13 Hospitality Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high schooler, an internship can give you the opportunity to gain practical experience in a field you’re interested in. If you’re curious about the diverse field of hospitality, you should consider an internship on this list! These opportunities can provide you with firsthand exposure to various roles within the industry, from front desk operations and hotel management to event planning, culinary arts, and tourism.
Participating in a hospitality internship will allow you to develop essential skills like communication, teamwork, and problem-solving and help you explore potential career paths in your chosen field. By working alongside industry professionals, you can develop a deeper understanding of the hospitality industry, build a strong foundation for future career pursuits, and give your college applications a boost with real-world experience.
Here's our curated list of 13 hospitality internships for high school students. Although some options listed are not traditional internships, they offer hands-on experience in the field!
1. Southern Hospitality Internship Program (SHIP)
Location: Multiple internship opportunities are available in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville in Tennessee.
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible to apply but specific requirements vary depending on the opportunity.
Application Deadline: Varies based on the opportunity.
Dates: Vary depending on the opportunity. 14-week internship opportunities are available during summer, spring, and fall.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns receive stipends according to the market rate.
The Southern Hospitality Internship Program (SHIP) offers market-rate wages and a full-time workweek of employment in a 14-week paid internship program for high school students, college students, and recent graduates. In addition to jobs in tourism and hospitality management, the internship program covers a variety of career paths of interest, from accounting to sports management & recreation.
Students will be paid to work as well as build their resume skills and experience within their career path of interest. Sevier County is a thriving $4 billion Hospitality & Tourism industry in East Tennessee located near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The program’s business partners will provide you with real-life work experience and on-the-job training within your subject of interest. You can check out available internship opportunities here.
2. COYHL Summer Program at Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management
Location: Penn State Hospitality Management, University Park, PA
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a rising high school junior or senior during the summer program offered.
- Be in good academic standing in their high school.
Application Deadline: May 24, 2024
Dates: July 14 - 19, 2024
Cost: $1,500. The deadline to apply for scholarships is May 5, 2024.
The COYHL Summer Program is a six-day program for high school rising juniors and seniors to learn and experience a mini-hospitality program. While working with their team, you will learn about college life at University Park, sample what a college course may look like, learn from renowned faculty, and meet hospitality management majors. Through presentations, hands-on experience, guest speakers, software simulations, and more, this program will introduce you to the broad range of the hospitality industry, to the major employers, and to the trends that influence this competitive industry.
During the program, you’ll explore what it takes to succeed in different hospitality enterprises, learn from Penn State Hospitality Management faculty and students, visit various hospitality businesses, Penn State’s University Park campus, interact with industry people who are alumni of the Penn State School of Hospitality Management, and receive a digital badge for your completion of the Penn State COYHL Summer Program.
3. AHA’s Hospitality & Resort Activity Internship program
Location: Florida Keys and Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Eligibility: Participants must be 18 years old at the program start date and have authorization to work in the U.S.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the opportunity.
Dates: Vary depending on the internship opportunity.
Cost/Stipend: $345 (Due at the time of application); Interns will receive stipends according to the minimum wage rate.
AHA’s Hospitality & Resort Activity Internship program provides students with an exciting work and cultural experience opportunity in America. Participants spend the season living and working in a U.S. destination vacation area alongside international students participating in the J-1 cultural exchange programs.
During the program, you’ll get to build your resume and develop global workforce skills, explore a new part of the U.S., make friends from around the world, and get to work at a resort while meeting the requirements of your internship. You’ll be matched with one of their hospitality employers and become a member of their team, earn the current wage for the position (at least minimum wage), and work between 32-40 hours per week (average). Host employers also provide local housing to the interns.
4. HCC’s Hospitality Management Apprenticeship Programs
Location: Columbia, MD
Eligibility: Applicants must:
-Be 18 years of age or older by the program start date or in the School to Apprenticeship (youth apprenticeship) program and 16 years old with parental consent.
-Have a high school diploma or equivalent, or be a dual-enrolled high school senior.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in March.
Dates: Vary depending on the opportunity.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students receive a stipend.
HCC’s Hospitality Management Apprenticeship Programs offer a holistic approach to professional development, combining academic instruction with practical experience and industry partnerships to equip apprentices with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities necessary for a successful career in hospitality management.
In these 24–36 month "earn-as-you-learn" programs, you will build a solid academic foundation, learn essential business and technical skills, and gain on-the-job experience to work as an entry or mid-level manager in hotels, restaurants, resorts, or other facilities that provide food and beverage service or accommodations.
The Hospitality Management Apprenticeship Programs offer two occupations: Food Service Manager and Hotel and Lodging Manager. The Food Service Manager apprenticeship program provides training to become a Chef, Kitchen Manager, or Back House Manager. The Hotel and Lodging Manager apprenticeship program will teach apprentices skills to become an Event Manager, Hospitality Manager, or Hotel and Lodging Manager.
5. The Cooke Internship Program
Location: New York, NY
Eligibility: Upper School and Transitions students (ages 14-21) can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Internships typically run from October through June, once or twice per week.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Cooke provides a stipend to students who participate in the internship program.
Cooke School and Institute, a nonprofit that provides special education services in New York City, offers Upper School and Transitions students (ages 14-21), internship opportunities as a required part of the curriculum. The Cooke Internship Program collaborates with private and public sector employers who offer their students internship opportunities.
Students are partnered with sites that match their strengths and interests and allow them to make meaningful contributions to the organization. There are many opportunities available for students who are interested in culinary arts. All interns are accompanied to their job site by a Cooke job coach who supports the intern for the duration of their time at the host site. You can check the list of organizations that participate in the Cooke Internship Program here.
6. National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s ProStart
Location: The program is offered in over 1,800 schools in all 50 states, Washington, DC, and the Territory of Guam.
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the location.
Dates: This program is offered for two academic years.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Students receive the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement (COA) and scholarships are granted to those students who choose to pursue post-secondary school degrees/certifications.
ProStart is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. ProStart students learn how to be industry professionals through hands-on work under the direction of a mentor. Mentors help students make the connection between their present performance and their future careers. ProStart is a career and technical education program that unites the food service industry and the classroom to teach high school students culinary skills and restaurant management principles, as well as employability skills such as communication, teamwork, professionalism, and time management.
After completing the program, you’ll be ready to join the workforce and make an immediate impact in restaurants and food service. You’ll gain access to industry experts through guest speakers, class mentors, tours of local facilities, student competitions, and more. You’ll also get to participate in The National ProStart Invitational (NPSI) which is the country’s premier secondary school competition focused on restaurant management and culinary arts. NPSI 2024 will be held on April 26–28 at the Marriott Baltimore Waterfront, Baltimore, Maryland.
7. The Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA)
Location: RYRA is offered in Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Eligibility: Youth between the ages of 16-24 are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Vary depending on the sponsors’ requirements.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is paid (amount not specified).
The Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA) aims to connect young people to restaurants through industry apprenticeships like those of a line cook, kitchen manager, restaurant manager, and complementary services that support growth and achievement. The program partners with State Restaurant Associations, ProStart and Restaurant Ready programs, education and training providers, and supportive service providers to advance participants on their path to success.
Currently, there are three apprenticeship career tracks, Line Cook, Kitchen Manager, and Restaurant Manager, which offer benefits such as on-the-job training in a restaurant setting; job-related education in a classroom setting or online; access to nationally recognized credentials from the restaurant industry and the USDO; and front-of-house and back-of-house knowledge.
8. Wekiva Culinary Internship Program - FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp
Location: Wekiva Springs State Park, Apopka, FL
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or older on the first day of camp.
Application Deadline: Applications are open now and typically close in May.
Dates: June 8 - July 29, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns will receive $12 - $16 per hour, based on experience.
Wekiva Culinary offers small-group chef mentoring of high school and high school graduate students each school year. Wekiva Culinary offers 10 internship positions working at the FFGC Wekiva Youth Camp in June and July. Culinary interns earn associated high school credit while working 20+ hours per week in the camp kitchen. During the camp, as an intern, you’ll help provide daily meals to 150 campers and camp counselors, seven days a week for 7 weeks during the summer. You will clean and sanitize dishes, cookware, utensils, and food preparation work stations; assist in the food preparation process by cutting, chopping, slicing, and washing vegetables, meats, and other ingredients; follow all food health and safety requirements; assist with the unloading of deliveries, cleaning and storing equipment; and interact with campers as needed.
Each intern is required to be able to lift 50 pounds, stand for long periods, speak clearly, listen carefully, follow instructions, and maintain a professional attitude and demeanor at all times.
9. EmployU Hospitality Career Camp at Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Location: UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Orlando, FL
Eligibility: Students ages 14-21, in school with an IEP or 504 plan who reside in Orange, Lake, or Seminole counties are eligible to participate.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis till all the slots are filled.
Dates: June 17 - 28, 2024
Cost/Stipend: No cost; a $350 stipend for students who attend all 50 hours of training (Stipends will also be provided to the students who are unable to attend all 10 days of camp at $35 per day of attendance).
EmployU Hospitality Camp is an in-person career camp with hands-on activities, site tours, field trips to hotels, and information from industry leaders and the best hospitality professors. This program is structured as an immersion experience and will cover an array of career opportunities within the hospitality field. There will be a graduation event with a certification presentation to all students who complete the program.
This is a 2-week program that includes 20 hours of workplace readiness training, 5 hours of career camp counseling on enrollment opportunities, and 25 hours of work-based learning experience. Attendance during the virtual mandatory orientation and training on June 14, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm via Microsoft Teams, is required to participate
10. The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College’s Summer Institute
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Eligibility: High school juniors are eligible to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the slots are filled.
Dates: Week 1: July 10 - 12, 2024 | Week 2: July 17 - 19, 2024
Cost: $525
Each year, Walnut Hill College presents its Summer Institute for high school juniors. During your stay, you’ll get a taste of what their students experience during Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, and Management classes catered just to you. For three days, you’ll learn about exciting career options within restaurants and hospitality, participate in fun off-campus events, and meet other students who are just as passionate about the industry as you are.
The highlights of the institute include hands-on training in the kitchens with their chef instructors, evening activities across the city of Philadelphia, a delicious lunch at a University City restaurant, and a farewell dinner, where your family will enjoy food made and served by YOU!
11. Hospitality & Tourism Management Leadership Academy @UMassAmherst
Location: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Eligibility: High school students who are rising sophomores, juniors, or seniors are eligible to participate.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: July 14 - 27, 2024
Cost: $3,636 (Residential) | $2,167 (Commuter)
The Hospitality & Tourism Management Leadership Academy provides a platform for talented and driven high school students to learn core business foundations and experience all of the amazing opportunities behind the business of hospitality. In this program, you will learn from award-winning teachers, and industry leaders, and participate in a wide variety of experiential learning opportunities.
The HTM Leadership Academy challenges students to apply a multi-faceted management approach to strategic leadership in HTM, offering diverse and highly interactive methods of learning. During this two-week program, you’ll get to explore the key segments and critical issues relevant to the highly competitive Hospitality & Tourism industry, such as:
Hotel and Resort Management
Global Perspectives, Culture, and Trends in Food and Beverage Management
Sustainable Tourism
Event and Entertainment Management
Customer Experience and Customer Relationship Management
Employee and Customer Wellness
Information Technology and Social Media in HTM
Leadership Management
Hospitality Business Innovation
12. Career Explorations - Hospitality at Johnson & Wales University
Location: Providence, RI
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors can participate.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the slots are filled.
Dates: July 25 - 28, 2024
Cost: $399
During the Career Explorations’ Hospitality program, you’ll get to explore local venues through site visits and tours, and consider the wide range of career options available within the industry: hotel manager, bed and breakfast owner, marketing promoter for a sports team, wedding or event planner, or account executive for an international hotel chain. During your Career Explorations visit, you will meet faculty, talk with current students, and more! You’ll stay on campus for three nights. The program includes housing, all meals, instructional materials, activities, and on-campus transportation.
If you’re interested in culinary arts, you can also participate in the Food Innovation & Technology program where you’ll get to sharpen your skills in the culinary labs and learn from JWU chefs, who not only know how to teach the fine art of cooking but also have excelled in the industry. You’ll also explore the impact you can make through food outside the kitchen, with experts leading the charge to change the food industry through education, sustainability, and research.
13. Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) Junior Academy Programs
Location: Multiple locations in Switzerland and Singapore.
Eligibility: Students must be between 16 and 19 years old at the start of the program and speak English at a minimum B2 level (intermediate level).
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all the slots are filled.
Dates: June 30, 2024 - July 6, 2024 (Passugg) | October 27, 2024 - November 2, 2024 (Lausanne) | July 21 - 27, 2024 (Singapore)
Cost: $4300
Offered by the world’s top-ranking hospitality business school, EHL’s Junior Academy is designed for teens interested in business and careers related to hospitality, tourism, events, luxury brands, and the global service industry. During the program, you will explore a wide range of business topics through interactive workshops and social activities. The academic courses will ease you into university-level business studies, while excursions and field trips will give you exposure to life and culture around EHL campuses.
The Junior Academy will let you discover the world of international hospitality from a different perspective if you are in Switzerland or Singapore. You will get to learn soft skills that will help you in your career pursuits. Experts in the fields of hospitality and culinary arts will give you an introduction to the art of service excellence. The admissions team will help you prepare and train for future interviews. You can choose among the different 7-day camps available or you can combine courses and opt for 2-week camps. The different camps available for 2024 include Hospitality Business & Innovation (EHL Campus Lausanne), International Hospitality & Luxury Brand Management (EHL Campus Singapore), and Culinary & Wellness Concepts (EHL Campus Passugg).
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.