This year, Miami EdTech kicked off the summer by welcoming 25 Junior Engineer Interns through the Summer Youth Internship Program (SYIP) led by the amazing M-DCPS CTE team. These talented young minds were on a five-week journey designed to equip them with cutting-edge skills and hands-on experience, all focused on getting them #FutureReady.
Throughout their internship, our interns will dive deep into various tech projects, gain practical skills, connect with industry leaders, and receive valuable guidance for their college and career paths.
A Deep Dive into Cutting-Edge Learning
From day one, our interns plunged into a curriculum designed to build a strong foundation in modern technology. They immediately began exploring learning platforms that will support their growth throughout the five weeks:
- Coursera and key Google courses, including AI Essentials and Data Analytics, are helping them build foundational knowledge in these high-demand fields.
- Gaining essential life skills through HP LIFE courses, with practical modules like resume building, crucial for their future careers.
- Raspberry Pi lessons, which teach them the fundamentals of Python programming. These interactive lessons allow them to learn to code basics in a fun and practical way.
- Riders, a specialized tool that teaches them how to program for semi-autonomous functions, preparing them for advanced robotics and automation concepts.
Real-World Insights and Inspiring Connections
Our interns gained invaluable insights on the first day with Max Ringelheim, who hosted an engaging Q&A with guest speaker Amir from MicroHub. This provided our interns with a unique opportunity to hear firsthand about navigating the tech world, gaining diverse perspectives, and asking questions that mattered for their own career journeys. These interactions were designed to spark new ideas and connect their learning to real-world applications, emphasizing the importance of understanding the journeys of those who have paved the way in the industry and how those experiences relate to the interns’ own burgeoning careers.
Later in the week, interns met Martin from HP, who shared valuable insights into career opportunities within the company and highlighted how the HP LIFE lessons can help young professionals identify their interests and build essential skills. His visit was especially meaningful, as several interns were actively using HP laptops generously provided by HP for their engineering projects, coding challenges, and digital design work. Martin took time to personally check out the students’ projects—sparking conversations about real-world applications and future possibilities. We’re incredibly grateful to have HP as a partner, not only for their technology support but for their genuine investment in empowering the next generation of innovators.
Interns also had the chance to hear from Jean Carlos Asencio, Partnerships and Emerging Markets Manager at Wisk Aero. His insights redefined how the interns perceived the word “engineer”—emphasizing that engineering is not a siloed discipline, but a mindset that spans across industries and specialties. Whether it’s aerospace, robotics, or business strategy, engineers use curiosity and collaboration to build the future. Jean Carlos reminded the interns that the most innovative solutions emerge when diverse fields come together, reinforcing the interdisciplinary spirit behind their own summer projects.
The Grand Project: Infento x Riders Semi-Autonomous EV Bike
This year’s internship is an incredibly exciting, hands-on project: the creation of Infento EV Bikes, with each team tasked with designing and building a unique electric bike. This means a total of three impressive bikes will come to life by the end of the program.
This project was a real-world application of their learning, challenging them to apply everything they had learned. Using the programming skills gained from their Riders lessons, they integrated sensors, LED lights, buzzers, and Arduino boards into their Infento bikes, along with add-ons of their choosing to personalize their bikes. This allowed their creations to perform semi-autonomous functions, bringing their designs to life and providing real-world experience in the hardware/software industry, just like in advanced engineering.
By the end of this five-week journey, our interns had not only strengthened their programming skills but also gained hands-on experience in mechanical assembly, electronics, and real-time problem-solving. This unique blend of technical practice and theoretical knowledge equipped them to pursue future careers in engineering, technology, and beyond ready to contribute meaningfully to innovation and industry.
We closed out the program with a special celebration, recognizing each intern’s contributions to Miami EdTech and the incredible growth they demonstrated throughout the summer. As they prepared to take their next steps, we sent them off knowing that the skills, knowledge, and experiences they gained would apply to every aspect of their lives—from academic pursuits to professional ambitions.
We’re excited to witness the ripple effect of this experience—not only in the interns’ own futures, but in the communities and careers they’ll go on to inspire. With the support of partners like HP and Mission 44, this internship became more than a summer program—it became a launchpad for the next generation of changemakers.
Interested in learning more about the program? Please contact info@miamiedtech.com
