Why Do Internships in High School?
Engaging in an internship while in high school can provide an enormous benefit to NYC high schoolers as well as high schoolers across the country. According to the consultancy PRISM, 70% of students attending a top 50 U.S. university (as ranked by U.S. News) have completed at least one internship during high school. Internships help distinguish applicants in the admissions process by demonstrating they’ve explored and validated their career interests through hands-on experience. High school internships can also provide a clearer sense of the work environments a student enjoys and shed light on what career paths to pursue. Additionally, participating in a high school internship often makes it easier to secure an internship in college and gain entry into pre-professional organizations, such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Internships for High School Students in NYC
Resources like the StandOutSearch database and other online search tools and lists are great resources for high schoolers interested in engaging in an internship. The StandOutSearch database is a comprehensive collection of almost every internship program for high-school-age students and is searchable by interest area. Another great resource is MIT’s Admissions list of high school internships.
Official high school internships are often extremely competitive. Another great option is to reach out directly to local businesses and organizations about possible internship opportunities. At the bottom of the article, you’ll find valuable information on how to develop a cold outreach strategy, as well as email templates that will help make the prospect of finding an internship or research position less daunting.
25 Internships for High School Students in NYC
Many of the internships for high school students in NYC are highly selective and have low acceptance rates. Consequently, we recommend applying to at least five opportunities. If a particular internship catches your eye, add its deadline to your calendar so you don’t miss your chance to apply.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect pairs students with internship opportunities in areas of their interest, in fields ranging from finance to medicine to technology. Students complete a two-month internship working in small teams and are given real responsibilities. Many students receive offers to continue their internships indefinitely, while every intern leaves having gained practical experience in a professional environment.
2. Artslife
Ages: Rising Sophomores and Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April
Artslife is a paid internship offered by New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design that combines art and design with leadership training, museum studies, and community engagement. The program introduces interns to numerous careers at the museum in a range of fields and the chance to collaborate on projects with museum staff, local designers, and professional artists. Interns are exposed to public-facing and behind-the-scenes museum operations and at the completion of the internship have a better understanding of careers in the arts.
Ages: 14-19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The Bronx Museum’s Teen Summer Program is a paid four-week internship taking place during the NYC public school summer break. Participants meet at the museum twice a week to explore the art, community, and the role museums play in society. Participants also learn about different artistic techniques, produce artwork, and exhibit their own creative works at an exhibition at the program’s culmination.
Ages: 14-19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Fall and Spring
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The Bronx Museum’s Teen Council offers artistic New York City high schoolers the chance to connect with the contemporary art and museum communities while earning a stipend. Teen Council members meet after school once a week during a four-month session to create and discuss art and gain experience in collaboration, communication, and curation while tackling projects ranging from interviewing artists to producing a zine to curating digital art exhibits.
Ages: 14-19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: TBD
New York City high schoolers can immerse themselves in art, art history, and museum education while getting paid through the Brooklyn Museum’s Apprentice Program. Museum apprentices meet artists and curators and connect with educational staff to learn about art and the museum’s collections, assist with programs, develop tours, and teach summer camp groups. Over the course of the internship, students build valuable skills like public speaking, communication, teamwork, time management, and organization while exploring current topics in museum education—such as the role of museums in social justice movements.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York City
Timeline: Varies
Deadline: Rolling
The Pieces for Peace Internship is a paid opportunity that offers a comprehensive introduction to the non-profit art world. Interns assist on a global scale, reaching out to communities, teachers, and governments in other countries to encourage their participation in the program. Interns will also help coordinate exhibitions and workshops while developing important skills like communication, organization, and research.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March
NYC is a global hub of industries ranging from finance to technology to the arts, and the Mayor’s Office Internship Program exposes participants to the opportunities provided by “The Big Apple.” Internships are offered in a variety of departments, and intern duties can include conducting research, attending meetings, managing communications, analyzing data, drafting briefings, staffing events, and assisting with events. Interns will also participate in a bi-weekly speaker series to learn more about the inner workings of city government and work with other interns to design and execute a service project.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York City
Timeline: Academic Year
Deadline: August
While not an internship per se, NYU’s High School Law Institute presents an excellent opportunity for NYC high schoolers to get a taste of law school. Participants explore topics and learn the fundamentals of the US legal system in courses led by current NYU Law and undergraduate students (who are supported by NYU Law faculty) in fields such as constitutional law, criminal law, and speech and debate. Students also develop valuable skills like critical thinking, logical reasoning, and working collaboratively.
Ages: 13-18
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
The Journey to Leadership Program helps female-identifying and gender-expansive youth in the New York City metropolitan area develop the skills and social-emotional knowledge to become leaders and active participants in civic, political, corporate, and community life. Program activities include workshops, seminars, speakers, networking events, and debate labs.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New York City or Washington, D.C.
Timeline: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez offers paid internships in both her New York City and Washington, D.C. offices. Interns can get a peek at life in politics and gain a deeper understanding of Congress while assisting with tasks like answering phones, researching legislation, staffing public events, and attending briefings and hearings. Both full- and part-time internship opportunities are available, and interns can specialize in either legislative- or communications-related assignments.
11. Hk Maker Lab
Ages: Rising Sophomores and Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
This free engineering and design program is run in collaboration with Columbia University. Participants build engineering fundamentals, gain experience in design, and undertake mentored projects. Students who complete the program are eligible for a paid internship in a research lab or healthcare institution the following summer.
Ages: Current Juniors and Seniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Spring and Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
New York Bioforce is aimed at New York high school juniors and seniors from low-income families with backgrounds underrepresented in STEAM. Students participate in 100 hours of science research and professional training on Saturdays through the spring then complete a six-week paid internship at a research lab or healthcare institution over the summer. The program culminates with participants presenting their research at a poster session at NYC’s American Museum of Natural History.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office offers internships to high schoolers interested in getting first-hand experience with the legal system. Their duties may include assisting in investigations, attending trials, analyzing research, and conducting outreach. Interns work in either a general zone or are assigned to a specialized bureau or unit—for example, Homicide, Civil Rights, or Investigations.
Ages: High School Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Spring and Fall
Deadline: October
While not a true internship, NYU’s Collegiate Seminar Program gives high schoolers the chance to gain first-hand experience with college-level classes. Students participate in free, two-hour, seminar-style classes (held on Saturdays and Sundays) taught by NYU faculty on topics ranging from how photography can be used to advocate for social change to how climate change is impacting urban infrastructure design.
Ages: 16+
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March
The Rockefeller Institute Summer Neuroscience Program (SNP) gives NYC high schoolers the chance to gain personal experience with neuroscience under the guidance of graduate students. Participants in this free two-week program engage in interactive lectures, visit research facilities, dissect a brain, and meet with professional scientists. Participants also design an original neuroscience experiment and present their findings.
Ages: Rising Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March
This program, run by NYC’s Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, aims to open doors to careers in medicine to students from underrepresented communities—you must identify as an African American/Black or Hispanic/Latino male to be eligible. Participants will spend time in both a clinical setting (interacting with med students and residents) and exploring classroom topics vital to career development (building hard and soft skills vital to becoming a physician). In addition to gaining real-world experience in medical science, the program also provides the opportunity to forge mentoring relationships.
Ages: 16+
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April
Students selected to participate in the five-week Einstein-Montefiore Summer High School Research Program gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge research. Participants are assigned to research labs and work under the guidance and mentorship of lab directors while gaining exposure to careers in science. At the end of the program, participants present their work at Einstein’s Annual Summer Research Day.
Ages: Sophomores and Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: March
The American Museum of Natural History Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) is a paid opportunity for New York City high schoolers to conduct one year of scientific research. Participants work in small groups led by a research scientist—meeting twice a week during the school year—on a unique scientific project covering topics ranging from the genetic basis of foraging in ogre-faced spiders to weighing stars: how do we know how heavy stars are? Over the course of the program, participants build a host of hard skills, including learning how to analyze data, read scientific articles, and how to code. They also build valuable soft skills like communication, teamwork, and presentation.
Ages: Juniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February
The Summer Student Program is a paid eight-week biomedical or computational lab-based internship open to students who live within a 25-mile radius of NYC. Program participants work with a mentor to build their technical skills and complete a self-directed research project. They also explore life outside of the laboratory through a series of events designed to provide insight into the world of translational medicine and research. This internship is highly competitive; only about 2% of applicants are chosen annually.
Ages: Rising Junior or Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: October
Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC) is an immersive, hands-on research experience designed to prepare NYC high schoolers for careers in science. Participants are paired with a mentor neuroscientist who guides them through a research project as they gain experience in a professional academic environment while building the skills required for success in a research environment.
21. Jumpstart
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: New York City
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: January
Jumpstart is a year-round program that helps New York City high school juniors and seniors build scientific skills. The program takes place in two parts: it meets twice a week on weeknights during the school year and moves to full-time work (35 hours a week) on Rockefeller University’s campus in the summer. Participants in this paid program build research skills, gain real-world lab experience, and connect with scientific mentors who can provide educational and professional support.
Ages: 16-19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Varies
Deadline: TBA
The Futures and Options Internship Program provides paid opportunities to NYC high school juniors and seniors while helping them build career readiness. Selected students are paired with internships—with employers ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations, non-profits to government agencies—that connect with their abilities, goals, and interests. In addition to their internship, participants also take field trips to explore potential career paths and engage in career readiness workshops to build skills such as interviewing, resume writing, and financial literacy.
Ages: 16-19
Location: New York City and Remote
Timeline: Varies
Deadline: Rolling
Musée Magazine, which calls NYC home, provides a host of internship opportunities that expose students to the photographic community along with creative and business fields—for example, internships are available in graphic design, marketing, and administration. Interns are expected to commit to two or three days a week of work for 16 weeks. Internships are unpaid, however, there is the chance to get school, masthead, or on-page credit.
Ages: 16-19
Location: New York City
Timeline: Contact for Info
Deadline: Contact for Info
CITYarts offers a variety of internships that provide students with real-world projects and art experience. Positions are available in fields including bookkeeping, design, development, and marketing. Even better, stipends are available for qualified applicants.
Ages: Junior and Senior
Location: New York City
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: May
ArtsWestchester is another NYC organization that offers internship opportunities in a variety of specialized fields. Positions are available in fields like communications, programming, development, and business administration. In addition to assisting staff members, interns also participate in professional development activities and gain personal experience with the operation of a non-profit. Ultimately, interns exit the experience having developed skills like writing, collaboration, leadership, and responsibility—all of which translate to a broad swath of careers.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If none of the opportunities above are appealing, the next step to find an internship in NYC is to develop a cold outreach strategy. While it can feel daunting at first, the guide below should make building a cold outreach plan considerably easier. It’s worth noting that students should exercise caution when reaching out to professionals they don’t know—it’s safest to interview and meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Small companies are a great place to look for internships. Because they’re small, they’re often shorthanded and willing to take on high-school-age interns. LinkedIn is a great tool for locating smaller NYC companies, and it also allows students to see if they share any connections or interests and provides an easy forum to connect.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Use online university staff directories to find professors to contact for research opportunities. In-person research tasks for high school students often involve hands-on lab work, such as washing beakers or running equipment.
Remote research positions are more challenging to secure, although some fields, like computational research, lend themselves to remote positions. That said, computational research commonly requires at least a basic knowledge of Python or R for handling large datasets. Students interested in these types of positions can learn Python or R on their own for free within a few months through resources like Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
If pursuing a cold outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to possible internship providers. Make sure to include a link to your resume—UChicago provides a useful resume template and guide—and limit it to one page in length. We recommend sharing your resume as a Google Drive link (make sure that the share setting allows anyone to view its contents), as including a PDF can sometimes affect the deliverability of your email. It’s also a good idea to include work samples on your resume, for example, a link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or a GitHub profile.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you’re unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, below are a few basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you’re having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school] in New York City. I came across your company on LinkedIn, found your work particularly interesting, and appreciate its unique perspective. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if there was an opportunity to intern with your team. I am eager to learn and contribute in any way I can. I've included my resume for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you’re having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school] in New York City. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was especially intrigued by [part you found interesting]. The research aligns closely with my interests in [mention relevant topic or field], and I’d love the chance to learn more from someone contributing meaningfully to this area.
I was curious if there's an opportunity to intern with you 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
Perseverance is key when trying to land a high school internship or research opportunity, whether pursuing an established position or a cold outreach strategy. Although these positions are tough to secure, they can pay big dividends down the road—providing an advantage in college admissions and a jumpstart on a career.
If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it for reference or share it with a friend who can also benefit from it. Good luck with securing an internship!