High School Internships: How High School Students Can Benefit from Internship Opportunities
Having an internship as a high school student can help you prepare for the next stage in your academic or professional career.
In this blog post, we are sharing different ways that high school students can benefit from internship opportunities. We will also discuss what to look for in a high school internship, as well as how to set yourself up for success when applying to roles.
What are internships for high school students?
An internship is an introductory work experience, and for some students, it may even be their first experience in the working world. The goal of an internship is to provide meaningful work experiences that connect to a student’s field of interest.
First and foremost, high school students can benefit from the educational value that internships provide. High school internships will help students narrow down on their interests and potential career paths. A high school student with an internship in a specific career path may have an advantage over other students applying to future jobs or universities.
In an internship, a high school student will also gain valuable skills that will benefit them in future endeavors. For example, high school interns will practice critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and organizational skills that they can add to future college or job applications. At Inspirit AI, we offer interdisciplinary computer science and AI courses that equip high school students with many of the communication and technical skills that will help them thrive in STEM internships.
Internships can also take on a variety of different formats, depending on the industry or organization. The length of the internship, the overall time commitment, and the job responsibilities often vary. For example, some internships may offer paid opportunities for students, while others may be unpaid. Some organizations may hire a number of summer interns, while others may hire just 1-2. Some internships might take place in-person in an office or a lab, while others may be virtual. Before you apply to an internship, it is a good idea to consider what format works best for you, in addition to what you hope to gain from participating in the internship.
Benefits of a high school internship
There are so many benefits to high school internships, some of which we have shared already! High school internships can provide educational value to students, bolster students’ resumes, and even help prepare students for the real world.
Some additional benefits of high school internships include:
Gaining work experience: Internships provide students with introductory work experiences.
Learning professional skills: During an internship, students will learn a number of professional skills, like teamwork, collaboration, and communication. Students may also learn technical skills that are connected to their field of interest.
Exploring areas of interest: Students will get a chance to explore their areas of interest in a job setting, rather than just an academic one. Students will learn what they like - and dislike - both of which are important!
Providing structure: Internships typically have a set schedule, length, and time commitment, which will provide structure to a high schooler’s routine.
Getting hired after graduation: Many internships lead to full-time job offers after graduation!
Receiving a recommendation letter or a future job reference: You may be able to ask your supervisor for a recommendation letter or job reference. Even if you aren’t applying to a full-time job yet, a recommendation letter can set you up for success as you submit applications to universities and future internships. Be sure to build a positive relationship with your supervisor so you feel comfortable asking them for help!
At Inspirit AI, we offer computer science and AI courses for high school students that provide them with these exact benefits. Our courses engage students in authentic project-building work that teach students interpersonal, technical, and professional skills. Many of our students have also built close relationships with their Stanford, MIT, and Harvard instructors and mentors, even asking for and receiving recommendation letters for their college applications.
What should a high schooler look for in an internship?
High quality internships typically consist of a few key takeaways. First, internships should provide you with educational value. You will want to walk away from the experience having learned something valuable. As you look for an internship, make sure you consider what learning goals you hope to gain from this experience.
Second, high quality internships also connect students to a mentor. Mentorship is so important! Many organizations offer mentoring programs for interns. Other organizations might not have a structured mentorship program, but still do a great job at connecting you to a mentor at the company/organization who will guide and support you. A mentor will help answer your questions, give you feedback, and may even offer to support you after the internship has ended.
At Inspirit AI, our programs focus on connecting high schoolers to mentors from Stanford, MIT, Harvard, and other leading computer science universities. We even offer a 1:1 mentorship program for returning students to create a scientific research project in Python.
You may also like this blog post on How an AI Extracurricular Project Can Help Students Stand Out in College Admissions.
Third, look for an internship that will have you work on meaningful projects. As an intern, you probably won’t get too much exposure to higher level work at the company or organization. That’s normal! But, you should look for an internship that does expose you to some meaningful responsibilities.
In the Inspirit AI program, our high schoolers work in small groups of 4-6 students to implement a mentor-led, socially impactful, AI project. You can learn more about their amazing project work here!
Lastly, we encourage you to seek out an internship that will expose you to various parts of the business or organization. Even if you are interning for a specific team or project, it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with other parts of the organization so you learn more about how the industry functions.
How can high schoolers find internships?
Research on Google
A quick Google search of “high school internships” will lead you to many websites that offer internships for high school students. You can even search for more specific terms in an internship that you want to pursue. For example, you could research “high school lab internships” to find an internship at a lab this summer.
Find Job Postings on Company Websites
Many companies post job listings on their websites. If there is a specific company or organization that interests you, visit their website to learn more about their work, mission, and job postings. Then, you can connect with the company online to apply.
Search through these Offerings
There are so many amazing internships available to high school students, both in-person and online. At Inspirit AI, we really like this list from College Vine, which features 24 Awesome Internships for High School Students. Some of these internships include:
BRAINYAC: The Zuckerman Institute’s Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia is an an immersive, hands-on summer research experience in a lab at Columbia.
Microsoft High School Internship: Students interested in computer science and programming can apply to a STEM internship designed for high schoolers at Microsoft (both in-person and virtual are available).
NASA High School Internship: NASA has many opportunities for high schoolers to get involved and launch their STEM careers.
Washington Performing Arts: Students who are passionate about the performing arts can apply to an internship to help build professional skills in this industry.
Apply to Inspirit AI
If you are looking to connect with a mentor and gain professional skills, you may also be interested in our program offerings at Inspirit AI!
The Inspirit AI program exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
High school extracurriculars and internships, like the offerings above, can play an important role in helping students prepare for the next stage in their academic and professional careers.
