Costs associated with summer travel to and from NASA Ames Research Center (10 miles north of San Jose, CA) are the responsibility of each intern.

If you plan to fly to the Bay Area, please inform us of your travel plans, as we may be able to coordinate transportation from the San Jose (SJC) and San Francisco (SFO) airports.

While attending the academy, college interns normally live together in a communal housing system. RoboAcad administration and returning academy alumni work together to find a safe, affordable, and convenient location for the college interns to live. Historically this has either been in the NASA Lodge at Moffett Field (which is not an available option this year), or by renting a number of apartments in a complex near public transportation.

This housing system is opt-in. Students who live local to NASA Ames Research Center or who wish to find their own living arrangements for whatever reason do not need to live in the communal housing system.

NOTE: High school Cadets will not be permitted to live in the RoboAcad college intern communal housing. Cadets must live at home or with a friend or relative (as designated by their parent or legal guardian), and they must have a reliable means of transportation to and from NASA Ames Research Center.

RoboAcad student leadership determines most of the daily life within the communal housing system. An opt-in dinner meal plan is run by the students. In this system, students take turns providing dinner for all of the residents in the communal housing system on a rotating cycle. Some students cook these meals themselves while others lacking culinary skills purchase dinner supplies on behalf of a more skilled student and do other household chores instead.

Students should expect to have either one or two roommates. The commute from the communal housing location to NASA Ames Research Center should be less than half an hour (by public transit or bicycle). RoboAcad has a number of bicycles available for student use although some students choose to bring their own bicycle or car. Students should expect to do their fair share of household chores to keep the common areas of the communal housing clean. Students will be responsible for paying their portion of the rent and utilities for the entire duration of the academy, even if the student chooses to leave the academy before its conclusion or is dismissed. Students will be responsible for paying for their own housing unless their housing costs are sponsored by another system, such as a stipend.

Travel and housing may be financially sponsored by any of the following:

• National Space Grant Consortium
• Government Invitational Travel
• Sponsorship from other federal agencies and/or universities

NASA Ames Research Center is located at Moffett Field, near the city of Mountain View, CA. (This area is commonly referred to as Silicon Valley.) A Light Rail and a bus system provide reasonable city access to students who do not bring cars. The Light Rail connects to the Caltrain system, which, for about four dollars each way, provides service to San Francisco or San Jose. This provides access to many sources of entertainment as well as to both the San Francisco and San Jose airports. The weather is normally sunny during the summer months, with day-time highs in the 70s and 80s (ºF) and nighttime lows in the 50s and 60s (ºF). Visits to San Francisco are often several degrees colder and cloudy.

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