Recreating the Experience of an In-Person Summer Internship Program Remotely

Abstract

We describe strategies, designs, tools, and technologies that were part of a 9-week experimental virtual summer internship program conducted during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The goals for the program were to (1) recreate the in-person summer internship experience, (2) explore ways of getting people to help each other, and (3) develop a sense of community in a remote/virtual setting. We offer learnings gleaned by the team regarding building virtual communities that encourage collaboration and communication.