Internships, especially paid ones, are a terrific way to gain experience. Although much of our focus at MNT-EC is on college students, we also strive to update our students and families about internships for high school students.  NOTE: See link below for the MNT-EC college–specific internships and more.

Summer Internships and Beyond

Deadlines for national-level internships, open to graduating high school seniors across the USA, are rapidly approaching, with some applications due as early as March (like this week!). While most deadlines are later in the spring, it’s crucial to review each opportunity carefully this week, as eligibility varies from nationwide to state or region-specific programs. Remember, even if an internship is location-specific, guidelines may allow applicants from other states, so examine the requirements closely.

Here are a few great internship opportunities for high school students:

• Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) for High School Internships: On this page, you will find lots of information and a 22-page Google document that lists quite a few internships that closed in February 2024, but many of them have rolling applications/deadlines. Note: There’s also a page for our educator buddies: AEOP Programs for Educators.

• During the 4-week High School Discovery Program at Microsoft, Discoverers will experience the Design phase of product development, gain foundational skills, mentorship, and community building. Open to rising first-year bachelor’s degree students (graduating high school seniors) living near Redmond, WA, or Atlanta, GA, it’s an opportunity to explore tech careers. Applications open in Redmond on March 5, 2024, and in Atlanta on March 19, 2024.

• The Kaiser Permanente Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) offers high school and college students, especially those underserved, underrepresented, and low-income, internship opportunities in the healthcare field through the Community Benefit fund. Interns work in various departments over the summer at KP, learning and contributing to their mission of delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare. The program includes a High School Internship among its three unique offerings. Deadlines vary slightly by location, but roughly mid-March. 

• NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid and volunteer internships for high school and college students to engage in science, technology, aeronautics, and space exploration missions. These internships provide practical work experience alongside mentors across various professions, available full-time or part-time, at NASA centers, facilities, or remotely. Gain on-the-job experience, enhance your resume, and improve career readiness with three sessions offered annually. Explore NASA on this searchable opportunity page, using filters to find suitable categories like high school or rising freshmen.

• Internships at the Smithsonian is an exciting and massive page of opportunities for students. This particular page, High School Student/ Recent Graduate, under the Smithsonian Office of Internships, lists a few special opportunities with various deadlines — but check soon as some have March deadlines.

• The Library of Congress: Internships and Fellowships. Dozens of opportunities from paid to volunteer. The High School Work Study Program has an ongoing application period.

We will update this page with additional high school-focused internship opportunities as we find them or our partners send them to us. Again, for college-oriented internships and scholarships, the March 4, 2024 edition of This Week in Small has more links and details about the MNT-EC Internship Connector: 03-04-2024 Nano News, Internships, Veteran Jobs.

You can also keep up with the various ways that MNT-EC strives to serve students and families in our email newsletters: Sign up here! You can also visit the Students & Families page.

Shout-out to one of our high school educator allies, New Jersey Teacher of the Year, Christine Girtain, for always sharing cool updates, news (the AEOP for High School Internships page came from her!), and projects for high school students. Christine is also the Director of Authentic Science Research at Toms River Regional Schools.