About

The Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships (formerly known as Apprenticeships) is a nationwide system of federally sponsored research placements. Unlike conventional summer camps, AEOP functions as a workforce development infrastructure, placing students directly into U.S. Army Research Laboratories (ARL), DoD facilities, and affiliated university research centers to contribute to active scientific projects.

High school participants conduct real-world research alongside civilian scientists and engineers in fields such as robotics, cybersecurity, biomedical research, and materials science. These placements typically run for eight to ten weeks during the summer (approximately June 15 – August 21, 2026). Daily work mirrors professional research practice, including experimental design, data collection, and technical reporting.

Admissions are handled through a centralized portal, with final selection controlled by individual host laboratories. Eligibility requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Because it is a federally funded initiative, AEOP charges no tuition and provides a stipend—typically up to $4,500 for high schoolers—to cover educational and local expenses. Housing and travel are usually the responsibility of the student. Students should be aware that applications are submitted via the federal government and thus might seem slightly more confusing than a traditional university program.
Institutionally, AEOP is administered by a consortium led by the Battelle Memorial Institute in collaboration with partners like the Rochester Institute of Technology. The program is a core component of the Army’s strategy to build a domestic STEM pipeline, connecting high schoolers to a larger federal trajectory that includes undergraduate research and post-graduate fellowships.

Students leave with authentic laboratory credentials and direct exposure to the government’s scientific infrastructure. AEOP is unique because participants are not simulating research; they are embedded in operational teams contributing to national research priorities. Given AEOP’s history, unique placement system into government labs, and no-tuition structure, it is one of the very best summer options for STEM-minded high school students.