10 Online Internships for High School Students

As a high school student, one of the most valuable activities for your career development and exploration can be an internship. However sometimes, these positions can be hard to come by, especially at the local level. 

Expanding your search to include online internships can be a useful method to learn about fields of study that you might otherwise be unable to access. By participating in an online internship, you can also take part in cutting-edge research taking place at state-of-the-art institutions or critical areas of study. You might even create lasting connections with top-level students and researchers across the world. 

If you are more of a hands-on learner who prefers an in-person internship, be sure to check out our list of 10 coding internships for high school students.

Why participate in a high school internship?

As high school students ramp up for college applications, they can often feel that they are being asked to make decisions that will impact the rest of their lives. Many schools will require students to apply for a specific major and although this designation is not completely flexible, it can feel like deciding the course of the next several years of a high schooler’s life. 

Exploring a wide range of career options as a high school student is a major advantage of the high school internship. When a student engages in several different experiences before applying to college, they can make a more informed decision about where to start their college career based on their previous involvements with work or internships.

High school students who create a habit of broad exploration will empower themselves to feel less anxiety and stress about the college application process, as they have practice in assessing several possibilities and deciding whether to dig deeper or direct their attention elsewhere. 

Online internships, in particular, can enable high school students to work on projects across the world. Whether it’s saving the rainforest or surveying the geopolitical climate of China, there are ways for high schoolers to involve themselves in socially impactful projects that will allow them to sample different fields and help them stand out on their applications.

1. Forage

Forage can be a great first step for high school students interested in exploring different careers but unsure if they are ready to commit to a summer-long work experience. The service pairs students with industry leaders in technology, fashion, real estate and more in 5–6-hour virtual programs that are completely free, open-access and self-paced. Additionally, no prior experience or even an application is necessary. 

2. Inspirit AI

For those interested in highly coveted STEM internships, Inspirit AI offers 2-week intensive programs to help high school students develop critical skills in coding and artificial intelligence. Courses are taught by graduate students and industry professionals from top universities such as Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, and vary in difficulty from introductory to graduate-level. 

Inspirit AI also offers its students the unique opportunity of growing with the program over multiple years, so that high school students can build up to a completed AI-empowered research project which they can submit to scientific journals and research competitions alike.  

3. Intern Abroad HQ

From education support in Tanzania to marine ecology in Greece, Intern Abroad HQ partners students with organizations around the world to play a part in a global mission of impact. Through this organization, high school students are able to reach areas of the world that would otherwise be inaccessible because of prohibitive travel costs and logistics. 

4. Green Scholars Program — Seaside Sustainability

The Green Scholars program is a project-based, honors-level program for high school students that encompasses four domains: environmental literacy, professional skills, project management, and program management. Green Scholars have completed a variety of projects including habitat restoration, micro wind farms, building school gardens, and eliminating single use. 

5. Bumper Ambassador Program

Bumper is a fast-growing fintech start-up building the first investing app for teenagers. As an ambassador, high school students are trained in financial literacy, stock analysis, and market fluctuations, among other topics and will have the opportunity to meet with special guest speakers and to earn money to invest on the app.

6. Virtual Internships Foundations Program

This is a program specifically designed to give students 14-18 years old the opportunity for remote career exploration and professional development. The program is four weeks long and puts high school students in project teams in one of four career groups: business & finance, engineering & computer science, marketing & creative industries, or social-impact & NGOs.

Students will come to understand what types of roles exist in their field of choice, the experience needed to pursue a career in that field, and the type of day-to-day projects they might encounter. 

7. YouUnited

Distinct from other internship programs, YouUnited is a student-led nonprofit empowering high school students to explore their career interests with virtual opportunities. By signing up, students can receive access to opportunities for volunteering, internships, and scholarships. 

8. EnergyMag Virtual Internship

EnergyMag offers both half-time (20 hrs/week) and quarter-time internships (10 hrs/week) in energy storage that promise to teach high school students how to research a scientific issue, network, and communicate professionally in writing. Half-time internships come in increments of 2-8 weeks while quarter-time positions can run anywhere from 1-9 months.

Upon producing a publishable report at the end of the program, students will receive a letter of accomplishment summarizing their work and EnergyMag’s recommendation of the student. 

9. PHC Group Mary Miller Summer Program

In the PHC Group Summer Program, talented rising seniors are given the opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain tangible experience as part of a global team. Under the guidance of the Public Health Director, interns will assist the team with community interaction and marketing. 

10. The Intern Group Remote Internship Program

The Intern Group partners with over 3,000 organizations across the globe to help high school students gain invaluable professional experience, grow their network, and make their resumes pop. Besides these various companies, the Intern Group also partners with schools such as the University of Pennsylvania and the London School of Economics. Students can also earn academic credit from their internships.