Internship Opportunities at Fairchild

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
2026-27 Academic Year  
Growing Beyond Earth Saturday Internship Program 

Attention High School Students

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is recruiting a select group of high school students for a new Saturday internship program built around Growing Beyond Earth (GBE), Fairchild’s NASA-funded science program developing food production technology for spacecraft.

This competitive, application-based opportunity is designed for ten advanced and highly motivated students who want to go well beyond the classroom and take part in real scientific and engineering work in partnership with NASA. Students will conduct advanced plant science experiments, analyze data, and help design, build, program, and test the technology used in controlled-environment agriculture and spaceflight research, working alongside Fairchild scientists and researchers.

GBE brings together plant science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and aerospace research. Depending on the project, students might conduct plant growth trials, integrate and calibrate sensors, design mechanical components, build electronic systems, analyze environmental data, develop software, fabricate prototypes, or create entirely new research technology.

The program is based in Fairchild’s Innovation Studio, a digital design, fabrication, and experimental laboratory where students tackle a complex challenge: What does it take to grow food in space?

This is an unusual opportunity to build meaningful experience before college. Previous GBE students have gone on to highly competitive universities and careers in science, engineering, and aerospace. GBE participation has even been specifically cited by colleges in students’ admission letters. For students considering futures in aerospace, engineering, computer science, biology, or related STEM fields, the internship offers the chance to demonstrate sustained involvement in authentic research.

Program Details

• Saturdays, October 17 through June 19 
• 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
• 25 program days total; students are required to attend at least 20
• Held at Fairchild’s Innovation Studio
• Application required; space is limited 

Students will receive:

• Up to 150 community service hours
• Letters of recommendation 
• Opportunities to present their work at local and national conferences
• Real-world research experience to build a truly unique college application

Who should apply: High school students who are curious, motivated, technically inclined, and ready for a challenge. You do not need to arrive as an expert. You should want to learn, build, experiment, solve problems, and work with real scientists and engineers on questions that matter.

Applications are Due September 25th. Click To Apply

Growing Beyond Earth Saturday Program Instructor

JOB TYPE: Part-Time (8 hours per week, running from October through May and excluding school holidays, for a total of 30 Saturdays)

SALARY: $50.00 per hour

LOCATION: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida

POSITION OBJECTIVES:

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is seeking an enthusiastic and experienced STEM educator to lead a new Saturday enrichment program for a select cohort of highly motivated high school students participating in Growing Beyond Earth (GBE), Fairchild’s NASA-funded citizen science program supporting research on food production for long-duration space missions.

The instructor will work with a small group of six to ten students selected through a competitive application process. Students will conduct advanced plant science experiments, analyze data, and contribute to development and testing of technologies used in controlled-environment agriculture and spaceflight research.

The program will be based in Fairchild’s Innovation Studio, a digital design, fabrication, and experimental laboratory where students explore technologies for growing food in space. Activities may include plant growth experiments, sensor integration, environmental monitoring, data analysis, prototyping, and technology development.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead weekly Saturday sessions for high school students.
• Guide student research projects and experimental design.
• Support students in collecting, analyzing, and presenting scientific data.
• Foster a collaborative, professional, and engaging learning environment.
• Assist students in the use of laboratory and makerspace equipment.
• Coordinate with Fairchild staff on program planning and implementation.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

• Experience teaching STEM subjects in a classroom, laboratory, or informal education setting.
• Strong communication and mentoring skills.
• Comfortable working with experimental computing technologies and scientific equipment.
• Ability to guide student-led inquiry and project-based learning.
• Bachelor’s degree in STEM field or equivalent experience preferred.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, and move throughout classroom, laboratory, and makerspace environments while teaching and supervising students.
• Ability to work safely around fabrication equipment, including 3D printers, laser cutters, power tools, and associated materials while following established safety protocols.
• Ability to lift, carry, and move instructional materials, equipment, and supplies weighing up to 30 pounds.

To apply, please submit a resume and brief statement of interest describing your teaching experience and interest in STEM education, research, and technology development to HR@fairchildgarden.org

 

Plant Tissue Culture Specialist

REPORTS TO: Director of Research

JOB TYPE: Full-Time

SALARY: Commensurate with Experience

LOCATION: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, Florida

POSITION OBJECTIVES:

The Plant Tissue Culture Specialist will support the botanical garden’s mission to conserve rare, threatened, and endangered plant species through advanced in vitro propagation and ex-situ conservation techniques. The position plays a critical role in safeguarding plant biodiversity by developing and maintaining tissue culture systems, supporting research initiatives and contributing to the reintroduction and recovery of native and globally threatened species.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with sterile techniques, micropropagation protocols, and plant cell/tissue culture in a laboratory setting. This role will contribute to the protocol development and maintenance of in vitro cultures to support plant production, research studies, and germplasm preservation.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Train and manage technical staff and volunteers working in the tissue culture laboratory..
• Support education and outreach efforts by assisting with guided tours, workshops, or conservation training programs as needed.
• Perform sterile plant tissue culture techniques including explant preparation, media formulation, micropropagation, callus and protocorm induction, rooting, and acclimatization.
• Maintain in vitro collections for long-term conservation, species rescue, and research needs.
• Monitor and document culture growth, health, and contamination.
• Develop and optimize species-specific propagation protocols, with emphasis on rare and endangered taxa.
• Collaborate with conservation team, horticulture, and research staff to support Garden collections and restoration projects.
• Prepare and maintain sterile media, growth regulators, and culture vessels; manage inventories and equipment (autoclaves, laminar flow hoods, growth chambers, etc.).
• Acclimatize and transition in vitro plantlets to greenhouse environments, supporting successful establishment and survival.
• Maintain detailed laboratory records, data logs, and standard operating procedures in accordance with conservation and research standards.
• Participate in field-to-lab workflows including seed collection, explant sourcing, and documentation following ethical collection guidelines and permits.
• Follow biosafety and ethical conservation protocols.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Horticulture, Botany, or a related field (Ph.D. preferred). 
• Minimum 2-5 years of hands-on experience in plant tissue culture.
• Experience with diverse plant species, particularly rare, ornamental, or commercial crops, is desirable.
• Experience engaging public audiences or training volunteers.
• Knowledge of sterile techniques and in vitro propagation systems.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot contamination and optimize culture conditions.
• Familiarity with greenhouse environments and acclimatization procedures.
• Understanding of conservation propagation practices, ex-situ collections, and genetic/resource safeguarding.
• Strong organizational skills, accuracy, and record-keeping ability.
• Ability to work collaboratively within research and conservation teams.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, climb, and work indoors and outdoors for extended periods of time.
• Must frequently lift and/or move materials weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Must be comfortable working indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions, including excessive heat and humidity.

To apply please submit cover letter and resume to

 HR@fairchildgarden.org