NWS Boston - Student Opportunities

Student Opportunities at NWS Boston

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Boston provides several opportunities for students to gain valuable work experience, both as paid employees and as unpaid volunteers. Many NWS employees participated in such programs themselves when they were students and remain grateful for the experience. For this reason, they understand how beneficial such programs can be and they are eager to return the favor. This is true even if a student ends up not working for the NWS.

Of course, the NWS benefits greatly from these programs as well. Not only do we gain a little extra help for a few months, but we also give potential future employees a running start toward a successful NWS career. When deciding which recent graduate to hire, a manager in the NWS often would like to select someone who has actual NWS experience -- and the positive recommendations to go with it! There are several avenues by which students can participate:

Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates (Paid)

The Pathways Program offers paths to Federal internships for students from high school through post-graduate school, and to careers for recent graduates. As a student or recent graduate, you can begin your career in the Federal government by choosing the path that best fits you and where you are in your academic career. These positions are typically advertised over the winter or spring.

The NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program (Paid)

This program was established in honor of retired South Carolina Senator Ernest F. Hollings, who promoted oceanic and atmospheric research throughout his career. NOAA solicits applications for this program once per year, usually between September and January. Application materials and the most current deadlines are available from the NOAA Hollings Scholarship webpage.

Although selections for the Hollings Scholarship are not made by local NWS offices, we can serve as a host office for students who have been accepted into the program and are seeking a summer internship. Staff members occasionally list potential summer internship projects in the SSIO database and Hollings Scholarship students may also directly contact potential mentors at our office to discuss creating a project based on mutual interests.

NWS Boston Student Volunteer Program (Unpaid)

Contact: Caity Mensch, Student Program Team Lead, for more information and to apply during the application period.

Our office usually hosts one student volunteer each summer. The program is open to college students majoring in meteorology or any of the physical sciences, or to graduate students with a background in meteorology. Note that you must be an enrolled student in order to be eligible.

Students have the opportunity to learn about NWS careers by gaining on-the-job experience. The program involves working on a project and spending time learning forecast operations. Visits are arranged with the Northeast River Forecast Center (located in our facility) and with the NWS Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU), which is located at the Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center in Nashua, NH and provides direct weather support to the FAA. Students can also visit a cooperative weather station, river gauge station, and participate in an office outreach event. We understand that student volunteers have many other commitments. For this reason, we are flexible about specific days and hours for the program.

The summer application period runs from February 1 to March 1 each year. Selections are usually made in April. The official announcement will be headlined on our web page.

Job Shadows (All Students)

Contact: Bryce Williams, Outreach Team Lead, to schedule a Job Shadow

Students (especially those in Middle School or High School) who are interested in a career in meteorology are welcome to schedule a Job Shadow. You will spend time sitting aside one of our forecasters and learn how we prepare our forecasts. These Job Shadows last 2 or 3 hours and there is plenty of time to ask questions. This is a great opportunity to learn more about National Weather Service operations and see if this is something you’d like to pursue as a career!