High school students gain hands-on research experience through MIT summer internship

For four weeks this summer, a group of high school students traded the traditional classroom for the MIT Media Lab, where they learned about robotics, conducted research, mentored younger students, and explored fields beyond their initial interests.
The students participated in a summer internship with MIT’s Space Enabled Research Group, working with researchers on Zero Robotics, a program that teaches students to program autonomous robots. Their internship culminated August 27, when the students presented their summer work to family, friends, and members of the MIT community at the Media Lab.
The experience gave students an opportunity not only to develop technical skills, but also to see how research and technology can be applied to real-world problems.
“I think space is for everyone in some way,” said Danielle Wood, an MIT professor and director of the Space Enabled Research Group. “No matter what you love, we might have some connection to that in space.”
During the internship, students worked with programming and simulations, read research papers, tested drones, and supported educational programs connected to Zero Robotics. They also learned from MIT researchers about projects spanning engineering, sustainability, education, policy, and ethics.
For Diana Liang, a rising junior at Brookline High School, the experience broadened her academic interests. Liang entered the program primarily interested in neuroscience, but left with a growing interest in software development, space engineering, and the ethical responsibilities surrounding technology.
“It’s more about how technology is not only about technology itself,” Liang said. “It’s also about the environment and society and the actual benefits to humans.”
The internship also gave students opportunities to develop communication and leadership skills.
Jacqueline Lee, a senior at Phillips Academy Andover, helped MC the Zero Robotics finals, an international robotics competition. Lee said the experience felt “full circle” because she had once watched older students give presentations when she was a middle school student at Aspire. This summer, she found herself presenting to younger students.
Dr.Wood recalled that Lee was given only a few days to prepare to MC the competition.
“She said, ‘I could do it,’” Dr.Wood said. “I love that.”
Nuoyi Cao took a different approach to the competition, designing and 3D-printing awards for participants. Cao sketched designs inspired by the Astrobee robots used in Zero Robotics, modeled them using computer-aided design software, and created instructions so students participating remotely could assemble the awards themselves.
“For me, this was personally my favorite part of the entire experience,” Cao said.
The students’ work was part of a broader effort by Aspire Intelligence Academy to connect young people with academic and extracurricular opportunities.
“Aspire Intelligence Academy is a very simple idea,” said Kevin Zhang, the organization’s president. “We hope to utilize all the facilities and resources we have to help young scholars find a very good path.”
For Liang, the internship also represented personal growth. Having moved to the United States four years ago, she said she had once been nervous about public speaking because she was afraid of making mistakes. Presenting her work at MIT, including on behalf of teammates who could not attend, gave her greater confidence.
“I’m really glad that I’ve come this far and that I’m able to present in front of this whole group,” Liang said.
The experience also taught students skills they expect to carry into future academic and professional settings.
“I’ve learned a lot of skills in technological communication, how to convey your ideas effectively to the people that you’re working with,” Cao said. “I think that’s a very valuable skill to have anywhere you’re going to be.”
Dr.Wood said that confidence and curiosity are among the most important things students can gain from experiences like this.
When she was a student herself, Dr.Wood said, she assumed graduate school was not for her because she saw other students with better grades. It took several people encouraging her before she could envision herself pursuing it.
“I’m trying to help high school students and undergrads get that idea early on,” Dr.Wood said. “Yes, if you want to go to grad school, it’s possible. You don’t have to count yourself out of it.”
For the students, the summer offered more than an opportunity to add an impressive experience to a résumé. It gave them a chance to test unfamiliar interests, work alongside researchers, mentor younger students, and gain confidence in their ability to contribute.