8 Education Internships for High School Students
Pursuing internships in high school can have a transformative impact on your college applications and future career prospects. They reflect initiative, dedication, and passion for a chosen field and showcase your ability to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, a trait highly valued by admissions committees. Moreover, internships help you make more informed academic and professional decisions.
If you are interested in education, you should know that the education sector offers several career paths beyond traditional classroom teaching. These include roles in educational administration, tutoring, policy-making, curriculum design, special education, educational technology, library studies, and counseling. An Internship is a great way to gain insights into these roles and assess whether a career in education aligns with your passion and skills.
Check out this list of 8 education internships for high school students!
The Future Educators Academy at The College of New Jersey is a week-long residential summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors from NJ public schools. This intensive program focuses on social justice in education and highlights the importance of teaching and educators’ impact in and beyond the classroom. Students engage in individual and group learning experiences, receive insights from education professionals, go on field trips, and apply new concepts practically. Participants also gain classroom experience from a teacher’s perspective, including planning and delivering mini-lessons to elementary school children. Coursework includes pre-assignments, a portfolio of work that will culminate in a capstone presentation, and written reflections.
Location: The College of New Jersey campus
Cost/Stipend: No information available
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors. This program aims to recruit students from marginalized and underrepresented groups, although any qualified student from an NJ public high school may apply
Duration: One week
Application Deadline: Applications open in February of each year.
The US Department of Education (ED) offers internships to high school students interested in government and federal education, policy, and administration. Internships are available in fall/winter, spring, and summer; the duration depends on the specific program. ED tailors each intern’s experience to align with their interests and skills while meeting departmental needs, offering opportunities in human resources, education policies, data analytics, project management, training and development, grants management, communications, information technology, and more.
Location: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: No information available
Eligibility: At least 16 years of age and attend an accredited educational institution. Students will also need permission from the institution they are currently enrolled in to participate in the internship program
Duration: Varies depending on the internship. Fall dates of the program: September through December; Winter/Spring dates: January through May; and Summer dates: May/June through July/August
Application Deadline:
Fall application open and close: May 1st - July 31st
Winter/Spring application open and close: September 1st - November 30th
Summer application open and close: January 1st - March 31st
The Education Internship Program pairs high school students with teachers: participants can choose to work with elementary (K-5th grade) or secondary (6th-9th grade) students. Here, you will develop essential skills in communication, collaboration, time management, leadership, teaching techniques, and the importance of being a good role model. Interns meet once a week and are assigned to a classroom for the remainder of the week.
Location: Kearney School District, 425 W. Washington St., Kearney, MO
Cost/Stipend: No information available
Eligibility: High school students
Duration: Not mentioned on the website
Application Deadline: Early February
New-York Historical Society student historians conduct in-depth research and create digital projects as public educational resources. They collaborate with the professional staff to learn about the museum, library, digital humanities, and history fields while working with peers to enhance their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills. The program, with a cohort of 25 interns, emphasizes substantial research and writing, enabling interns to deepen their understanding of American history and digital humanities through hands-on work. The historical theme of the internship is Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America. Participation in this internship can be used to fulfill the extracurricular requirement for the New York State Education Department’s Seal of Civic Readiness.
Location: New-York Historical Society, , New York
Stipend: $700
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 10, 11, or 12 who live in and attend school in the New York City metro area (includes the five boroughs of New York City, as well as areas of New York State, Connecticut, and New Jersey)
Duration: October 23, 2024 – June 11, 2025
Application Deadline: September 22, 2024
If you are a teen interested in history, primary sources, reading, libraries, or museums, then the Library of Congress’ high school summer internship, hosted by the Informal Learning Office, is worth checking out! This internship allows teens to learn more about the Library of Congress’ work while helping the Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement develop materials for kids, teens, and families. The 2024 summer internship will focus on developing materials highlighting the David M. Rubinstein Treasures Gallery, which contains a draft of the Gettysburg Address handwritten by President Abraham Lincoln, original handwritten lyrics for “The Sound of Music,” Maya Lin’s original drawings for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, original artwork by Stan Lee and Steven Ditko for the Spider-Man comic, President James Madison’s crystal flute, 4,000-year-old cuneiform tablets and more. Interns will also meet professionals from across the Library, learn to use its collections, and gain insights into its programs and mission.
Location: Hybrid. Students attend the program virtually for most of the internship, with on-site days available for those students local to the Library of Congress’ Washington, D.C. campus
Stipend: Unpaid
Eligibility: Current high school students aged 16 or older at the start of the internship
Duration: June 24 - July 18, 2024.
Application Deadline: March of every year
A GVHS Cooperative Education internship offers a unique structure compared to typical after-school internships, with a tailored daily schedule and increased responsibilities. Interns focus on three key areas: community service programming, the internship program, and youth sports programming. The internship aims to expose interns to the business side of a non-profit. Responsibilities will include assisting with programming, marketing, and administrative tasks.
Location: Great Valley Community Organization Pennsylvania
Stipend: $12.00 per hour
Eligibility: High school seniors with enough credits to attend school for only part of the day
Duration: The internship will last throughout the school year.
Application Deadline: No information available
The TEACH Academy at Century High School is a school-within-a-school program for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors interested in teaching careers. The program is a recognized California Partnership Academy and serves the Santa Ana Unified School District students. The program aims to prepare college-bound students to become educators and community role models. In their junior year, students take the Professional Internship Course, engaging in job shadowing, teaching internships, and tutoring at Madison Elementary on Tuesdays through Fridays. Junior TEACH students tutor K-6th graders in Language Arts and Mathematics and also take classes in advanced lesson planning and educational pedagogy, conduct service-learning projects, and visit local colleges to explore the college experience. Participants earn around 120 hours of community service through this component of the TEACH Academy.
Location: Madison Elementary School in Santa Ana, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Eligibility: High school juniors
Duration: Throughout the sophomore, junior, and senior year
Application Deadline: No information available
The Learning Club Teaching Internship in Kansas City is designed for high school students interested in teaching and mentoring children in the local community. Interns tutor younger students one day a week on homework, reading, writing, and math, while also serving as mentors to inspire and support them. Interns receive personal and professional development training that covers topics like financial literacy, career exploration, community service, college applications, resume building, interview skills, and self-care. The program also provides transportation and a weekly stipend!
Location: Learning Club, Kansas City, KS
Stipend: $20 stipend per session and/or three community service hours per session during the academic school year
Eligibility: High school students
Duration: Interns begin their internship program working with students in mid-September of 2024
Application Deadline: Rolling applications
One other option - Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing research in STEM or other fields, 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!
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.