What’s New
Registration for the Fall/Winter 2024 langley student volunteer session is now open for NASA pre-arranged student-mentor pairings only (student must have an established nasa langley mentor) and will close end of day (eastern standard time) October 11, 2024. The fall/winter session will begin November 1, 2024, and end January 31, 2025.
To enroll in the Fall/Winter session, the mentor must submit a complete student volunteer enrollment packet to LARC-SVP@MAIL.NASA.GOV including in the subject line the session the student is enrolling in (Ex. Langley Student Volunteer Program Fall/Winter 20xx Application).
The enrollment packet must include the following forms:
- Student volunteer resume with cover letter
- LF377 Student Volunteer Program Working Agreement
- LF457 Student Volunteer Program Agreement
- LF601 Mentor Agreement
- LF475 (Safety agreement for students volunteering onsite)
- Signed LSVP Mentor Guide
The next registration opportunity for all applicants will be for the Spring 2025 student volunteering session. Registration will open January 17, 2025, and close end of day (eastern standard time) February 14, 2025. The spring 2025 session will begin March 3, 2025, and end May 30, 2025.
Resume submissions are welcome year-round. Review and selection, however, will only occur during the designated registration periods that align to the Spring, Summer, or Fall/Winter session.
Program Requirements
- U.S. Citizenship
- Minimum of 16 years of age
- Current student enrolled at least half-time in high school, undergraduate or graduate programs at an accredited college or university (Applicants transitioning between high school and college are eligible if the institution will sign the paperwork that they are enrolled for an upcoming semester)
- Ability to volunteer services in-person at NASA Langley Research Center or remotely, under the supervision of a Langley civil servant mentor.
About the NASA Langley Student Volunteer Service Program
The Langley Student Volunteer Program (LSVP) offers unpaid study-related work experience for students in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or a comparable recognized educational institution who are pursuing curricula in subject matter fields useful to NASA Langley and in which the work experience is beneficial to the career development of the student. Students may volunteer their services to NASA Langley Research Center, gain work experience and knowledge, and engage in early career exploration. The program will allow students to navigate project tasks under the guidance of NASA Langley’s experienced professionals, performing pre-professional duties pertinent to the subject matter field for which they are being trained. Student volunteers are exposed to the Federal work environment and learn about the missions and responsibilities of NASA Langley.
Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, LSVP has added remote opportunities for students across the country, resulting in added success in both remote and onsite participation. Per LSVP guidelines, student volunteers may not be placed in the same organization as a family member or relative, and cannot be enrolled in any other student programs while enrolled in LSVP.
Student Volunteers participating in LSVP are not considered to be a Federal employee for any purposes other than injury compensation or law related to the Tort Claims Act. Service is not creditable for leave accrual or any other employee benefit.
How do I apply?
Only if you meet the requirements listed above, send an email to larc-svp@mail.nasa.gov with a cover letter and resume paying special attention to the below requirements. Resumes will only be accepted via the email address listed above or from an established NASA contact with established mentor.
Alternatively, any applicant with established NASA contacts can ask them to seek out a Langley civil servant mentor on their behalf in lieu of going through the program selection process. In this situation, be sure to send your resume with cover letter and completed enrollment forms to the NASA contact to be shared with potential mentors, and the LSVP Manager. The mentor must submit a complete student volunteer enrollment packet to larc-svp@mail.nasa.gov including in the subject line the session the student is enrolling (Ex. Langley Student Volunteer Program Summer 20xx Application). The enrollment packet should include the following:
- Student volunteer resume with cover letter
- LF377 Student Volunteer Program Working Agreement
- LF457 Student Volunteer Program Agreement
- LF601 Mentor Agreement
- LF475 Work and Safety Agreement (for students volunteering onsite)
- Signed Mentor Agreement
Enrollment Forms
Please use the links below to download the required enrollment forms for your application. Ensure that all forms are completed accurately and submitted as instructed.
- Download here: Student Volunteer Service Program Agreement
- Download here: Student Volunteer Service Program Working Agreement
What is required for my resume and cover letter?
- The student’s cover letter and resume should be submitted as a single document to larc-svp@mail.nasa.gov, including in the subject line the session the student is enrolling in (Ex. Langley Student Volunteer Summer 20xx Application). This document should contain no personal identifying information aside from a name, preferred contact number, and valid email address where the student or parent can be reached.
- The student’s submission file name should contain the student’s area of interest, month of earliest available start, latest date of availability, and the student’s first initial and last name in that order. i.e. Avionics – May – 8.12.17 J. Smith.
- Create a header on the cover letter that includes the student volunteer’s name, educational institution currently attending, student volunteer’s contact information, and NASA Langley Student Volunteer Program. The body of the cover letter should outline the student’s area(s) of interest, what experience the student hopes to gain and the time period available to volunteer. This information should include the days per week, hours per day, including daily work schedule (i.e. June 3rd – August 30th; Monday 8:00am – 10:00am, Tuesday 11:00am – 1:00pm, etc.) Please include a start and end date.
- The resume should include current education status, grade level, academic accomplishments, awards, work experience, volunteer experiences, skills, clubs, certifications, interests, hobbies,
- other accomplishments and/or experiences to help mentors learn more about who you are and whether your skills and interests align with of expertise and organizational projects.
What do I do after submitting my resume and cover letter?
Be patient.
Interested mentors will contact the student directly to gauge interest in their work and come to an agreeable commitment for the volunteer duration. The LSVP Manager does not pair student volunteers with mentors, nor control the selection process. NASA Langley does not maintain a list of available positions for mentors.
I’ve got a mentor to work with! What now?
Congratulations! We hope you enjoy your NASA Langley experience. Before you start, there are required forms that must be completed. Enrollment Forms can be downloaded from the Langley Student Volunteer Program webpage or provided to you once you and your mentor notify the LSVP Manager of your volunteer agreement.
At the end of each session, student volunteers will work with their mentor to submit a written report to the LSVP Manager covering accomplishments and goals met while volunteering during the current session and provide the total number of hours of volunteer service performed.
Testimonial: Helen Phan
This program has given me the amazing opportunity of catching a glimpse of what it is like to work at NASA. I am currently working on a project that my mentor gave me, and it’s nice to know that I am contributing to NASA by working on and eventually completing this project. I have never had any sort of job before, so this experience has taught me valuable professional skills including broad topics such as workplace etiquette and detailed topics such as writing emails in a professional manner. My mentor has been a great person to look up to, and along with the valuable professional skills I have learned from him, he has also taught and explained different topics in math that are related to the project I am working on. I have learned to not be afraid of asking for help and that I am surrounded by extremely knowledgeable people here at NASA. I would recommend this program to any student who is looking for a great professional experience at NASA.
SVP Manager:
Twanna N. Dixon
