10+ History Internships for High School Students

If you’re a high schooler keen to explore history as a subject, this list is perfect for you. History internships can help you build a strong knowledge foundation, give you insights into the subject’s practical applications, and help you figure out if this field is a good fit for you!

Internships can also significantly boost college applications by demonstrating your dedication to academic and experiential learning. Admissions committees value candidates who show a genuine passion for their chosen field. Additionally, internships with prestigious organizations, such as renowned museums, historical societies, or research institutions, can carry substantial weight. However, regardless of prestige, emphasizing your responsibilities, achievements, and the skills you've learned during the internship is key.

Specific history internships for high school students can vary widely in terms of availability and popularity. The top options can change from year to year, but we’ve listed 10+ history-related internships that have been recognized for providing valuable experiences for high school students interested in history.

1. Library of Congress High School Summer Internship Program

Location: Hybrid
Stipend: N/A
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in April.
Program dates: The internship is typically held over June and July.
Eligibility: Current high school students. In-person interns must be available to come into the Library once a week during the program.

The Library of Congress High School Summer Internship Program is an opportunity for high school students to explore and work at the world’s largest library. A fairly prestigious program, this internship allows students to gain hands-on experience at this esteemed cultural institution, get insight into the Library’s vast collections, assist with research projects and engage with experts from various disciplines.

Students can expect to build a solid foundation in exhibition development and research related to history and archives. This summer experience aims to spark curiosity, foster academic growth, and opens doors to future opportunities in the realm of knowledge and culture.

2. High School Internships at the National Archives

Location: Varies with the internship position.
Stipend: N/A
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Program dates: Internships are offered throughout the year.
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. citizen, at least 16 years of age

The National Archives High School Internships are unique opportunities that allow high school students to explore the country's historical treasures. As an intern, students participate in valuable hands-on experiences at the National Archives, gaining access to and working closely with historical documents, artifacts, and records of national significance. This immersive program offers students a chance to deepen their understanding of American history, develop research and archival skills, and interact with knowledgeable professionals in the field. 

3. Student Historian Internship at the New York Historical Society

Location: New York Historical Society, New York, NY
Stipend: Interns who attend a Title 1 School or are eligible for free or reduced lunch will be offered a stipend to participate. Unpaid internships will be provided for all other accepted students, with the option to receive community service hours or school credit. Participation in this program can be used to fulfill the extracurricular requirement for the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness. 
Application deadline: April 7, 2024
Program dates:
July 9, 2024 - August 15, 2024
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 can apply. Applicants must live in and attend school in the New York City metro area (includes the five boroughs of New York City, as well as areas of New York State, Connecticut, and New Jersey). 

The Student Historian internship program allows high school students to access New-York Historical's resources, and to use them to begin their research endeavors and showcase their scholarly work through innovative digital projects. During the internship, students will participate in informative sessions with industry experts, gaining insight into the realms of museums, libraries, digital humanities, and history. The program also fosters collaborative skills, encouraging students to work closely with their peers as they hone their historical analysis, communication, and digital media skills. Additionally, interns actively engage in hands-on activities that will deepen their grasp of American history and the digital humanities. The overarching theme for this internship program this year is 'Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass' America’, every year the theme changes.

4. Smithsonian’s Benjamin Lawless Internship

Location: Washington, DC
Stipend: $3,200 ($400/week)
Application Deadline: March 15, 2024
Program dates: July - August
Eligibility: High school students and recent graduates are eligible

The Benjamin Lawless Internship offers an opportunity for students to work in the fields of art and art history, cataloguing, collections management, education, exhibits, public affairs and social media and research and analysis. Named after Benjamin Lawless, who was an internationally recognized exhibition planner, designer, Emmy winning filmmaker and writer, this internship guides students to explore their interests in these fields.

As an intern, students will work on audience engagement, exhibition design, and identifying collections and artifact collectors of artifacts through the academic lens, while participating in a structured educational experience for 40 hours a week. This intensive internship also encourages students to present their work in a format of their choice at the end of the program.

5. Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program

Location: Washington, DC
Stipend: Unpaid
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted in the spring. Exact dates have not been announced.
Program dates: The internship is typically held over 7 weeks in the summer.
Eligibility: High school students from the DC area are eligible. Students must complete this program before applying!

To honor the legacy and memory of Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns, the United States Holocaust Museum offers 50 high school students a chance to take part in the Stephen Tyrone Johns Summer Youth Leadership Program. Participants will learn about the Holocaust and share the lessons with their peers and others by leading tours of the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition. They will also provide educational programming to other young people before and after their Museum visit, host the Museum’s National Youth Leadership Seminar and work closely with peers around the country to create a network of young people. 

This internship is a great way for students to learn the art of museum leadership while simultaneously familiarizing themselves with the academia around historic events.

6. The Met Internship Program for High School Students 

Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Application Deadline: School-year Internship: October 28, 2023 | Summer Internship: March 31, 2023
Program Dates: School-year Internship: January 14, 2024 - June 9, 2024 | Summer Internship: June 25, 2024 - August 12, 2024
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in and around New York City 

These fully-funded internships are ideal for high school students passionate about art and art history, design, architecture, and creative expression. The Met offers two kinds of internships - one that goes on alongside your school year, and the other that runs exclusively in the summer.

The internship program that runs all year-round invites a cohort of students to connect with art, museums, and creative professionals as they develop professional skills, network, and gain work experience. As a MET intern, you regularly interact with museum professionals, as well as experts in marketing, scientific research, social media, law, and educational programming. You also participate in Career Labs - sessions where you interact and learn from professionals about their work, and experiences, and receive advice. This is a highly valuable opportunity for students passionate not just about art, but related fields as well, such as history, marketing, education, scientific research, conservation, and more.

7. Smithsonian Institution Youth Ambassador Program

Location: Students will travel to multiple cities, including a week-long seminar at Washington, DC.
Stipend: $2,000
Application Deadline: There is no information on this at the moment.
Program dates: June 19, 2024 - August 6, 2024
Eligibility: Seniors graduating in 2024

The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is a nationwide initiative designed for high school seniors about to graduate. It is designed to create the next generation of socially-conscious leaders in the Latino community, with a focus on fields like the arts, sciences, and humanities, with the wealth of the Smithsonian Institution’s resources. The program also provides training in leadership and community building skills. Students also get the chance to attend a week-long educational seminar in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian, centered on Latino perspectives. During the seminar, participants will work and collaborate with their peers from across the country. Post that, the students start a 4-week interdisciplinary internship, working at museums and cultural institutions across 18 US cities and Puerto Rico. Students can expect to gain insight into potential career paths in the arts, sciences, and humanities, interact with established Latino leaders, and improve their networking skills and knowledge.

8. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Internship

Location: New York City
Stipend: A stipend is offered.
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 summer internships will open in February. For academic year internships, fill this form.
Program dates: The program offers both summer and academic year internships.
Eligibility: Different roles may have different eligibility requirements.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Internship is a great opportunity for students to explore and promote American history. During the program, interns will work closely with dedicated historians, educators, and researchers in a variety of capacities. Interns may have roles that include archival research, educational program development, content creation, and event planning, all geared toward advancing the understanding and appreciation of American history. This program gives students access to historical resources, valuable experience and the chance to contribute to dissemination of knowledge about the nation's past.

9. The New Jersey Historical Society High School Internships

Location: Newark, New Jersey
Stipend: N/A, High school credits provided
Program dates: Year-round, hours and schedules are flexible
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students who are 16 years of age or older

The New Jersey Historical Society is a nonprofit historical museum and library that works toward preserving and interpreting the political, social, cultural, and economic history of New Jersey. Through this history, the organization aims to promote New Jersey’s culture – American culture. They offer high school students a number of internships, and students will be assigned to projects based on their skills and project availability. Students can get the opportunity to work in manuscripts curatorship, historical research, exhibitions and research, museum collections, and more. In addition to being a valuable addition to your skillset and CV, students also earn high school course credit with this program.

10. Internships at the Carnegie Museums 

Location: Internship roles may be offered at all four Carnegie Museums in Pittsburgh.
Stipend: There is no information on this.
Program dates: Flexible
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Eligibility: All high school students

Limited internships and other experiential learning opportunities are offered at all four museums. Note that some intern positions may require at least one year of college or university to be completed, apart from other requirements. Students can also volunteer at the museums! Both the internship and volunteer opportunities offer students the opportunity to learn hands-on, whether working in public or behind the scenes. Students will get to work with curators, educators, scientists, and other museum staff. They will also assist with summer camps, special projects and youth programming.

Bonus!

11. Ladder Internship Program - Media and Journalism Track

Location:  Virtual! You can work from anywhere in the world. 
Eligibility: Open to all high school students, who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. These internships are also open to undergraduates and gap year students!
Application Deadline: February 18, 2024 (Spring cohort) | February 18, 2024 (Summer cohort, early application deadline) | April 14, 2024 (Summer cohort, regular application deadline). The program also runs in the fall and winter.
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year. 
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.

Ladder Internships is a selective program equipping students with virtual internship experiences at startups and nonprofits around the world. This is also a great opportunity for students to explore areas they might be interested in, and better understand career opportunities in those fields. The startups are based all across the world, with the majority being in the United States, Asia and then Europe and the UK. While Ladder does not offer an internship in pure history/museum management and curatorship, you can explore real-world applications of understanding historical contexts as part of their media and journalism track.

You can explore all the options here on their application form. As part of the internship, students will work on a real-world project that is of relevance to the startup, and present your work at the end of their internship. Students will work with their startup manager and a Ladder coach, who acts as a second mentor. Interns are also offered 1-on-1 training in communication, time management and other skills, and will also attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort.

If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!

This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper in a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.

You can find the application link here!

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!

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