A 6 to 8 week summer internship in which you join the Terrain team to produce video and outreach materials for active environmental data science projects. You will build portfolio-ready deliverables, meet with the team weekly, and gain practical experience in science communication. Open to high school and college students.
Interns contribute to many Terrain projects over the summer, translating datasets, code, and notebooks into clear media for students and faculty. The team meets weekly to review progress, provide feedback, and coordinate deliverables. Applicants should be prepared to contribute consistently and attend weekly team meetings throughout the summer.
Select one track below. You will indicate the same choice on your application.
Produce video walkthroughs for various projects in R or Python, documenting analyses and guiding students through Terrain notebooks.
Required: R or Python experience and familiarity with Google Colab notebooks. Include links to coding work in your application.
Develop social content and outreach campaigns for the UCLA community, helping Terrain reach students, faculty, and partner organizations.
Recommended: Experience with social media platforms and basic marketing or communications work.
Create thumbnails, slide decks, and visual assets aligned with Terrain branding for projects, lessons, and outreach materials.
Recommended: Experience with design tools such as Figma, Canva, or Adobe Creative Suite.
The internship is structured to provide substantive project experience suitable for a resume, portfolio, or undergraduate school application.
Submit a brief application, complete an introductory conversation, and receive your first project brief. Weekly team meetings begin in week one.
Draft initial deliverables using provided templates. Meet weekly with your mentor and the broader team for feedback.
Refine your work based on team feedback and submit final versions for Terrain to review and share when appropriate.
Finalize deliverables, document your contributions for your portfolio, and discuss next steps with the team.
The application takes approximately five minutes to complete. Choose your track below, then complete the form. Applicants to the technical track should include links to coding work.
High school and college students are welcome to apply, including community college students and recent graduates preparing for the next academic year. UCLA students are encouraged to apply, though applicants from other schools are welcome. You do not need to be a data science major.
Terrain is a student-built academic resource, so the internship is volunteer-based. Participants gain hands-on project experience, mentorship, and a recommendation letter upon successful completion.
Requirements vary by track. The technical content track requires R or Python experience and familiarity with Google Colab notebooks. Social and design tracks recommend prior experience in communications or design, but motivated applicants are welcome to apply. All interns should be prepared to contribute consistently and attend weekly team meetings.
Interns produce real deliverables on active Terrain projects, including videos, posts, and design assets. Selected work may be shared on Terrain channels with attribution, but publication is not guaranteed for every submission. All interns retain portfolio-ready materials and receive feedback throughout the program.
Plan for approximately 5 to 8 hours per week over 6 to 8 weeks, including a weekly team meeting. Schedules can be adjusted around employment, coursework, and travel during onboarding.