The 2021 Summer Link paid internships will offer the opportunity for sophomores and juniors to work during the summer with professionals in business, social science and humanities and in computer science.

Business, social sciences and humanities:

Applications are open until Feb. 11 for the Business, Social Sciences and Humanities Summer Link internships. An information session will be held Jan. 12 at lunch. Librarian Susan Augustine and history teacher Christy Gerst coordinate the program.

Students accepted for the internship may work for professors, law and financial firms, arts organizations or others. Because of the pandemic, Ms. Augustine said it is unclear how many professors and organizations will be offering internships for the summer.

Students cannot apply for specific internships, but Ms. Augustine and Ms. Gerst will use the applications to match applicants’ skills and interests to the internships that are available.

Ms. Augustine said most applications they receive are from students interested in business and arts, but that the program offers a wide range of fields in which students can gain experience.

“The main thing is to give students an opportunity to see what it’s like to work in a real business capacity, to work in the real world, to have a job where they’re doing professional work and get a taste of a certain kind of career,” Ms. Augustine said.

Computer science:

The Data & Computing Summer Lab program allows students to intern for mentors at the Center for Data and Computing at the University of Chicago. An information session about some of the research topics covered in the internships will be hosted on Dec. 18. Applications will be released soon on the program’s website. 

Undergraduate students at the University of Chicago are also eligible for these internships, and according to computer science teacher Sharon Harrison, fewer than 10 U-High students will receive internships.

“Especially students who are interested in data science, computer science, it really gives them the opportunity to get involved in a research project, something that hasn’t been done before,” Ms. Harrison said.