10 Architecture Internships for High School Students
The field of architecture is vast—urban planning, design, civil engineering, sustainability, mechanical engineering, technology, landscaping, restoration, history and conservation, structural engineering, and industrial architecture are only some of its sub-disciplines. If you’re interested in architecture, it might not be easy to figure out which discipline to pursue. Which is why doing an architecture internship in high school can give you some understanding and clarity while also streamlining your options.
Moreover, pursuing an internship at this stage will allow you to learn and apply theories and frameworks to real-world projects. Not to mention, you will receive mentorship from professional architects who can then open up multiple university and career avenues for you through their references.
Highlighting your practical experience will further improve your chances on college and job applications, as selection committees always seek students who take initiative and have a solid background in the field.
To give you some options, here are 10 architecture internships for high school students, including both standard internships and work-learn programs.
Location: Remote
Eligibility: High school students available for 5-15 hours per week for 8-16 weeks
Application Deadline: Spring cohort: February 18, 2024 | Summer cohort (early admission): February 18, 2024 | Summer cohort (regular admission): April 14, 2024. Fall and winter cohorts are also offered.
Dates: Variable. Summer cohorts run in June-August.
Cost: $1,990 (financial aid available)
Ladder Internships, founded by Harvard alumni, is a program that aims to pair qualified high school students with leading startups across the world for virtual internships. Students can choose which industry they wish to work in, based on their interests. The choices include technology, machine learning and AI, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism and more. A design track is available for students keen on pursuing architecture, although options like engineering, environmental science, and nonprofits are likely to provide relevant opportunities too.
Interns will work on a real-world project under the guidance and mentorship of their startup managers and Ladder coaches. At the end of the program, you will get a chance to present your work. The program includes professional skill development and 1-on-1 training sessions too!
2. Chicago Architecture Center Teen Fellows
Location: Chicago, IL
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who attend school in Chicago and can commit to the entire program
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Dates: Summer 2024 - Spring 2025 (3 semesters)
Stipend: Paid each semester (amount not specified)
The Chicago Architecture Center (CAC) runs its Teens Fellow program which provides Chicago high school students the chance to build foundational architecture skills. The program is conducted over 3-semesters, and will include in discussions, activities, exercises, field trips, site visits, and projects to help students understand how the built environment impacts their lives.
As part of the program, fellows will be able to explore architecture careers, earn college credit, and work with industry professionals. Additionally, fellows will attend college courses at Harold Washington College, experiment with materials on physical models, explore Chicago’s built environment, develop locally-focused design projects, work on portfolios, visit architecture firms, and design digital pieces.
Following the program, fellows may move on to paid summer internships.
3. Boston Private Industry Council Architecture Internship
Location: Local businesses in Boston, MA
Eligibility: High school students attending Boston Public Schools
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: June-August (6-8 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Boston Private Industry Council (PIC) annually partners with the Boston Society for Architecture to provide an architecture internship for high school students, who are selected from Boston PIC’s partnership with the City of Boston and Boston Public Schools.
Students get placed in top architecture and design firms in the city where they will then work on hands-on projects using various materials. They will create both physical and digital projects and models. Internships will also expose students to various sites in the city, giving them a chance to explore their architectural elements while also observing how residents react to the built environment.
At the end of the internships, students will gather to give presentations on their work.
4. National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Project Pipeline
Location: 20+ cities across the country
Eligibility: Students of color in grades 6 to 12
Application Deadline: Varies according to city. Note that each city has its own Project Pipeline website, accessible through a simple Google search.
Dates: Different dates between June and August/weekend boot camps during the school year for some cities
Cost: Varies for each city (limited financial aid available)
The National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) started Project Pipeline in 2006 to empower students to implement change in their respective communities using architecture and design. Over 20 cities have held Project Pipeline camps, with a formalized curriculum in place since 2012.
Selected students will learn about and conduct activities like drawing, model building, research and diagrammatic analysis, interviews, and site visits while also comprehending the convergence between architecture and their daily lives, culture, history, and society.
Further, the camps will allow students to interact closely with architects and designers who will guide them with their projects and career interests. By the end of the program, students should develop a well-planned project that tackles an issue in their communities.
5. STEMcx High School Architecture Internship
Location: Various locations in Maryland and other states + a week-long trip to North Carolina
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors from Baltimore or surrounding counties who are at least 16 and come from underrepresented minorities
Application Deadline: February 25, 2024
Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 10, 2024 (8 weeks)
Stipend: $15 per hour for a total stipend of $2,400
STEMcx provides underrepresented minorities with internship opportunities in six STEM fields, one of which includes architecture. Interns will undertake 160 hours of engagement that will conclude with a week-long trip to North Carolina, where students will stay on the North Carolina State University campus.
The architecture internship will specifically include a weeklong class on the fundamentals of AutoCAD software. Weekly trips to local architectural firms and community build organizations will take place. Sketch meet-ups, 3D printing workshops, and weekly volunteering with Habitats for Humanity are also included in the programming. As an intern, your experience will include shadowing an architect, designing exercises, participating in one-on-one discussions with team members, and construction tours.
Finally, interns will partner with Parks and People to come up with a relevant project for Baltimore that they will then present at the end of the internship.
6. Summer Exploratory Experience in Design (SEED) by Sasaki Foundation
Location: Boston, MA
Eligibility: Current high school students
Application Deadline: Not specified, but applications open each year in spring.
Dates: June-August (6 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
Sasaki Foundation’s SEED program is organized around providing high school students access to the fields of architecture, interior design, planning and urban design, and landscape architecture. Interns will work with professional designers and architects and will get to employ design techniques and tools.
Students will also participate in collaborative projects that they will then present at the end of their internships. Interns will gain insight into design fundamentals and office culture, learn computer drawing and hand sketching skills, and attend meetings with Sasaki professionals.
SEED also runs an online program that students can sign up for in case they cannot attend the in-person internship. The curriculum for 2024 will be updated soon.
7. Fallingwater Institute’s High School Residencies
Location: Fallingwater Institute, Mill Run, PA
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9-12 and gap year students
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The courses for 2024 are all full. Keep checking the program page for 2025 applications.
Dates: June 24, 2024 - June 28, 2024 (session 1) | July 8, 2024 - July 12, 2024 (session 2) | July 29, 2024 - August 2, 2024 (session 3) | July 22, 2024 - July 26, 2024 (session 4)
Cost: Not mentioned. Last year’s cost for each session was $1,200. Limited need-based scholarships are available.
High school students can sign up for an architecture and design residency at Fallingwater—an architectural wonder itself. Designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Fallingwater is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Selected students will get to live and work at Fallingwater’s High Meadow and its Cheteyan Studio where they will undertake architecture and design exercises and create drawing and design projects influenced by Fallingwater. They will also participate in scholarly discussions of Wright’s principles of organic architecture. Career exploration and advice are also provided as part of the residency.
Using a project-based learning process, this residency is a prestigious work-learn opportunity. Courses on offer for 2024 include:
Drawing + Model Making
Portfolio Prep
Design + Build
Biophilic Design Studio
8. Cornell University’s Introduction to Architecture Summer Program
Location: Remote
Eligibility: Global high school students who have completed at least their sophomore year
Application Deadline: May 6, 2024
Dates: June 24, 2024 - August 2, 2024
Cost: $1,750 per credit
Cornell University runs an intensive virtual Introduction to Architecture program that exposes students to architectural principles, ideas, and techniques using concepts, models, and creative design projects in visualization and space-making. The program combines lecture-based courses and studio design sessions, making this useful for students looking for practical experience in the field.
Students are expected to complete a project by the end of the program using both digital and analog modes of design. Some subject areas that will be explored include 2D and 3D design, basics of architectural composition, drawing and model making as a mode of exploration, and conceptual clarity and expression.
Studio sessions are held in small sections with constructive critique from faculty and peers.
9. embARC Summer Design Academy by UC Berkeley
Location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA (commuter/on-campus residential)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors who will be at least 16 years old by June 30, 2024 and who maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher
Application Deadline: March 11, 2024 (priority, scholarship, and housing deadline) | April 15, 2024 (final deadline)
Dates: July 1, 2024 - July 26, 2024
Cost: $4,938 (domestic) | $7,818 (international). The housing fee is separate and amounts to $5,200. Limited need-based awards are available.
UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design runs the competitive embARC Summer Design Academy wherein students will spend their summer learning about architecture, sustainable city planning, and urban design. Students will experience design assignments, 1-on-1 reviews with faculty, field trips, and will work on a design/build project for a community non-profit.
The structure of this program focuses on real-world impact and multidisciplinary approaches that include:
Architecture + Urban Design studio
Environmental Design conversation series
Materials Exploration workshop
Digital Design workshop
Sustainable City Planning workshop
Community Build
A typical day will comprise the Architecture + Urban Design studio in the morning, workshops in the afternoon, and extended studio time/socials in the evening.
Students will come out of the course with a solid portfolio, certificate of completion, and credit.
10. SCI-Arc’s Design Immersion Days (DID)
Location: Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), Los Angeles, CA
Eligibility: Students entering or continuing high school
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, but the financial aid application deadline is June 5, 2024.
Dates: June 17, 2024 - July 12, 2024 (4 weeks)
Cost: $3,350 (financial aid available)
SCI-Arc’s Design Immersion Days (DID) is a work-learn program that equips students with critical thinking skills, basic design knowledge, and an understanding of the architecture and design culture of Los Angeles.
Students will learn about and experiment with various design and production examples like analog building, drawing, mechanical drafting, physical model making, and digital modes like Photoshop, Rhino, Illustrator, virtual and augmented reality, 3D modeling and printing, and more.
Through this program, students will create an architectural proposal that addresses the cultural, material, and economic contexts of Los Angeles. Regular studio sessions, 1-on-1 meetings with instructors, field trips, and presentations to juries will also take place.
Looking for an immersive internship experience?
Check out Ladder Internships!
Ladder Internships is a selective, virtual internship program where students work with startups and nonprofits from around the world! The startups range across a variety of industries, with a large number of them in tech. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that is of genuine need to the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, each intern will also work with a Ladder Coach throughout their internship. Apply now!
Stephen is one of the founders of Ladder Internships and a Harvard College graduate.