Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of arts internships for high school students in New York, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Arts Internships for High School Students in New York
The best way to find arts internships for high school students in New York is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
10 Arts Internships for High School Students in New York
Most of the arts internships for high school students in New York below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
2. Artslife
Ages: Rising Sophomores and Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: January
Artslife is a paid summer internship program that combines art and design with leadership training, museum studies, and community engagement. Participants are introduced to careers in all sectors of the museum: Curatorial, Education, Development, Communications and Marketing, Visitor Services, Security, and Registrar. The first week of Artslife is dedicated to team bonding and introducing the interns to the Museum. During the remaining five weeks, participants work on collaborative projects with Museum staff, local designers, and arts professionals who act as mentors. Artslife interns enjoy firsthand experience and the broadest possible exposure to ongoing museum activities, both public facing and behind the scenes.
Ages: Rising Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Learn how to apply technical elements of theater such as lighting design, audio engineering, videography, carpentry, and production design, to live and recorded stage productions from the pros at The Apollo. Selected paid Interns will be assigned to work with members of The Apollo’s production crew to learn what goes into creating events at the legendary Apollo.
Ages: 14 - 18
Location: New York City
Timeline: 3 Years
Deadline: May
In this visual storytelling course for high school students, Fellows receive more than 1,000 hours of immersive, college-level training over 30 months. Courses cover both the art and business of cinematic storytelling and production training while preparing and guiding Fellows to advance their education at top universities. The Program is free of charge for all students, and features instruction from leading filmmakers and industry experts, visits to live sets and studios, and international travel experiences. Fellows screen their films at prestigious venues, receive college application advising and test prep support, and internship placement at top media and creative companies. Transport and meals are covered throughout.
Ages: Junior or Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May
The Arts in Education intern provides administrative support for the school and community art residency program and will assist in all aspects of the teaching artist program, youth art workshops, outreach, marketing duties, residency planning, and professional development for artists. Intern duties include, but are not limited to: conducting research; communicating with artists, arts organizations, and cultural sites in Westchester; filing; organizing mass mailings; performing data entry; and assisting with special projects, programs, and events.
Ages: Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Spring
Deadline: TBD
Over the course of ten weeks, interns will learn about the impact of arts administration on live and recorded productions at The Apollo. Interns will also develop a concept for our signature summer event, Teen Takeover. Workshops and required work will be delivered on-site at The Apollo for the majority of the internship.
Ages: 14 - 19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Teen Summer is a four-week paid internship creating a collaborative exploration of art, community, and the role of museums in our current time. Students also reflect on their personal relationships to arts and culture, which culminates into a media and art exhibition.
Ages: 16 and up
Location: Bronx, New York
Timeline: Year Round
Deadline: March
The ACES internship provides an opportunity for students to connect practical experience, informal STEAM education and artistic play. ACES interns assist with Family Art Project, an intergenerational and multidisciplinary program for families to come together and make art inspired by nature at Wave Hill. Interns also assist with our affiliated family storytime program.
Ages: 14 - 19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Year - round
Deadline: TBD
In this paid internship, New York City teens immerse themselves in art and art history, and learn about museum education while creating their own lessons for audiences of all ages. Interns will meet artists and curators to learn about art and the Brooklyn Museum’s collections; discuss critical topics in the field of museum education, such as working with the public school system and the role of museums in social justice movements; and connect with education staff and get trained on how to use artworks to teach people of all ages and abilities.
Ages: 14 - 19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Fall and Spring
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Teen Council offers opportunities for young people to engage deeply with contemporary art and the museum space. In this intensive after-school program, teens discuss and express ideas and create art relating to issues affecting young people today. Participants also gain experience in collaboration, communication, and curation. Teens may participate in one or both sessions each year.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding arts internships for high school students in New York is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for arts high school internship or research position is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!