Webinar · Online
Find Internships, Competitions & Research Opportunities to Stand Out
A free virtual event for parents and students in 9th–11th grade on finding the right opportunities.
Thursday, September 10, 2026 · 5:00 PM PDT · Online · Hosted by Audrey Wisch
37 families registered
Register for free
About this session
Some high school students are publishing research, winning competitions, working with professors, landing unique internships, and getting into remarkable summer programs.
The frustrating question for most families is:
Where are they even finding these opportunities?
Your student may be completely capable of doing something ambitious but never encounter the opportunity that could take them there.
There are thousands of research programs, competitions, journals, internships, awards, grants, and summer opportunities available to high school students.
But they are scattered across university websites, organizations, application portals, newsletters, and corners of the internet most families would never think to search.
And finding an opportunity is only the beginning.
You still have to know:
Is it legitimate? Is it actually worthwhile? Is my child a good fit? Are they competitive for it? And what do they need to do next?
That is what we’ll help you answer in this event.
You’ll get a live look at The FlightPlan’s opportunity engine and see how it surfaces opportunities based on a student’s actual interests, grade level, experience, projects, and goals.
We’ll show you how to:
- Find research, internships, competitions, publications, awards, grants, and summer programs
- Discover opportunities beyond the same generic lists everyone else is searching
- Separate meaningful opportunities from expensive résumé filler
- Find options for 9th and 10th graders, not just rising seniors
- Match an existing interest or project with the right journal, competition, conference, internship, or award
- Understand what could make your student a stronger candidate
- Turn “we should apply to this” into a real plan with deadlines and next steps
You’ll also see why personalization matters.
A student interested in biomechanics after a sports injury should see very different opportunities from a 9th grader building rockets or an 11th grader developing an app.
The “best” opportunity is not necessarily the one with the most prestigious name. It is the one that gives that particular student somewhere meaningful to take their work next.
Curious Cardinals students have used opportunities like these to publish research, win the Congressional App Challenge, present work to NASA, enter major competitions, and bring ambitious projects into the real world.
By the end of the event, you’ll know where to look, what is worth pursuing, and how The FlightPlan can help turn a student’s interests into a personalized pipeline of opportunities and next steps.
Bring your student if you can. You’ll leave knowing how you can start exploring opportunities together.
About FlightPlan
Help your student stand out with a clear college strategy
FlightPlan helps ambitious students understand where they stand, uncover their narrative, find unique opportunities, and stay accountable.
- 15,000+ students served
- 6 years of mentorship
- Built by Curious Cardinals
Hosted by
- Audrey Wisch
Co-Founder & CEO, Curious Cardinals
Forbes 30 Under 30 · building FlightPlan from six years of mentorship with 15,000+ students
Questions answered
How does FlightPlan work?
FlightPlan starts by understanding who your student is, then turns that picture into personalized opportunities, a week-by-week plan, and support to follow through. 1. Profile. Goals, courseload, activities, and interests, so the plan is built around who they are, not a generic checklist. 2. Scorecard and narrative. Where they stand today, which themes are already taking shape, and which activities to deepen or cut. 3. Personalized next moves. Internships, research, competitions, and projects that actually fit that story. 4. Missions and weekly check-ins. A calendar plan with a clear next step. Sky checks in each week; parents get email updates without nagging.
Who is this for?
Parents of 9th–11th graders, and students who want to join. FlightPlan is for ambitious students who will put in the work. It is standalone: you do not need a Curious Cardinals mentor, though involving one usually makes both stronger. This session is a live look at the product, not a sales call.
Is the event free? What happens after I register?
Yes. Register for free and you will get the Zoom details by email. Come with questions. After the session you can try FlightPlan free or join the current cohort.
How is FlightPlan different from ChatGPT?
ChatGPT waits for your next prompt. FlightPlan already knows what families need to think about at every stage: it builds a plan, keeps it current, and holds students accountable week to week. It is grounded in six years of work with 15,000+ students, not a blank chat box.
What does FlightPlan cost?
The current cohort is $1,750 for a year — about $34 a week. That includes personal onboarding, strategy assessments, opportunity discovery, Missions, weekly check-ins, and monthly office hours. See pricing on the FlightPlan homepage.
Your kid's college story starts here.
Register for the live session above, or go straight into FlightPlan.
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FlightPlan Live session. Title, time, cover, and description come from the live Luma event.
