The St. Olaf – SciTech Internship Program
In 2026, St. Olaf College entered a new agreement with SciTech that provides eligible Olaf students access to rewarding, hands-on, paid STEM internships at small Minnesota companies. The SciTech internship opportunities are currently limited to a small number of Minnesota colleges, giving eligible St. Olaf students access to valuable experiences.
The SciTech internship program at St. Olaf College is only available for current STEM students who are 1) Sophomores, 2) Juniors, or 3) Seniors graduating in December 2026 (see details below). International as well as domestic students can participate in SciTech internships (eligible international students must have an I-20 Form available to upload as part of the registration process). Positions are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and students must apply and be selected by a SciTech company to participate in an internship.
Program Details
To be eligible for SciTech internships through St. Olaf College for summer 2026, you must:
- Be a current St. Olaf Sophomore, Junior, or Senior graduating in December 2026 in the following STEM majors or concentrations:
- STEM majors: Biology; Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Quantitative Economics, or Statistics and Data Science
- STEM concentrations: Biomolecular Science, Engineering Studies, Environmental Studies, or Neuroscience
- Because the internships are subsidized by the St. Olaf Piper Center, students need to use their available Piper Center Grant or JFOF funding if they are selected for an internship. If you have questions about past funding that you have received from the Piper Center, please reach out to Marietta Ruppe (ruppe2@stolaf.edu). You must have adequate internship funding available and be willing to “use” one of the two sources of funding:
- Piper Center Grant Award — Every student can earn this award one time during their time at St. Olaf, so you can use your Piper Center Grant Award for a SciTech internship if you have not previously received a Piper Center Grant Award
OR - $2500 of Johnson Family Opportunity Fund (JFOF) Funds — only students with high financial need are eligible to access JFOF funds. If you are not sure if you are eligible for JFOF funding, please email Financial Aid at finaid@stolaf.edu).
- Piper Center Grant Award — Every student can earn this award one time during their time at St. Olaf, so you can use your Piper Center Grant Award for a SciTech internship if you have not previously received a Piper Center Grant Award
- Agree to check ins and program activities with the Piper Center before, during, and after the internship, including a follow up survey on your experience with the internship and application process
- Please fill out this form to confirm your eligibility for SciTech:REQUIRED SciTech ELIGIBILITY FORM FOR ST. OLAF STUDENTS
- Once your eligibility has been established in the Piper Center at St. Olaf, you will receive more information, including an email from SciTech with login details (which will let you see the list of companies and positions available).
- Once eligible, St. Olaf STEM students can access the SciTech portal and will be expected to upload the following documents:
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript– Log in to the SIS go to grades -> select all years/terms -> export as a PDF file (one way to do this is by going to a print screen and clicking on “view as PDF”, or “view in preview”)
- For international students only, an I-20 Form to allow them to participate in CPT (contact Caitlin Lamont Kreienkamp, Lamont3@Stolaf.edu, in the Taylor Center for more details on this).
- Students then apply to individual companies and internship opportunities via the SciTech portal (instructions for each position are on the portal).
- Individual companies make the final selection of interns, and interviews may be a part of the selection process.
| Late February 2026 | Students should complete the Required SciTech Eligibility Form ASAP. The Summer 2026 internship opportunities are posted to the SciTech portal. |
| Late February – May 2026 | St. Olaf students are notified of eligibility status on a rolling basis by email after completing the Required SciTech Eligibility Form (above). Students apply to specific internships of interest using the SciTech web portal (details of the application process for each position will be listed there). Interviews (if needed), selection by companies, etc., will occur on a rolling basis. |
| Early June – mid August 2026 | Selected students will engage in SciTech internships, Piper Center check-ins will occur throughout the summer. |
| August-September 2026 | Follow up activities, surveys, etc., will take place for St. Olaf SciTech summer internship students. |
Students will be responsible for their own housing, transportation, and meals. Housing needs will depend on the specific internship. Students will be paid directly by the internship sites over the summer.
Students must have adequate internship funding available and be willing to “use” one of the two sources of funding to cover the summer internship:
- Piper Center Grant Award — Every student can earn this award one time during their time at St. Olaf, so you can use your Piper Center Grant Award for a SciTech internship if you have not previously received a Piper Center Grant Award
OR - $2500 of Johnson Family Opportunity Fund (JFOF) Funds — only students with high financial need are eligible to access JFOF funds. If you are not sure if you are eligible, please email Financial Aid at finaid@stolaf.edu.
The students will be paid directly by the companies over the course of the summer (the companies will be reimbursed by St. Olaf College (students are not part of this process). Students will be responsible for determining any tax implications related to the payments and agree to keep receipts and related documentation in a personal file. For international students only, an I-20 Form is needed to participate in CPT (contact Caitlin Lamont Kreienkamp, Lamont3@Stolaf.edu, in the Taylor Center for more details on this).
Internship Spotlights
Dominic Bledsoe (St. Olaf math and engineering studies) at SciTech internship with Volumetric Technologies in Cannon Falls, MN
Dominic Bledsoe, St. Olaf math major and engineering studies concentrator at SciTech internship with Volumetric Technologies, a small manufacturer based in Cannon Falls, MN that designs and builds filling machines and equipment primarily for the food industry.
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Ru Kosherbay, 2nd from right, (St. Olaf computer science) at SciTech internship with Abamath, Eden Prairie, MN
Ru Kosherbay (2nd from right) St. Olaf computer science major at SciTech internship with Abamath, which works with Minnesota school districts to teach computer coding, video game creation and web design.
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Miranda Swenson, 2nd from left (St. Olaf biology) at SciTech internship at Rebiotix, Roseville, MN
Miranda Swenson, 2nd from left, St. Olaf biology major at St. Olaf at SciTech internship at Rebiotix, a clinical stage biotechnology company that investigates using the human microbiome to treat debilitating gastrointestinal (GI) diseases
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Isaiah Scharen (St. Olaf physics and art) at SciTech internship with Isthmus Engineering Inc., St. Paul, MN
Isaiah Scharen, St. Olaf physics major and art concentrator at a SciTech internship with Isthmus Engineering Inc. a St. Paul-based engineering firm specializing in transportation design services. He was able to apply some of his artistic talents when working to develop Isthmus’s design visualization programs and technology. This includes creating 3D models of real-life structures and locations that can be shown to clients either on a monitor or with a VR headset.
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