Finding Summer Internships for High School Students

June 22, 2022 byChristopher E. Nelson

A high school student looking up internships on laptop

If you are facing your summertime break from high school without a job to occupy those long summer days, start thinking now about where to find internships for high school students next summer. Summer internships are a great way to gauge your interest in potential careers and to develop job skills that will be useful regardless of what career path you eventually choose.

You might think that internships are only for college students. While it’s true that most college students complete at least one internship, recently internships for high school students are becoming more popular.

“Some high schools are encouraging students to complete internships in their junior and senior years,” a recent article in U.S. News & World Report says. “Once the purview of college students looking for an on-ramp to the job market, high school internships focus more on experience and learning than on obtaining full-time work, education experts say. They allow students to investigate fields of study and career options that are still years away.”

And, believe it or not, the time to start considering high school student internships for the summer begins as early as September or October of the year prior and at least by the start of the new year.

“Through networking and research, you should decide on which internships you will apply for, and begin the application process as early as November and no later than January,” says Indeed.com, one of the most popular job websites. “Many summer internships are competitive and have multiple applicants vying for the position. The earlier in the year you apply, the more likely you are to be considered for the internship.”

There are engaging student internships available where you live, and finding an internship before you’ve earned your high school diploma is easier than you might think. Your Connections Academy^® education has prepared you to excel in an internship for high school students. Many employers would be excited to have you on board for a 12-week stint or longer.

And more and more, internships are becoming available year-round, which makes fall and spring internships doable for online high school students who take advantage of the flexible scheduling Connections Academy schools allow.

A student researching internships for high school students online.

How to Find Online Internships for High School Students

Searching online for internships for high school students is a good way to start. At the Indeed.com site, you can search for “internship” plus any field that interests you and narrow the search to the location where you want to work. Monster.com allows the same search parameters. Or, you can use a general search engine to search with the name of an organization you are interested in plus “internships.” (See below for several resources with internship listings.)

If you’re having trouble finding an internship that fits you, you might have to get creative. Think about what kind of job you want, and then start looking around your community for people and places that offer that kind of work.

Make a list of your interests, talents, and passions, including interests outside of your homeschool studies, like video games, street art, or building robots. “Play to your strengths,” Pierre Huguet, CEO and co-founder of H&C Education, a college admissions consultancy, told U.S. News & World Report. “Which academic subjects and extracurricular activities come naturally to you? What qualities or abilities do your classmates, coaches, teachers, mentors, friends, and family value most in you?

“Your internship should be an opportunity to explore things you are truly passionate about and can’t learn in school. With a little creativity, you can always find a way to pursue impressive projects at the intersection of your talents and passions,” Huguet said.

Reach out to your parents and extended family, friends of your parents, parents of your friends, teachers, and coaches. Take advantage of social media. Ask whether anyone knows where to find high school student internships. Keep an eye out for job opportunities posted on community bulletin boards at coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, grocery stores, faith-based organizations, etc.

You can also contact local businesses directly to inquire about internship opportunities. Ask to speak to the owner or manager and tell them what you are looking for.

But before you start asking people to employ you or refer you for a job, you need to be ready to explain what you offer.

What You’ll Need to Get a High School Internship

Prepare to land the summer internship that’s perfect for you by first crafting a resume and an “elevator pitch.”

An elevator pitch is a short speech that introduces you and what you offer to a prospective employer. You should be able to complete it without rushing in the time an elevator ride takes. Craft a general introduction and one or more customized pitches for specific internships or types of work. Try your speeches out on your parents and friends to get feedback—this way you’ll be more comfortable when the time comes to deliver them during an interview.

A resume is a summary of your experience and qualifications that are relevant to the jobs you want. On a single page, list your name and contact information, high school education, then in reverse-chronological order (most recent first), your work experience, including volunteer work, extracurricular activities, and any awards or accolades you’ve received, like being named to the honor roll. Have an adult proofread it for you.

You should also expect to sit for a job interview. For it, you should:

Dress in clean, modest, un-torn clothes.
Take two copies of your resume in case the interviewer doesn’t have one and so you can read along as they refer to it.
Take a pad and pen so you can take notes.
Arrive about 15 minutes early and turn off your cellphone.
Present a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the job.
Treat the interview like a conversation—answer the interviewer’s questions, but also ask your own, such as additional details about the job duties and what projects or initiatives are currently or soon to be underway. Be prepared to discuss your online high school experience.
When finishing, thank the interviewer for their time and tell them you would enjoy the opportunity to work for the organization.

Where to Find Internships for High School Students

Here are some organizations that offer internships to high school students:

The Bank of America Student Leader Program connects about 300 juniors and seniors with nonprofits in more than 100 communities.
Chegg Internships lists opportunities in several major cities, including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, and Chicago.
NASA High School Internships offer research and experiential learning at NASA facilities in Maryland, New York, Virginia, and West Virginia. 
The Met High School Internship Program offers museum internships to students who live in or attend high school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut.
BRAINYAC connects high school students in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx with Columbia University neuroscientists for research-based summer internships.
Smithsonian Internships offers a variety of programs for high school students at various Smithsonian Institution museums in Washington, D.C.
The Library of Congress offers internships in and around Washington, D.C., some of which are open to high school students.
The Stanford Compression Forum Summer Internship offers high schoolers and community college students the opportunity to complete multidisciplinary research projects.
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh has unpaid internships open to high schoolers at its four museums.
The New-York Historical Society’s Student Historian Internship Program allows high school students to conduct research and tell stories using the society’s vast resources.
The Act Now Coalition of Illinois after-school programs has a database of high school internships and other youth job opportunities in the Chicago area.

Internships Can Be Career-Making Opportunities

You can find a high school internship and get a firsthand look at a possible career field, and likely be paid to do it. An internship offers real work experience and other benefits that pay off immediately and into the future if you make the most of it. Zippia says 70% of interns are later hired by the company they interned with. Moreover, entry-level professionals with internship experience earn roughly 6% more than their peers who do not have internship experience.

If you would like to get started building your work experience but aren’t sure what you want to do for a living, the short-term commitment of a high school internship may be a good place to start. Over the course of your academic career, you might work multiple internships in one or more fields. Read on for some tips to help you (or your high schooler) pick a career field.