We make oscilloscopes out of television sets, we crush
55-gallon drums with air pressure, we make experiments from things we find at
garage sales. And, each week, we share an amazing science experience with several
hundred students at an area school.
The
Little Shop of Physics is a team effort, and the people who make up the team
shape its development. From the
black t-shirts of the "Everybody's a Scientist" tour to the tie-dye shirts of
this year's "Cyclone of Science" tour, each year is a bit different. Interns with the Little Shop will have
the chance to work with a great team on an amazing project with a long history
of innovation, to get kids excited about science, to learn how to teach science
to children of all ages and abilities, to travel, to be creative.
Exactly
what form the coming year in the Little Shop will take will depend on who is
involved, but we know it will be exciting, educational, and memorable. An internship with the Little Shop will
be a lot of work, but it is rewarding work that is as much a benefit to those
of us who do the work as it is to those that we serve.
Who
is Eligible?
Our
3-4 internship positions are open to any student at Colorado State University.
We will give preference to:
-
Science and engineering
majors.
-
Science education
majors.
-
People who are
interested in working with kids.
-
People who are a good
fit for the Little Shop of Physics. Working with Little Shop takes
commitment and flexibility.
What
Will the Interns Do?
Interns will work with
the Little Shop of Physics program on a number of different projects:
- Presenting
Little Shop of Physics programs at area schools. Each year, the Little Shop presents programs at over 30
K-12 schools. At each school,
we will set up our 100+ hands-on science experiments and assist K-12
students in working with them.
- Going
on the road to present Little Shop of Physics programs at rural
schools. Next year, we make
three extended road trips to rural areas of the state and region to
present a series of programs at schools.
- Developing,
building, repairing and upgrading hands-on science experiments that are
part of the Little Shop of Physics collection.
- Working
on developing, filming, and editing episodes of the Everyday Science television program
that the Little Shop of Physics produces in association with the local
Poudre School District.
- Developing
and presenting workshops for K-12 teachers.
- Assisting with the
annual Little Shop of Physics Open House, which will take place the last
weekend in February.
Exactly what you will
work on will depend on your interests and abilities. We intend for the internship to be a valuable experience for
you, and we will attempt to provide you with experiences that will provide good
opportunities for you to learn and develop as an educator.
How
Much Will the Internships Pay?
We pay interns for these
positions so that this can take the place of other employment that students
might have, but the benefits of the position will go well beyond what pay we
can offer.
The pay isn't bad,
though. The internships will carry an hourly salary of approximately $9.00.
Internships will be for the term of the academic year. Interns will be expected
to work approximately two days per week during the semester, plus to work on
certain special projects on school breaks and weekends. The time commitment
will vary from week to week depending on our activities. School visits are a
mix of travel, work and breaks; we will discuss how hours are figured for these
events.
Schedules
Interns are expected to
work two days each week in the Little Shop of Physics. Generally, one day will be spent
presenting a program at a school, and one day will be spent working on other
projects. Hours will vary depending on the schools we visit, but a typical week
will involve 15-20 hours of work.
The programs at schools
form the core of what the Little Shop of Physics does. The Little Shop of Physics will go on
the road approximately 12 Thursdays during the course of each semester. Interns are expected to be available
for each school visit. School
visits generally last a whole day, with an early start (6:00 AM is typical) and
a late finish (4:30 or 5:00 is typical.)
Interns will be required to keep their Thursday schedules open for
the duration of the internship, and are expected to be available to go on all
school visits.
We know that this may create scheduling
difficulties, but past experience has shown that, with some flexibility, this
can be done with minimal disruption to a student's academic program. Thursdays when we are not on the road
will be devoted to other projects.
In
addition to Thursday road trips, interns will be expected to devote a day each
week to building projects, fixing projects, developing workshop materials: all
of the other work of the Little Shop.
Tuesday will be the preferred work day in the Little Shop, and students
are asked to keep their Tuesday schedules open as much as possible.
In
addition to the regular weekly road trips and other work, the Little Shop of
Physics will make some extended road trips and do some weekend events, like the
yearly Open House. The details
will be known well in advance.
How
Do I Apply?
Applications
for an internship position with the Little Shop of Physics will consist of the
following items:
- A letter outlining your
educational background, your current plan of study, your career plans, and your
interest in the Little Shop program. Tell us a bit about yourself: who you are,
where you are going, and why. Tell
us what you know about the program, and why you want to be involved.
- Your anticipated course
schedule for Fall, 2008. Note that
Thursdays must be kept open
for travel with the Little Shop of Physics, for the entire academic year, and
Tuesdays should be kept open as much as possible.
- A list of two or three
references we may contact. Pick
people who know you well: professors or employers who can tell us a bit about
you.
Please
send all materials to the following address:
Little
Shop of Physics
c/o
Brian Jones
Physics
Department
Colorado
State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Electronic
submissions may be sent to Brian Jones at:
Brian.Jones@ColoState.edu
Applications
received before April 15 will receive preference, but applications will be
accepted until all positions are filled.
Interviews
If
we are very interested in your application, we will ask you to take part in an
interview. At a minimum this will
be a meeting with the Director of the Little Shop and another staff
member. Ideally, youÕll be able to
join us at a school visit. This
will allow you to get a good feel for how the Little Shop of Physics program
runs, to get a better sense as to what the internship will consist of. We will
get back to applicants with a final word about the position shortly after the
interview.
Questions?
We encourage you to contact us with any questions that you might have—or just to get to know us. Drop by the Little Shop in Engineering AR 121, or phone or e-mail. We are a friendly lot, and we'd love to hear from you!