With more time to step into the “real world” for a bit, it only makes sense that summer is internship season. Internships can benefit students immensely, as they can gain real-world experience, learn more about a variety of fields, and enrich their resumes. Further, internships are important because they can often lead to careers, depending on the industry. While internships are often reserved for college students, it’s never too early to add experience to your resume. Use your summers off in high school to try out internships before you ever step foot on a college campus.
That being said, many young people get stuck in a cycle of unpaid labor, and they are often exploited and taken advantage of in such positions. Given that paid internships are disproportionately held by white male students — as compared to their female and non-white peers — it makes the conversation of securing paid positions for female high school students all the more critical.
Without further ado, here are four paid internships for high school students.
- Bank of America Student Leaders Program
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Bank of America’s student leaders program employs over 300 high school juniors and seniors, giving them eight-week paid internships for the summer with nonprofits, and culminating in a one week summit in Washington, D.C. Organizations that students are paired with include nonprofits such as Boys and Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity. The program seeks to teach students about the relationship between nonprofits, governments, and businesses, and gives students the opportunity to implement social change on a local and national level.
- Smithsonian Internship
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The Smithsonian Internship is offered throughout the year for various museums and research centers, meeting interests such as education, arts, and science. Interns are offered a competitive stipend, and these internships are open to high school students and recent graduates. In addition to deepening their knowledge of the field they pursue, students are offered additional opportunities for training and mentorship.
- National Security Agency High School Work Study Program
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The National Security Agency offers a high school work study program targeted towards high school juniors, offering part-time paid employment throughout the school year. Fields range from business, to engineering, to graphic arts, to manufacturing. In general, NSA offers a variety of programs designed for high schoolers up to doctoral candidates, deepening students’ understanding of national security, intelligence, and cybersecurity. The agency offers compensation as well as scholarship money.
- Microsoft Discovery Program
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Microsoft offers paid internships to students who are looking to gain experience in the tech industry through hands-on experience and mentorship. The Microsoft Discovery Program specifically is a 12-week program for high school seniors, and runs for four weeks during the summer. This particular internship emphasizes not only access to industry professionals, but career development. This internship is for students that live within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington.
