13 Winter Internships for High School Students
If you're a high school student looking for an internship opportunity during the winter months, this blog is for you. Our comprehensive list of winter internships spans a wide range of fields, including STEM, social sciences, art, law, and more.
A winter internship during high school can have a few advantages over a summer one — with competition relatively lower, your chances of securing a place in prestigious internship programs are much better! Winter internships take place during the academic year, which can give you the chance to learn to balance your school commitments as you explore your interests. Internships in general can be a great stepping stone to your career. You’ll learn how to apply academic knowledge in practical, real-world scenarios, gain insight into what the professional environment looks like in a field of your choice, and build a skill set that will be useful in the future. Not to mention, they look great on college applications!
Additionally, winter internships usually mean smaller cohorts, which comes with its own benefits — better personal networking opportunities with industry professionals and your peers, and a more personalized learning environment. These internships can also provide you with opportunities to engage in unique seasonal activities or projects that are not typically available during summer programs.
Here’s our curated list of 13 winter internships for high school students, including both in-person and virtual internship options, so you can choose one that suits your goals.
Subject areas: Multidisciplinary
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: Multiple deadlines throughout the year. Summer cohort: February 18, 2024 (Early Admission) | April 14, 2024 (Regular Admission 1)
Program Dates: 8-week programs with multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall and winter.
Cost: Starting at $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Ladder Internships, a fairly selective program founded by Harvard alumni, pairs high school students with startups and nonprofits around the world for virtual internships. You can choose the field you wish to work in, from a wide range of industries, including technology, machine learning, AI, finance, environmental science, sustainability, business, marketing, healthcare, medicine, media, journalism, and more. As an intern, you will work on meaningful projects that contribute to the startup or nonprofit’s larger mission, and present your work at the end of the program. This internship program includes one-on-one training in communication and time management, among other skills, and group training sessions with fellow interns. You will be paired with a manager at the startup and with a Ladder coach, who serves as a second mentor.
Interns usually require 5-10 hours a week to work on assigned tasks and to meet company management. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. The internship opportunities in this program span the globe, with a concentration in the U.S., Asia, Europe, and the UK.
2. Internships at the American Psychological Association
Subject Areas: Psychology, education, and training
Location: Remote or Washington, D.C.
Eligibility:
- Interns must be eligible to work in the U.S. (as verified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s e-verify service) and must reside in one of the states where APA is already registered as an employer.
- Students must be enrolled at least part-time in an academic institution to be eligible for an internship with APA.
- For students under the age of 18, an official District of Columbia Work Permit must be submitted with your application. Additional information about the D.C. Work Permit can be found online.
Application Deadline: Varies based on the internship.
Program Dates: Internships are offered year-round; exact dates vary based on the internship selected. Internships during the winter months are available.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Paid and unpaid internships are available.
Internships at the American Psychological Association (APA) present an exceptional opportunity for students interested in pursuing psychology. APA, the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the US, offers diverse internship roles in policy, research, communications, and financial services, giving students insight into the professional world of psychology. These internships, available in paid and unpaid formats, enable students to apply psychological expertise for societal benefit.
Winter internships with the APA provide a chance to deepen understanding of professional psychology within a nationally-recognized organization. You will be assigned a variety of tasks depending on the needs of the office and your interests and skills. You may participate in activities such as research, writing, and web-based projects. You might also be assisting staff with administrative tasks and special projects.
3. U.S. Department of Education (ED) Internship Opportunities
Subject Areas: Federal education, administration, human resources management, education policies, data analytics, project management, training and development, grants management, communications, information technology, and more.
Location: Multiple locations across the country. Varies based on the internship position.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be at least 16 years of age.
- Attend an accredited educational institution, including but not limited to; high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or graduate school.
Application Deadline:
- November 30, every year (Winter/Spring cohort).
- July 31, every year (Fall cohort).
Program Dates:
- September - December (Fall cohort)
- January - May (Winter/Spring cohort).
Internships are available in the fall, winter/spring, and summer, varying in duration depending on the internship opportunity.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns will receive a stipend (amount will vary based on the position).
The Department of Education (ED) offers internship opportunities for students and recent graduates keen on gaining experience in federal education, policy, and administration. As an intern, you will make meaningful contributions to ED’s mission of fostering educational excellence and equitable access. You will engage in various ED-sponsored intern events, including a brown-bag lunch series, D.C. landmark tours, professional development workshops, and social activities.
The following programs are open to high school students:
Student Volunteer Trainee Program: This program runs for 8-10 weeks, offering volunteer opportunities to students enrolled in accredited educational institutions. It provides hands-on experience in their field of study or career interest, fostering personal and professional skill development.
Pathways Programs – Internship Program: This program offers paid, part-time, or full-time opportunities for a year or longer to students enrolled or accepted in qualifying educational institutions. It enables students to explore career paths aligned with academic fields or areas of interest.
4. Penn State Research Internships and Observation
Subject Areas: Biomedical sciences
Location: Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM), Hershey, PA.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a high school student.
- Be residents of the United States.
- Be sponsored/supervised by a member of the College of Medicine faculty. This faculty laboratory supervisor is responsible for ensuring this procedure is completed and that the student's activities are closely supervised at all times.
Application Deadline: Applications are currently being accepted. No deadline has been specified.
Program Dates: Flexible dates, based on which research mentor you select while applying for the internship opportunity.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Internships may or may not provide a stipend.
Penn State College of Medicine provides high school students with the opportunity to explore immersive biomedical research internships and observation opportunities. Students can choose brief 1-2 day shadowing experiences or extended internships spanning weeks or months. As an intern, you will dive into hands-on learning in the laboratory. Your role will involve shadowing and observing the daily activities of a research mentor, gaining insight into their methodologies, experiments, and approaches to biomedical research. This hands-on experience will also allow interns to witness laboratory procedures, experimental setups, data collection methods, and analysis techniques firsthand.
Note: Before applying, students should seek a potential research supervisor. To explore faculty research interests at Penn State College of Medicine, students can browse the Penn State Research Database. This involves entering a topic of interest in the search bar or exploring departments for faculty profiles and research areas.
5. US Department of the Interior| Bureau of Land Management | Internship Program
Subject Areas: Land management, conservation, ecology, and more.
Location: Internship opportunities are currently available in multiple locations.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be 16 years of age or older enrolled or accepted for enrollment and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying accredited educational institution on a full-time or half-time basis.
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher (for indefinite interns).
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher (for temporary interns).
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: Flexible; depending on the type of internship, you will have to either gain at least 640 hours of work experience or work for 12 weeks.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend depends on the department (usually federal minimum wage).
This is a paid opportunity for students enrolled in a variety of academic fields to work in agencies and explore federal careers while still in school. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the U.S. Department of the Interior offers two kinds of internships to high school students.
The first is an indefinite intern – who will work for at least a year and may potentially work beyond a year. Upon successful completion of the program, you may be non-competitively converted to a permanent or term appointment in the competitive service.
The second is an intern not-to-extend (NTE), who is expected to work short-term. Upon completion of the program, you will not be eligible for non-competitive conversion to become an indefinite intern or non-competitive conversion to a permanent or term appointment.
Regardless of the type of internship you do, your role will entail an individual development plan that centers on developing various skills, and will help you set career goals. This internship offers a preview of land conservation, management, and protection policy.
6. Pathway Internship Programs at the U.S. Department of State
Subject Areas: Political science, foreign affairs, public policy, finance, insurance, environmental protection, and more.
Location: This will vary, students can opt for programs close to their location. Check available options here.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Have U.S. citizenship.
- Be at least 16 years of age by the announcement's closing date.
- Maintain student eligibility for the duration of the internship.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at the time of application and throughout the internship appointment.
Application Deadline: Varies from location to location.
Program Dates: While the dates of the internship will vary from post to post, those under the Internship Experience Program (IEP) are expected to last the length of the academic program for which the intern is enrolled, and those under the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) will run during seasonal and holiday breaks as well as year-round.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; The stipend varies from post to post.
These internships are opportunities to explore federal careers in various government offices while being paid. With these internships, you will get firsthand experience in various aspects of foreign affairs, public policy, and international affairs as you intern at offices such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Structured Finance and Insurance, Office of the General Counsel, Environmental Protection Agency, and so on. The program offers a structured learning environment, where you will work alongside experienced professionals, engage in meaningful projects, and develop critical skills for the global stage.
There are two types of internships under this program: the Internship Experience Program (IEP) and the Internship Temporary Program (ITEP). IEP interns are eligible for non-competitive promotions and federal employee benefits. ITEP interns are appointed to temporary appointments, which will be at most one year or their projected graduation date (whichever is shorter) and extensions may be made in one-year increments.
Note: All vacancies part of this internship program are posted on USAJobs.gov. So details such as the application deadline, and internship dates will vary from role to role and will be available on each specific posting. Check the current vacancies here.
7. EnergyMag Research Internship
Subject Areas: Renewable energy, energy storage and conservation
Location: Virtual
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be sophomores, juniors, and seniors only.
- Have taken at least one honors science or honors English class.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.25.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. You can apply here.
Program Dates: Flexible —
- Half-time internships come in increments of 2 weeks, from 2 to 8 weeks. The interns are expected to work approximately 20 hours per week. Half-time internships are available during the summer.
- Quarter-time internships come in increments of 1 month, from 1 to 9 months. The interns are expected to work approximately 8 hours per week. Quarter-time internships are available all year round.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Internships are unpaid.
EnergyMag provides virtual research internships for high school and college students keen on exploring the renewable energy sector. You will dive into company research, technology analysis, and market exploration, acquiring valuable research, analytical skills, and practical experience. The internships are available at half-time (2–8 weeks, 20 hours per week) or quarter-time (1–9 months, 8 hours per week) schedules, catering to diverse academic commitments. As an intern, you will be asked to research and analyze a specific company, a specific technology, a specific (narrow) market, or similar activities. You will need to research the topic, find and get in contact with people who have the relevant information, analyze and synthesize the information you gather, and produce a draft analysis report, which will reference your name, and be published on the site after appropriate editing and formatting.
You will be assigned a mentor, who will brief you, guide you, supervise your work, and answer any questions you may have. If you produce a publishable report, you will be given an internship Letter of Accomplishment, which will summarize your work and the organization’s appreciation.
8. Building-U High School Internship
Subject Areas: R&D, business development, marketing, media, coding, social media content and analytics, animation, and more.
Location: Virtual.
Eligibility: The applicant must currently be enrolled as a K9 – K12 student. Students from all over the world, in grades 9-12, are encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: 3 months, but can be year-round if the student wishes to extend it.
Cost/Stipend: No application cost. Information about a stipend is not specified.
Building-U is an entirely remote non-profit organization that works to assist high school students. The non-profit offers 3-month to year-round virtual internships in administrative and business roles. As an intern, you will be assigned a range of duties. Once selected, you will be part of one of their teams – these can be in Research & Development roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and other profiles, more details of which you can read about here. Each role offers a range of experiences and responsibilities and will give you the chance to contribute towards the organization’s larger goals.
The following internships are not exclusively offered during the winter months, but rather run year-round offer or fall/spring cohort options.
9. Internships at Sandia National Laboratories
Subject Areas: R&D, business, technical (cyber security, energy, engineering, and software).
Location: Varies depending on the project. Current internship openings at Sandia National Laboratory are based in Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Have a U.S. citizenship.
- Be at least 16 years of age.
- Have a full-time enrollment status at a high school.
- Year-round/co-op intern – Must be a full-time student during the academic school year (spring, fall, and winter)
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0 (for high school students applying for Research and Development (R&D), Technical, or Business positions).
Application Deadline: Varies from project to project.
Program Dates: Varies from project to project.
- Co-op internships typically run 3–8 months during the academic term and may include an adjacent summer term. For the Co-op internships, you can select your internship period, in coordination with Sandia and your school.
- Year-round internships run during the academic terms, and students can work up to 25 hours a week.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Stipend is provided. You can check the intern pay rate here.
Each year, Sandia Laboratories welcomes students from around the country to work in a variety of technical and business positions. As an intern, you get to work on real-world, challenging projects to contribute to critical national goals, as the labs operate under the US Department of Energy. They do not offer internships exclusively during the winter months but they do offer year-round and co-op internships.
Year-round internships: These allow students who attend local schools to work part-time at a Sandia site, working up to 25 hours a week for high school students, and up to 40 hours per week during school breaks.
Co-op internships: These are conducted in partnership with individual schools, and allow students to take time off during the academic year to gain work experience at Sandia, working up to 40 hours a week. They run for 3–8 months in the academic term and may include an adjacent summer term.
Many of their research internships encompass a range of disciplines, including cyber security, energy surety, engineering design, and software development. Each such area will have a team to guide and mentor interns in projects aligned with their major or area of interest. Competitive pay, academic credits, top-notch mentoring, and cutting-edge training make these internships a valuable learning and training experience. You can search all the internship opportunities for high school students offered by Sandia National Laboratories here.
10. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internship Programs
Subject areas: Multidisciplinary (including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, ecology, outreach, communications, and more)
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Depending on the project, interns will work either remotely or on-site at any of NASA’s 10 field centers across the country.
Eligibility: Applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
- Be a full-time student (high school through graduate level) or a part-time college-level student enrolled in a minimum of 6 semester hours.
- Be a minimum of 16 years of age at the time of application (no exceptions).
Application Deadline: January (Fall session) | August (Spring session) | October (Summer session)
Program Dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions –
- Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December)
- Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May)
- Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session duration.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships to high school and college-level students based in its various sites across the country. These internships provide training, mentorship, and career development to over 2000+ students annually alongside exposure to leading experts in science, engineering, finance, IT, and business. The internships are offered in a range of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, ecology, and even outreach and communications. You will get to design experiments, analyze mission data, and develop innovative technologies. You can explore different internship opportunities here by using the ‘Filter’ option to view the options open to high school students.
Note: These paid internships are available across NASA facilities throughout the year.
11. Metropolitan Museum of Art High School Internships
Subject Areas: Art history, editorial, marketing, social media, education, scientific research, conservation, and more.
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Eligibility: Any student who:
- Is in grade 10 or 11 and either resides in or attends a high school or home school in New York City.
- Has not completed another paid or unpaid internship at The Met.
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in October.
Program Dates: January 13 - June 14, 2024. (They do not offer internships exclusively during the winter months but they do offer internship opportunities during the school year.)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; After submitting all required paperwork and completing the internship, the interns receive a $1,100 stipend paid in one installment.
The Met High School Internship Program offers paid opportunities for high school students who either reside in or attend a high school or home school in New York City. This program will allow you to connect with art, museums, and creative professionals as you develop professional skills, network, and gain work experience.
The program allows you to connect one-on-one and in small cohorts with museum professionals in several related fields, including editorial, marketing, social media, education, scientific research, conservation, and more. Upon completion of the program, you will receive a stipend commensurate with New York State minimum wage law.
Subject Areas: Political science.
Location: Washington D.C.
Eligibility: Applicants:
- Must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or must have a Social Security number.
- Must be juniors in high school who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment (for Spring or Fall session internship).
- Must be rising juniors and rising seniors who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment. Students who are 18 years old may not be appointed (for Summer internships).
- Must verify a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/B to qualify for school attendance.
- Must provide a general health assessment completed by a licensed physician and a certification of immunization; must be covered by health insurance.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: While the program doesn’t offer an internship only during the winter months, it does offer fall and spring internships.
- January 28 - June 7, 2024 (Spring Session)
- June 9 - June 21, 2024 (Summer Session I)
- July 21 - August 2, 2024 (Summer Session II)
- Early September, 2024 - Late January, 2025 (Fall Session)
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Pages are paid on an annual salary basis of $35,360. Since pages serve for less than a year, they do not earn an entire annual salary (payments are made monthly).
The U.S. Senate Page Program follows a work-learn-mentorship model that provides you with real-world experience of the daily operation of the Senate. The Senate Page program is one of the longest-running opportunities for high school students interested in political internships. Pages are sponsored by their senators and will reside in Washington D.C. (living expenses, rent, and laundry will be covered). The responsibilities of the Pages consist primarily of delivering correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol and Senate office buildings, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and working on the Senate floor where they assist roll call votes, support senators and staff during debates, and carry bills and amendments to the desk.
Pages must be sponsored by a senator. There are only 30 positions available that serve the 100 members of the United States Senate, so not all senators will be sponsoring/selecting a page. Contact your local senator if you are interested in applying to this and check if they are sponsoring a page.
13. Veritas AI Internship
Subject areas: AI, ML, computer science
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
Program 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.
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.