13 Internships for High School Students in India
If you’re a high school student in India, you can consider an internship to get real-world work experience in your chosen field. An internship will enhance your skills and knowledge and provide insight into the professional setting. It can also add value to your college applications, demonstrating your dedication to pursuing your subject of choice and gaining early practical experience.
As a high schooler, it can be challenging to secure a place in an internship that’s right for you. To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 13 internships for high school students in India spanning various fields such as media, journalism, marketing, STEM, energy conservation, and more, including both in-person and virtual options.
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary—medicine, health tech and mental health, environmental science, tech and deep tech, media and journalism, engineering, machine learning and AI, finance, consulting, and more
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students who can contribute 5-15 hours/week for 8-12 weeks
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. The upcoming summer cohort deadline is May 12, 2024.
Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter. The summer 2024 cohort starts on June 3 and runs till August.
Cost: Starts at $1,990 (financial aid available)
Ladder Internships is a competitive internship program founded by Harvard alumni. Once selected, students will be matched with leading startups across the world and will hold regular meetings with mentors from the startup. Selected interns will work on real-world projects in the field of their choice and present their results at the end of the internship. You can choose the field you wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including technology, machine learning, AI, computer science, environmental science, sustainability, finance, media, journalism, marketing, medicine, and more.
Potential companies students can work with include Softenmind, IPMD, Fintech Launch, Billion Dollar Startup Ideas, Fair Opportunity Project, JuneBrain, and more. In addition, students will also receive access to a Ladder coach who will provide additional guidance. The internship opportunities in this program span the globe, with a concentration in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and the UK.
2. Stanford’s SHTEM: Summer Internships
Subject Areas: Science, humanities, technology, engineering, and mathematics
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Applicants must:
-Be current high school juniors or seniors in the 2023-2024 school year (i.e. 11th or 12th grade at the time of application) OR full-time CC students (within first three years of CC)
-Be at least 14 by June 17 (if you are a high school junior or senior).
-Be between the ages of 17 and 21 (inclusive) by June 17 (if you are a full-time CC student).
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February every year.
Dates: June 17 - August 9, 2024
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship, but stipends may be provided based on financial need.
The Stanford SHTEM Summer Internships are virtual internships in which around 60 students are placed in groups that work on a research project together. Each group receives mentorship from staff and faculty members of the Stanford Compression Forum, a collaborative group comprising academic and industrial leaders in Data Compression. You will spend most of the time conducting research from where you are located while maintaining regular communication with your mentors and group members. You can anticipate a commitment of 30-40 hours per week, guided by Stanford's renowned faculty and industry experts who provide valuable insights into the evolving tech landscape.
Themes and project areas may include technology, the science of information and communication, engineering, linguistics, the arts, psychology, biology, neurology, computer science, and more. The program seeks to expose students to cutting-edge research and highlight the inseparability between the humanities and STEM.
3. Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) Internship Program
Subject Areas: Communications, digital media, and curriculum
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old
Dates: May-August (8-10 weeks)
Stipend: Paid (amount not mentioned)
The SSEC provides a range of internship opportunities for high school students, with students from India and all over the world being eligible for some offerings too. Internships are primarily offered for the Communications, Digital Media, and Curriculum Division in areas like developing global goals, communications and marketing, and developing a science curriculum for the classroom. More internships may become available later in the year.
Interns will be required to assist in producing material for social media, managing digital archives, conducting research, writing, and editing, conducting interviews with subject matter experts, and more. Throughout the internship, you will be mentored directly by the Marketing & Communications team and will receive feedback and guidance on your projects and content creation.
4. Project Pathways Internships by Lend A Hand India
Subject Areas: Multiple—web development and IT, business, design, machine programming, retail, service industries, healthcare, electrical repairs, finance, and more
Location: Multiple cities in India (10,000+ high schools in 24 states/union territories)
Eligibility: High school students in grades 11 and 12 can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through the partner high schools.
Dates: 80+ clock hours (2 weeks full-time/1 month part-time) at any time in the year
Stipend: Not specified
Lend A Hand India’s Project Pathways Internship aims to connect high school students to the world of work by placing them in small and micro enterprises near their schools or homes. Students may work with enterprises like auto workshops, restaurants, cafes, retail businesses, financial services, electrical repair shops, primary health care centers, and bakeries.
This internship exposes students to valuable and practical skills to ensure preparedness for the workforce and improved chances of getting into a good college. Interested applicants should check with their high schools if they have such internship partnerships with Lend A Hand India. You can also check out their programs for high school students such as Karigar – School of Applied Learning, Project Catalyst, and Project Swadheen.
Subject Areas: Narrative journalism (politics and culture)
Location: New Delhi, India
Eligibility: Students with some prior experience who can commit to 2-3 months of full-time in-person work can apply. Further eligibility criteria may differ based on each position.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: 2-3 months at any time of the year
Stipend: Paid (amount not mentioned)
The Caravan is a premier publication for all things politics and culture. It offers multiple internship opportunities for students to learn about the world of publishing and journalism. Selected interns will actively be able to contribute to the production process of the publication while immersing themselves in a professional environment. Before applying, consider that these are full-time internships that require your attendance from 11 am to 7 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Internship opportunities are available in a wide range of departments, including editorial and editorial management, photo research, design, business, fact-checking, video editing, social media, and Hindi. The tasks and activities of each internship will depend on the position.
Make sure to confirm eligibility by emailing the respective department.
6. Social Media Internship at Pepper Content
Subject Areas: Content creation, social media, and content marketing
Location: Mumbai, MH
Eligibility: Students with creative thinking and research skills, an understanding of social media, and a basic knowledge of the B2B SaaS industry
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Minimum 3 months at any time of the year
Stipend: Not specified
Pepper Content is a content creation and content marketing platform that assists businesses requiring content-based services. If you are interested in a career in content marketing, consider applying for a social media internship at Pepper to learn about and carry out content ideation and planning, execution, and measurement of in-house social media strategies across multiple platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
As their social media intern, you will prepare content calendars, strategize on campaigns, collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, assist with event organization, write copy, and write and shoot content for reels.
7. PHC Group’s Mary Miller Summer Program
Subject Areas: Social media marketing and communications
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Rising or current high school seniors can apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: May-August (exact dates not mentioned)
Stipend: Paid (amount not specified)
The Mary Miller Summer Program is a chance for high school students to work in a global team and participate in scheduled activities and projects. Interns will work under the guidance of the Public Health Director of the PHC Group and will assist in social media projects, online communication, and technical support.
Key tasks may include attending meetings, producing social media posts and crafting responses for various platforms, conducting trending, analyses, and reporting to improve planning discussions, and implementing suggestions from clients and colleagues. As an intern, you will also be able to explore independent interests aligning with the PHC Group’s mission.
Note: As part of your application, you are required to send in your resume to joinus@phcgconsulting.com.
Subject Areas: Renewable energy and energy storage
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Applicants must:
-Be sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school.
-Have taken at least one honors science or honors English class.
-Have a minimum GPA of 3.25.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted throughout the year. You can apply here.
Dates: 2-8 weeks in the summer (20 hours per week) | 1-9 months throughout the year (8 hours per week)
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship.
EnergyMag is an online publication dedicated to energy storage and renewable energy. The magazine offers internships to students worldwide and allows them a chance to work with mentors and assist in the production of upcoming issues. Selected interns will work on researching and analyzing a specific company, technology, or market by researching the topic, contacting sources for quotes and interviews, analyzing the information, and producing a draft analysis report. This report will then be published on the online blog.
Mentors will provide plenty of supervision and support to interns throughout the internship. Interns will also receive a Letter of Accomplishment following publication of their work.
9. Girl Rising’s Future Rising Fellowship
Subject Areas: Climate and gender justice, media
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 17 years old (individuals up to age 25 will be present in the cohort).
Application Deadline: The deadline for 2024-25 will be announced soon. The deadline for 2023-24 was June 29, 2024, so students should expect a similar deadline.
Dates: August 2024 - August 2025 (one year)
Stipend: $5,000
Girl Rising’s Future Rising Fellowship is a sponsored opportunity for young creatives to work on media projects at the intersection of climate and gender justice. Fellows are selected from all over the world, so make sure your application and portfolio are strong.
The program includes an initial virtual bootcamp, followed by regular workshops, leadership and professional development support, and access to experts and mentors like journalists, artists, authors, climate scientists, advocates, educators, filmmakers, and more. You’ll get to work individually on your projects using any medium of your choice (film, animation, graphic novels, essays, journalism, photography, and more) while also attending virtual group workshops and professional development sessions.
The 2023-24 program included topics like Girls and Women in Conservation and Local Solutions, with topics for 2024-25 yet to be announced. Take a look at past projects here.
10. Medicine Encompassed Internships
Subject Areas: Writing, editing, and resource creation in biology, medicine, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics)
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12) from all over the world
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Internships with ME are open year-round including summer sessions (commitment of at least 1 article/week or up to 2 hours/week).
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship.
Medicine Encompassed is a student-led non-profit organization that offers rolling opportunities for high school students interested in STEAM, biology, and medicine. The organization has 18 committees and is primarily looking for writers, editors, and resource creators to support each committee.
Tasks may differ based on the position, but some of them include researching and writing informative and formal articles for online publication, revising blog posts, resources, and social media posts, maintaining scientific accuracy, and creating short and accessible guides, slides, and other content. You can also contribute to the ‘Project Cultivation’ outreach initiative, which aims to increase awareness and accessibility of medical education.
11. Building-U High School Internships
Subject Areas: Multidisciplinary—R&D, business development, marketing, media, coding, social media content and analytics, animation, and more.
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: High school students (grades 9-12) from all over the world
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: 3 months during the summer (June-August), but can be year-round if the student wishes to extend it.
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship.
Building-U is a platform aimed at providing high school students with access to multiple resources to widen their understanding of postsecondary options. As part of this goal, the platform provides a wide range of internship opportunities to high school students, giving them a chance to work in teams and under mentors to undertake hands-on projects. Students further build skills like teamwork and communication and contribute to regular meetings.
As an intern, you will be assigned a range of duties. Once selected, you will be part of one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and other profiles, more details of which you can read about here. Tasks for each internship will differ based on the position, but each of them involves planning and strategizing, making decisions, and seeing a project to its completion.
12. Veritas AI Internship
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program.
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Dates: The start date for the upcoming cohort is November 11, 2024.
Cost: $2,490 (some financial aid is available)
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work with VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more.
This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real-world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
13. United Planet Virtual Internships
Subject Areas: Global health, conservation and sustainability, community development, and education
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Individuals aged 16+ from all over the world.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: 1-6 months (5-40 hours per week).
Cost: Starts at $800 per month (scholarships are available).
United Planet’s virtual internship opportunities are a chance to work remotely and make a difference on projects in global health, conservation, community development, and imparting education to children. As an intern, you will be able to work on remote projects for quest countries that not only include India but also places like South Africa, Spain, the Phillippines, Colombia, Japan, Costa Rica, and many more.
Various program options are available for high school students such as Children and Education, Community Development, Global Health, and Environmental Sustainability. Selected interns are also provided with access to training, workshops, cultural activities, language lessons, and additional support. Take a look at some past project spotlights 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. 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.