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Jazz Hands For Autism
- Contact: Dr. Ifunanya Nweke
- E-mail: HR@jazzhandsforautism.org
- Address: 10220 Culver Boulevard, ste 101, Culver City, CA 90232
- Phone: (424) 209-7190
- Website: www.jazzhandsforautism.org
- Location Type: Hybrid
- Hourly Commitment Per Week: 8-10 hours per week for 2 quarter/ 1 semester minimum, including a weekly meeting with the student to discuss their progress.
Description of Organization and Population Served
Jazz Hands for Autism (JHFA) is a Culver City-based nonprofit talent advocacy organization and music academy founded in 2014 to bridge the gap between creative expression and professional employment. The organization serves neurodivergent individuals, primarily adults on the autism spectrum (ages 18+) navigating workforce transitions, alongside school-aged youth (ages 8–17) seeking musical enrichment. By offering targeted resources to a population facing disproportionately high unemployment rates due to social communication barriers, JHFA provides critical pathways to economic independence and self-advocacy through the arts.
The organization fulfills its mission through structured sub-divisions, including the Jazz Hands Musicians Academy, which offers post-secondary, conservatory-level training in performance, composition, technology, business, or pedagogy. To ensure these skills translate into sustainable careers, the Jazz Hands Jobs Program provides resume building, interview preparation, and direct professional placements in live performance and studio roles. These foundational initiatives are further supported by the Jazz Hands Junior Academy for younger students and the bi-annual Concert Series, which showcases paid student musicians to the public.
Description of Intern's Responsibilities
A) Curriculum Development Intern: Assisting with the development, organizing, scoping and evaluation of curriculum within the Jazz Hands Musicians Academy. Conducting research into learning theories and best educational practices, uploading courses to learning management system, codifying course list and curriculum list for digital consumption. Accompanying instructional design specialist in providing training to instructors at the Jazz Hands Musicians Academy. We recruit 4 CDIs per quarter/ Semester
B) Data Analyst Intern: Assisting with the development of code and programs that analyze data collected on a daily and monthly basis. Data Analyst Intern also assist with assimilating historical data with current data to show students' progress over time in a visual way.
C) Research & Evaluation Intern: Collecting, compiling, tracking and analyzing student related data and creating progress reports in several formats. Utilizing this data to determine trends and tell a story on student placement and progress in order to help ensure long term student progress (Jazz Hands Musicians Academy) We recruit 4 REs per quarter/ Semester
D) Strategy & Operations Intern: Assisting in various analysis and planning operations to inform and improve organization structure and processes. Documenting processes within JHFA programs, operationalizing and automating manual content processes across the organization, assist with Manage partner onboarding processes, Tracking program rollout processes, joining meetings with managers to focus on solutions, anticipating problems in operations before delays arise, and researching and writing detailed reports. Create and monitor project plans.
E) Student Mentor Intern: Assisting students with non-musical and non-social goals (Jazz Hands Musicians Academy). Additionally, conduct research and outreach to potential community partners. We recruit 1-2 SMIs per quarter/ Semester
Special Qualifications
We find that 3rd & 4th year students are typically able to see more connection between the internships we offer and their classwork, however, we welcome interns from any year
How does this relate to Cognitive Science?
Internships at Jazz Hands for Autism connect directly to Cognitive Science by letting students explore how information processing, language, and computing interact with neurodivergent minds.While psychology looks at overall behavior and mental health, cognitive science focuses on the internal mechanics of the brain, data patterns, and user systems.
1. Data Analytics and Pattern Recognition
--Quantifying Cognition: Interns use statistical modeling and Microsoft Excel/ google sheets to track various learning data points in autistic adults.
--Trend Analysis: Interns look for hidden patterns in data which help us see which teaching styles yield the best cognitive engagement.
2. Music Cognition & Neurological Processing
--Alternative Communication: Interns see firsthand how music can act as a cognitive tool for individuals who struggle with verbal processing.
--Sensory Filtering: Interns explore how programs adapt to the unique sensory and attention needs of neurodivergent learners, applying cognitive theories on sensory overload and memory.
3. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) & Technology
--Accessible Platforms: Interns help structure tasks via platforms like Google Drive, Zoom, and communication devices, analyzing how students interact with these digital setups.
--System Design: Working as a data analyst intern or research & evaluation intern teaches interns how to make complex educational systems smoother and more accessible.
4. Applied Psycholinguistics
--Communication Support: Interns help develop tools to help our students increase workplace communication and self-advocacy.
--Simplifying Information: The organization refines contracts and guides to match specific reading levels, studying how text layout impacts cognitive comprehension.
Zen Frenz
- Contact: Alexander Gray
- E-mail: alex@zenfrenz.com
- Address: Current Address: 7100 E Lincoln Drive, 3124, Paradise Valley, AZ, 85253
- Phone: (917) 531-7494
- Website: zenfrenz.com
- Location Type: Fully remote
- Hourly Commitment Per Week: 12
Description of Organization and Population Served
Zen Frenz pet wellness products.
Description of Intern's Responsibilities
Assisting marketing graphic and video content to be used by Zen Frenz social channels
Assisting and Posting weekly Instagram, Youtube, and Tik Tok content
Assisting with engagement of users on all social media platforms via comment research and direct communication
Assisting Zen Frenz weekly Blog topics
Assisting Zen Frenz weekly Email campaigns
Assisting with scheduling guests for Zen Frenz podcast
Collaborating with Marketing Team
Candidate has strong sense of creative marketing direction and brand marketing efforts as a whole
Candidate has vision for company content strategically aligning with brand initiatives
Candidate provides exceptional ideas and creative initiatives for our marketing team to execute
Assisting Zen Frenz brand ambassador network collaborations on all Social Channels
Assisting Zen Frenz brand ambassador network relations via all Social Channels
Assisting with Zen Frenz brand ambassadors content posting responsibilities
Assisting Zen Frenz ambassador code tracking initiatives via Shopify Admin
Assisting new Public Relations B2B opportunities within the pet industry
Assisting new Zen Frenz Public Relations campaigns and social giveaways
Collaborate with Zen Frenz Marketing Team
Candidate has strong communication and relationship maintenance skills
Candidate has exceptional organizational skills to assist a brand ambassador network
Special Qualifications
None
How does this relate to Cognitive Science?
Marketing Internship
Marketing is rooted in consumer psychology. Interns learn how psychological principles influence purchasing decisions and brand loyalty.
Relevant psychology concepts include:
Consumer behavior: Understanding why pet owners choose one wellness product over another.
Motivation: Identifying what motivates customers to purchase products that improve their pets' health.
Perception: Designing advertisements, packaging, and social media content that create positive first impressions.
Learning and memory: Developing campaigns that make the Zen Frenz brand memorable.
Decision-making: Analyzing customer data to understand buying patterns and improve marketing strategies.
Public Relations Internship
Public relations focuses on relationship-building and trust, which relies heavily on social psychology.
Relevant psychology concepts include:
Social influence: Learning how endorsements, testimonials, and community engagement affect public opinion.
Communication: Crafting messages that resonate emotionally with customers and partners.
Trust and credibility: Building a positive reputation through transparent communication.
Group behavior: Understanding online communities and how people interact with brands on social media.
Conflict resolution: Responding professionally to customer concerns while preserving brand loyalty.
Skills Psychology Students Develop
Interns gain practical experience in:
Understanding human behavior and motivation
Emotional intelligence and empathy
Persuasive communication
Research and data analysis
Problem-solving and critical thinking
Interpersonal and professional relationship building
Career Relevance
These internships prepare psychology students for careers such as:
Marketing Research Analyst
Consumer Insights Specialist
Public Relations Specialist
Brand Strategist
Human Resources
Organizational Psychology
Sales and Business Development
Behavioral Marketing
Customer Experience (CX)
Graduate programs in psychology, business, or communications
For a company like Zen Frenz, which markets pet wellness products, psychology is especially valuable because purchasing decisions are often driven by emotions, trust, and the strong bond between people and their pets. Interns learn how to apply psychological principles to create meaningful marketing campaigns, strengthen customer relationships, and communicate the company's mission of improving pet wellness through education and innovative products.
Rice Games Inc
- Contact: Julian Rice
- E-mail: admin@ricegames.net
- Address: 13076 Chambord Way, San Diego, 92130 CA
- Phone: (415) 706-2315
- Website: https://www.ricegames.net
- Location Type: Fully remote
- Hourly Commitment Per Week: 10-15
Description of Organization and Population Served
Founded by UCLA 2020 alumnus Julian Rice in 2019, Rice Games is a global, multicultural independent game studio that develops story-driven video games combining traditional role-playing design with innovative interactive systems. The studio operates remotely with contributors located across the United States, Japan, Europe, and Australia.
Rice Games is best known for Shujinkou, a Japanese role-playing game that combines an extensive narrative and dungeon-crawling gameplay with optional Japanese language-learning systems. The game was developed to serve both dedicated role-playing game players and people interested in learning Japanese, demonstrating how entertainment, education, narrative, and interactive technology can coexist within the same experience.
The video game studio primarily serves a worldwide audience of gamers, Japanese language learners, educators, and those interested in dialogue-heavy games or game-based learning. Recent recognition includes Shujinkou's nomination for Best Hidden Gem at the 2026 New York Game Awards, as well as opportunities to discuss the project's educational and design principles at institutions and industry events such as Waseda University, BitSummit in Kyoto, and GAME AiCON Seoul.
Description of Intern's Responsibilities
Interns will participate in an applied project at the intersection of cognitive science, video game development, user experience, language learning, audience research, and digital communication. Each intern’s responsibilities will be tailored to the student’s interests and existing skills while providing exposure to the broader process through which games are researched, designed, developed, evaluated, and presented to the public.
Potential responsibilities include:
• Reviewing player feedback, surveys, reviews, community discussions, or gameplay data to identify recurring behavioral patterns and usability concerns.
• Evaluating tutorials, interfaces, difficulty progression, reward structures, language-learning features, or narrative sequences from the perspective of attention, comprehension, memory, motivation, and emotional engagement.
• Conducting comparative research on games, educational applications, interface designs, audience segments, or communication strategies.
• Helping develop proposals for improving onboarding, accessibility, user experience, player retention, language-learning integration, or communication with prospective players.
• Assisting with marketing and audience research by examining how messaging, visual presentation, framing, and platform-specific content affect attention and audience response.
• Creating small design documents, prototypes, analytical tools, surveys, presentations, or experimental game features, depending on the intern’s technical and creative background.
• Collaborating with team members across different professional disciplines, cultures, countries, and time zones.
Interns will receive an initial orientation, clearly defined project objectives, ongoing training, and regular feedback. They will meet with the founder at least once each week to discuss progress, resolve questions, and connect their work to relevant cognitive science concepts.
By the conclusion of the internship, each student will complete a substantive final project, such as a research and design report, user-experience analysis, prototype, data-based recommendation, or comparable professional deliverable.
Special Qualifications
Applicants should possess strong analytical reasoning, written communication, organization, and independent problem-solving skills. Because Rice Games operates remotely and internationally, interns must be dependable, responsive, comfortable communicating online, and capable of managing assigned work between weekly meetings.
An interest in video games (especially JRPGs), human-computer interaction, user experience, language acquisition, education, storytelling, behavioral research, marketing, or digital media is strongly encouraged. Coursework or experience involving cognitive science, psychology, linguistics, research methods, statistics, data analysis, programming, or entrepreneurship is beneficial but not required for every project.
Programming is not mandatory for research, design, user-experience, or marketing-focused placements. Students interested in technical assignments should have completed at least one introductory programming course, such as PIC 10A or an equivalent course. Familiarity with C#, Unity, Python, JavaScript, or another object-oriented programming language is helpful. Experience with spreadsheets, survey tools, social media analytics, prototyping software, or visual design tools is also a plus.
How does this relate to Cognitive Science?
Video games provide a practical environment for studying and applying cognitive science because players must continually perceive information, allocate attention, construct mental models, remember rules, interpret language, make decisions, solve problems, and regulate their motivation. Game design therefore depends on understanding how people process information and how interactive systems can support, or unintentionally interfere with, said processes.
Interns may examine how interface layout, visual hierarchy, tutorials, feedback timing, difficulty, rewards, narrative framing, and repetition affect a player’s comprehension, memory, emotional response, and willingness to continue engaging with an experience. Rice Games' integration of optional Japanese learning also provides opportunities to consider language acquisition, multimodal learning, recognition and recall, cognitive load, and the transfer of knowledge between instructional and gameplay contexts.
Audience research and marketing responsibilities further connect to cognitive science through attention, categorization, framing, social influence, and decision-making. Interns may analyze how different audiences interpret the same product, how prior expectations shape perception, and how complex game or educational features can be communicated without overwhelming prospective players.
Technical and design-oriented projects allow students to translate hypotheses about human cognition into functioning interactive systems. By comparing intended player experiences with observed feedback and behavior, interns will learn how cognitive science can inform product design, communication, experimentation, and evidence-based decision-making in a professional creative environment.
Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies (IACS)
- Contact: Nicco Reggente, Ph.D.
- E-mail: nicco@advancedconsciousness.org
- Address: 2811 Wilshire Blvd Ste 510 Santa Monica, CA 90403
- Phone: (856) 332-6358
- Website: https://advancedconsciousness.org/
- Location Type: Hybrid
- Hourly Commitment Per Week: 7
Description of Organization and Population Served
IACS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research institute in Santa Monica that studies how experiential technology can support human flourishing and help democratize non-ordinary states of consciousness. Research programs span meditation neuroscience, aesthetic chills, non-invasive neuromodulation including transcranial focused ultrasound, immersive audiovisual environments, floatation-REST, VR-based interventions, and consciousness studies more broadly. The institute serves healthy adult volunteers recruited from the greater Los Angeles community, along with participants enrolled at off-site events such as live concerts and field deployments. Work is carried out by a team of PhD-level scientists in partnership with university imaging centers and other academic collaborators, and findings are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Description of Intern's Responsibilities
Interns select from a public catalog of active projects and open tasks, then work with the supervisor to set concrete goals for the term. Depending on the match, responsibilities may include analyzing EEG, physiological, behavioral, or survey datasets in Python or R; conducting structured literature reviews; drafting and editing sections of manuscripts; and building or refining experimental code. All interns are also invited to assist with active data collection, which can involve running participants on 64-channel BrainVision or consumer Muse EEG systems, supporting tFUS and fMRI protocols run with partner imaging centers, collecting bioperipheral and wearable sensor data, and administering VR or audiovisual experiential paradigms. Training is provided by the research team before any independent data collection. Interns join the institute's Slack workspace and Confluence wiki, attend a group orientation covering all active projects, and meet weekly with the supervisor while communicating with project scientists throughout the quarter.
Special Qualifications
No prior research experience is required. Curiosity, reliability, and the ability to work independently in a self-directed environment matter most. Familiarity with Python or R is strongly recommended for anyone pursuing data-analysis tasks; students focused on literature review, writing, or data collection need no programming background. Prior exposure to EEG or scientific writing is a plus but not expected. Applicants should read a few IACS publications and review the public project list before their first meeting. On-site availability in Santa Monica is helpful for data collection but not mandatory.
How does this relate to Cognitive Science?
The institute's core question is how conscious experience can be measured and deliberately shaped, which sits at the center of cognitive science. Interns engage directly with attention, perception, emotion, memory, and interoception as they are studied through neuroimaging and psychophysiology: event-related potential and spectral EEG analysis, functional neuroimaging, transcranial focused ultrasound as a causal probe of subcortical contributions to cognition, and behavioral and self-report measures of altered states. Projects on meditation, aesthetic chills, and immersive VR ask how targeted experiential manipulations change cognitive and affective processing, and interns practice the full research cycle — hypothesis framing, experimental design, quantitative analysis, and scientific writing — that defines cognitive science methodology.
Change Lab
- Contact: Nancy Brimhall
- E-mail: nbrimhall@changelab.studio
- Address: 1000 S. Hope Street, Suite 518, Los Angeles, CA 90015
- Phone: (213) 395-0077
- Website: www.Changelab.studio
- Location Type: Fully in-person
- Hourly Commitment Per Week: 16
Description of Organization and Population Served
Change Lab is nonprofit learning, elevated. It is immersive learning for nonprofits. We are designers, engineers, nventors, and seasoned nonprofit collabortors. We design best in class, high-retention learning experiences for forward-thinkers. Our courses, experiences, and services encompass 2D and 3D Animation, Gamification, AR/VR and AI.
Whether you are a nonprofit staff member, committee or board member, or anyone interested in the nonprofit sector eager to learn, our approach incorporates the latest research and technology application to outcomes.
Description of Intern's Responsibilities
Generally, the UCLA Psychology interns we have had come in as a "Philanthropy intern" and we design something that fits their specific background of study and interests. Some have tech skills that they like to use to support website aspects (I believe our "Community Tree" that we introduced two years ago was the product of two Psych students who came up with the idea, researched and did everything but the engineering, which we did.) Some want to do UI/UX, some are interested in helping us test our courses and help design questionnaires pre-course and post-course etc. We better determine that with what we need at the time and what their background might lend to any discussion of where they would fit into our team work.
Special Qualifications
We ask our interns to work with us live, on site in our office. We do not offer any remote. The must have a flexible schedule that will provide for two days per week (9-5) in our office, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays when our engineer can be onsite as well.
How does this relate to Cognitive Science?
We are constantly testing how adults learn and researching updated new information on gamification and immersive learning models. We are measuring how learning improves through our courses and what it can do to confidence, understanding of concepts and application to becoming a more successful nonprofit.