10 Internships for High School Students in Austin
If you’re a high schooler in Austin looking for internship opportunities, then this blog is for you!
High school internships offer useful hands-on experience in real-world settings, allowing you to explore potential career paths and gain practical skills, linking classroom theory with practice. You can use this opportunity to build a professional network, benefitting future job searches and college applications.
References and letters of recommendation from internship mentors and supervisors can add significant value to your student profile. Overall, internships bridge academic learning and professional development, giving you a head start compared to your peers.
An internship experience can significantly enhance your college application by demonstrating an interest in a career path and academics, and reflect personal growth. Internships showcase your commitment to gaining practical experience and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone.
We’ve compiled a list of 10 internship programs open to high school students in the greater Austin area.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other such valuable skills. They will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: $1990 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
The City of Austin offers multiple internship opportunities to high school students. You can apply for internships in business leadership, aviation, STEAM, hospitality, and event management. All internships last seven weeks and you’ll be expected to work 20 hours per week at $13/hr.
During your work, you might attend field trips, work in a laboratory setting, assist with finance and planning sessions, or work in hospitality divisions like accounting, building maintenance, and environmental compliance. You can request letters of recommendation after completing your internship
Cost/Stipend: Interns earn $13/hr
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications are open from the end of January to the end of February each year
Program dates: The internships typically begin the first week of June and last seven weeks
Eligibility:
You must be currently enrolled in an Austin-area high school and a city of Austin resident to apply
You must be a rising sophomore, junior, senior, or current senior
You must be 15-18 years old
Travis County offers paid and unpaid internships that typically last a semester and take place after school. These internships train you in public service by assigning you to experienced professionals in various departments. You can apply for internships in almost any branch of county government, depending upon availability. The District Attorney’s Office and Juvenile Court Psychology Department offer frequent internship opportunities. You can apply through the county website or contact the career counseling office for internship opportunities.
Here, you will actively participate in county government. Your work can include conducting research for your department, participating in field excursions, sitting in on meetings and planning sessions, planning and participating in department events, and networking and collaborating with other departments.
The Travis County internships are intensive and will give you insights into how local government and public service functions. You’ll be able to network and interact with several professionals and mentors, gaining transferable work experience.
Cost/Stipend: Internships may be paid or unpaid and academic credit is sometimes available
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications are accepted as positions open
Program dates: Typically, an internship with the county government lasts for an entire semester or summer
Eligibility:
You must be actively enrolled in a high school
There are several classifications of internships: Student 1 and Student 2 are open to high school students
STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) is a nationally competitive STEM program hosted by NASA and the University of Texas. In 2023, they received roughly 2,000 applications and accepted only 205 interns. The program revolves around Earth and space research. You will learn how to interpret NASA satellite data, work with scientists and engineers in their fields of expertise, and investigate natural hazards and climate science. The program is typically hybrid: you first complete distance learning modules before the remote work component, followed by the on-site phase of the internship. Housing, meals, and local transportation are provided.
You’ll present your final research at a virtual science symposium at the end of your internship. Project themes include microgravity research, astronaut photography, galaxy classification, climate research, and high-altitude engineering projects.
This internship is part of NASA’s Activation program. If you want to learn more about this program or look at more NASA opportunities, click here.
Cost/Stipend: None. The program covers housing, meals, and local transportation
Location: Hybrid/Austin, TX
Application deadline: Typically the third week of February
Program dates: Online modules are available beginning May 1 and all internships end by August 4 or 5
Eligibility:
Strong academic record, though factors other than grades are taken into consideration
Must be in grades 10-11
Demonstrated passion for STEM. This could include previous projects, a compelling personal statement, volunteer hours at a local observatory, or participation in a STEM-related club or competition
The University of Texas Southwestern Department of Psychiatry hosts this two-week virtual internship. It is designed to introduce high school students to the range of careers available in mental health. You’ll attend interactive sessions led by various mental health clinician-scientists to learn about topics like neuropsychology, mental health in hospitals, and mental health in social work. You’ll prepare for sessions by completing topical readings like news articles and even scientific papers, improving your analytical skills and academic reading abilities.
If you’ve ever wondered how to pay for medical school, what steps to take to pursue mental health as a career, or what it means to be a social worker, you can use this opportunity to interact with professionals in these fields. Q&A sessions and small group discussions let you deep dive into session leaders’ experiences in their careers.
Cost/Stipend: Unknown, none listed
Location: Virtual
Application deadline: Applications open in September and are due in early February
Program dates: Dates vary by year, but the program always takes place in June
Eligibility:
Must be a rising grade 10,11, or 12 student. Graduating seniors who are enrolled in an accredited college or university are also eligible
Must not have any prior felonies
Austin Angels, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children, young people, and families in the foster care community, offers the ambassador program to high school students. The program allows students to dive into the work necessary to support individuals in the foster care community in a way that supports their educational and professional goals.
This program is intentionally fluid and can be tailored to your specific goals. You can use this program to further your passion for advocacy, community engagement, social stability, mentorship, or helping children. You’ll attend educational seminars, learn about Austin Angels programming, assist with planning and executing a fundraiser or supply drive, and receive verified volunteer hours and a letter of recommendation upon completion of the program.
If interested, you can view the program brochure here.
Cost/Stipend: none
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Program dates: Flexible depending on your needs, but typical internships last for a semester or quarter
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in a high school
The Moody Center is a premier music and entertainment venue in Austin, Texas. It offers internships to high school students covering several aspects of the live sports and entertainment industry like scheduling, marketing, crowd control, and social media. Interns earn $13/hr and you will work a maximum of 20 hours per week. Most internships last an entire semester. You can expect to work directly with managers and supervisors to learn the ins and outs of planning events, marketing, and community relations.
In particular, you’ll learn about the connection between digital marketing and entertainment. You’ll also engage with local artists, assist with fundraising efforts, and generate social media content. These internships provide significant hands-on, real-world work opportunities.
Cost: Paid $13/hr
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications are accepted as internship opportunities open
Program dates: Internships typically last for a semester or quarter
Eligibility:
Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Must demonstrate a passion for live entertainment, through events you’ve attended, related community service, previous job experience, or participation in school clubs
The Build Up High School Internship is hosted by DPR Construction, a nationwide general contractor focused on highly complex and technical projects. They offer full-time internships (35-40 hours/week) that give interested students experience in construction management.
You can expect to work onsite in the job trailer with a project team building a major commercial construction project. This involves learning about multi-million-dollar projects, budget management, the technology used for planning, scheduling, and design, and interacting with the different professionals necessary to build a project.
You will have the unique opportunity to work on an actual complex construction project. The program includes a capstone project assignment. You will end the internship with advanced professional and construction skills, a project in your portfolio, and relationships with field mentors in construction, engineering, and architecture.
Cost/Stipend: Paid, amount varies depending on local minimum wage and experience
Location: Austin, TX, and other locations available nationwide
Application deadline: Typically mid-April
Program dates: The program lasts for eight weeks during the summer
Eligibility:
Must be a rising high school junior, senior, or graduating senior
Must have family income below HUD median family income for your county
Must be legally entitled to work in the U.S.
The TxDOT internship program is available year-round and is designed for high school and college students interested in transportation-related fields like infrastructure maintenance and repair, public transportation, funding and finance, and environmental impact management. Full and part-time positions are available
You’ll be assigned to various transportation projects like route planning, budget planning sessions, and road surveys. Additionally, you will attend training sessions, have access to department professional resources, and connect with other interns, experts, and professionals from around the state of Texas. You can look at open internship listings here.
Cost/Stipend: Interns are paid $15-$18 per hour
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis
Program dates: Internships typically last for a semester or quarter, though some last for the entire academic year
Eligibility:
You must be at least 16 years of age and some positions may require that you be 18 years of age
You must be eligible to work in the U.S.
You must be enrolled as a student at a high school, technical school, college, or university
ACE is a nationwide program now available to high school students in the Austin area and is designed to introduce you to a wide range of career opportunities in architecture, construction, and engineering. You’ll attend weekly meetings and work in student teams led by professionals from leading firms in the Austin area. You’ll design hypothetical projects, tour local construction sites, and visit architectural, engineering, and construction offices.
This program will help you develop industry-specific skills in architecture, engineering, and construction. You can expect to tackle design problems, learn to use advanced computerized tools like AutoCAD, and apply skills from art to mathematics. You present your work at the end of your program to mentors, family, and community leaders. Mentors can provide references for college admissions, scholarships, and full-time employment. As a bonus, ACE also has scholarships for students who complete their program.
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Location: Austin, TX
Application deadline: Applications typically remain open until filled
Program dates: The program typically runs during the academic year beginning in October and spots are limited
Eligibility: Must be an enrolled high school student
If you’re looking to gain research experience alongside your internship, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs!
This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from.
You can find the application link here
One other option - the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, you could also consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here.
Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!
Elise is a writer for Lumiere and a graduate of the University of Montana School of Law. She began writing for Lumiere in 2024 to help connect high school students to research opportunities. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, swimming, and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
Image Source: The University of Texas at Austin logo