A group of 37 Baltimore high school students is getting a boost on their paths to careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields with internship programs this summer.
The programs include over $100,000 total in stipends for the students over an intensive eight-week summer internship. STEMcx, a nonprofit focused on helping underrepresented minority students become STEM professionals, was supported by Blue Voyant, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and others to help the program come to life.
Interns get real-world experience in computer coding, environmental justice, architecture, healthcare, and aerospace over the summer, and present a final project in a ceremony hosted by STEMcx and its partners.
Each field of study follows a similar framework but is tailored to the specific field. Coding interns, for example, are instructed by Bluevoyant employees with experience in coding, cybersecurity, cryptography, data science, cyber assessments, and more. These interns will make site visits to IT companies, The Computer Museum at System Source, and the International Spy Museum.
Architectural interns will be instructed by architecture professionals from Parks & People Foundation, SAC Architects, Morgan State University, and Habitat for Humanity. Their site visits will include architecture firms, a building and infrastructure firm, and MCB Real Estate — the firm redeveloping Harborplace.
Students began in mid-June, spending five days per week meeting with instructors, completing required reading, and making visits to sites related to their field of study. The program concludes on August 9 when the interns will present their final projects at the closing ceremony. Dignitaries from the Lieutenant Governor’s office, the Mayor’s Office of Children and Family Success, and the Maryland Department of the Environment are expected to attend.
Black professionals make up only 9% of the nation’s STEM workforce. In 2024, a report released by YouScience and Black Girls Do STEM revealed that Black students have an exposure gap to careers in the STEM industry, despite having the aptitude for these careers.
“There is a 75% gap between Black students’ aptitudes and natural skills in advanced manufacturing, a 57% gap in health science and a 56% gap in finance career exposure,” reported St. Louis Public Radio. (STLPR) “The report also shows a 53% gap in architecture and construction and a 51% exposure gap in computers and technology.”
Internships like Baltimore’s STEMcx summer program for high school students take tangible steps to close those gaps.
“These students aren’t just learning STEM—they’re shaping its future,” said a representative from STEMcx. “We believe that opportunity is the first step to equity.”
