10-Week program in Clay County provides opportunities for high school and college students
The Civil-Military Innovation Institute (CMI2) will onboard a record number of interns for its 10-week summer internship program on May 28, 2024, at the Adaptive Experimentation Facility (AEF) at Fort Andrew in Clay County, WV. The program will include 26 interns, three times the original program hires of 2023.
CMI2’s work focuses on supporting the nation’s warfighters as an integral part of its “Innovation in the Dirt” philosophy of getting people into the field for a hands-on technology development/experimentation experience. It includes building a unique, stand-alone military training and experimentation facility in Clay County. The interns will collaborate and support AEF full-time, on-site staff via STEM-related activities throughout the summer.
“The AEF summer internship program is unique because it provides opportunities for high school and college students to work together with our team of professionals at the AEF,” said Walter “Wally” Hatfield, Vice President for Training and Experimentation. “We believe in providing a true hands-on experience, and we found individuals ready to embrace that opportunity.”
Upon completing the interview process, CMI2 sought resources to expand its original offering of 14 interns to 26 select participants due to the quality of applicants received.
“The response to this internship opportunity has been overwhelming in and around Clay County,” Hatfield proudly shared. “From seven interns last year to 50 applicants and 26 interns in just the second year, this growth is a testament to our success and a bright future. We wanted and found individuals as excited about this as we are.”
With 26 internship participants this summer, the CMI2 AEF program will include opportunities and experiences for interested site specialists, makerspace specialists, and communications specialists with both general and task-specific curricula throughout the summer.
“All of the Clay County High School students truly wowed us in every way during the application and interview process,” Hatfield said. “Unfortunately, while we cannot hire everyone, we were very impressed by the preparedness and enthusiasm of every student we met, as they have set a high standard for every future hire.”
For the 2024 class, CMI2 will continue partnering with the Workforce Development Board Mid-Ohio Valley’s Career Connections Paid Work Experience program or Career Connections. Career Connections is an employment and training program focusing on developing academic, occupational, and social skills for individuals ages 16- 24. CMI2 partners with Career Connections to augment its Clay County employment efforts.
The 2024 summer program will kick off in late May, with an onboarding event. AEF interns will enjoy exceptional opportunities throughout the summer, including a weekly “Friday Forum” (speaker events, certification training, or career discussions) and two Summer Project Showcase events, where interns will share success stories, lessons learned, and best practices.
