Alabama Data Scholars program ready for second year of student internships

A group that gives Alabama high school and college students opportunities to develop data skills in science and engineering through summer internships with companies around the state is gearing up for its second year.

Alabama Data Scholars, an internship and skill-building initiative powered by QuantHub, celebrated the graduation of their first group of Data Scholars this summer at QuantHub's headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama.

The new program, composed this year of 26 Scholars, has transformed the future of tech talent in Alabama by equipping high school students with innovative skills in data science, analytics, and AI through direct, hands-on experience, according to a statement from Data Scholars. Partnered with a mix of corporate partners, innovative startups, tech companies, and nonprofit and government entities, Alabama Data Scholars offers Alabama high school students from across the state a rare opportunity to gain 21st-century skills through paid internships, all before graduating high school, according to the statement.

"We want to let students see rural opportunities relating to data and technology," Brenda Tuck, Rural Development Manager, Alabama Department of Commerce, said in a statement for the 2024 program. "We will be using our interns at Commerce to help track our Salesforce projects and information, clean up records, do reporting and go on industry visits as a bonus.We are completely impressed with the young lady we will be working with."

Interns in 2024 were placed with 21 innovative employers throughout the state, including Energy Alabama, Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (HICA), BlackBelt Technologies (BBT Connects), Southern Company, Protective Life Insurance, EBSCO Information Services, Altec and many more. These organizations provided an environment where scholars could develop skills in AI and machine learning, data analysis, data visualization, business analytics, Power BI, Python, and SQL by participating in hands-on projects.

Alabama high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, and recent graduates are eligible to participate if over 16 at the time of internship start. Signed parental consent is required for applicants under 18. The first group of 2024 Alabama Data Scholars were competitively selected from a pool of finalists and placed into internships with innovative organizations leveraging data.

Data Scholars, according to the program, are determined based on a combination of factors including interest in data science careers and data skills development, academics and extracurricular involvement, engagement in QuantHub, and a demonstrated desire to innovate and drive positive change in Alabama.

Registration for organizations willing to host the paid summer internships for 2025 is underway ; Nov. 1 is the deadline for priority registrations. Student applications begin Dec. 1. After this process, the intern candidates are reviewed and selected in Mid-February of 2025.

Sessions for college undergraduate interns are 12 weeks - between May 12 and Aug. 1, 2025. Sessions for high school interns are 8 weeks and between June 9 and Aug. 1, 2025, according to the program. Quanthub assumes general liability and secures signed parental consent documentation for all applicants and interns under 18.