9 Internships for High School Students in Colorado
If you’re a high school student planning your future career and working on your college applications, you should consider applying for an internship. And if you’re a high school student in Colorado, this list is for you!
With an internship, you can get practical experience in a field you’re interested in, while also developing key skills that may help you make an informed decision about your future college major. These opportunities will take learning beyond the classroom, giving you a first-hand glimpse of how professionals tackle daily challenges and innovate within their roles. You will also build a strong network of experts and peers who might be essential to your future career.
When it comes to college applications, internships can help you stand out. Colleges and universities often seek applicants who demonstrate initiative and passion for their field of study. Participating in an internship shows that you are committed to understanding and excelling in your chosen area.
Here are 9 internships for high school students in Colorado that you can consider applying to.
Location: Anschutz Medical Campus (Children’s Hospital Colorado), Aurora, CO
Eligibility: High school seniors at least 18 years old by the start of the internship can apply. Undergraduates and graduates are also eligible.
Application Deadline: Applications are closed for 2024 and will reopen for the 2025 internship in December 2024.
Dates: June 3, 2024 - August 2, 2024 (9 weeks)
Stipend: $3,500 to help with housing and travel
The Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado and the Child Health Research Enterprise at Children's Hospital Colorado have collaborated to offer this summer research internship for high school students to work with the faculty of both institutions. As an intern, you will primarily work in the hospital lab, assisting your mentors with research in topics related to child health. You will be able to select your mentor from a list of available program faculty, indicating your first, second, and third choices during the application process. This mentorship process allows you to receive personalized guidance and support tailored to your specific interests and research goals.
You will attend weekly workshops and at the end of the internship, you will present your research findings either through an oral presentation or a poster/PowerPoint summary, while also writing abstracts for submission to local, regional, and national meetings. This presentation is a significant component of the internship as it allows you to consolidate and share your research contributions.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Cost: $1990. Financial aid is offered.
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students. During the internship, you will work with a high-growth start-up in a virtual setup. Start-ups that have partnered with Ladder to offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form. As an intern, you will work closely with your manager and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects. You will have to present your work to the company at the end of the program.
Interns will also be offered one-on-one training in communication, time management, and other valuable skills, along with group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Internship Date: The start date for the cohort is November 11, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work with VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more. This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real-world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
Location: Multiple locations in the country (including several in Colorado) + week-long residential Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors with U.S. work authorization and permanent residence in one of the eligible locations
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 are now closed. Keep checking the program page in the fall for applications for 2025.
Dates: 8 weeks in June-July. The summit will be held on July 22-27, 2024.
Stipend: Hourly rate + fully funded trip to the Student Leaders Summit
This prestigious program, running since 2004, connects 300 students annually to internship and employment opportunities across the country. With this program, you will get to engage with your community in meaningful ways, as you’ll be paired with local non-profits. You will learn how these organizations function, their administration, and how they collaborate with governments and businesses.
Some examples of non-profits that students will work with are Habitat for Humanity and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. You will work with your respective non-profit for the first 7 weeks of the program, and will then attend an all-expenses paid trip to the National Student Leaders Summit in the final week. At the summit, you will interact with professionals from a number of different of industries and fields, ranging from business to governmental affairs.
This program is considered highly selective and is a great way to apply what you learn in a hands-on environment while developing connections on a national level.
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Students may select roles in the cities they are in.
Eligibility: Internships are available for full-time high school students who meet a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. Students applying must be at least 16 years old and be US citizens.
Application Deadline: February 2, 2024 (for summer internships). Spring and fall internships are also available.
Dates: May-August (10 weeks)
Stipend: Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session length.
The NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers internships at its locations across the country in a number of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, and even outreach and communications. These prestigious internships offer students a chance to contribute to projects in areas such as civil engineering, 3D modeling, robotics, and aerospace engineering, that are currently ongoing at the agency under the guidance of a NASA mentor.
As an intern, you may engage in activities such as designing experiments, analyzing data from space missions, or developing new technologies — gaining real-world experience and insight into NASA's work. You can check out a complete list of positions here - you may have to use the “Filter” option to see opportunities only open to high school students. The program also provides training, mentoring, and career development opportunities along with the chance to work with the best science, engineering, financial, information technology, and business minds in the world.
Location: Children’s Hospital Colorado or Denver Health, CO
Eligibility: High school juniors are eligible
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February
Dates: Year-round, or longer.
Cost: There is no cost. Students will be paid, but information on the exact amount is not available.
The Denver Health Medical Career Collaborative internship begins when you are a junior and continues through your senior year and beyond. You will engage in field trips, workshops, and training sessions that cover various healthcare roles, which will help you understand the wide range of opportunities available in medicine and healthcare – from nursing to research. You will also earn health-related certifications, enhancing your credentials and preparing you for future professional requirements.
During your junior year, you will undertake a 100-120 hour paid internship at institutions like Children’s Hospital Colorado or Denver Health. This placement is designed to give you hands-on experience in a specific department within the hospital, under the guidance of skilled hospital staff. You will be paired with professionals from various healthcare fields, ranging from CNAs and technicians to physicians and therapists, who will guide your learning and professional development. Additionally, the program includes weekly seminar sessions where you discuss your internship experiences, important healthcare topics, and medical terminology. As you transition into your senior year, the program provides significant post-secondary support, assisting you in finding suitable colleges, understanding financial aid, and preparing scholarship applications.
Location: University of Colorado, Boulder
Eligibility: Rising 10th-12th grade students who are at least 14 years old are eligible
Application Deadline: March 10, 2024
Dates: June 17, 2024 - July 19, 2024
Cost: No cost. Students will be paid.
Every year, the Build a Better Book (BBB) Teen Internship Program selects a cohort of 12-16 students from various high schools in the Denver metro area to engage in a comprehensive 100-120-hour internship. During this time, you will work in small teams of 2-4 to create accessible educational products for community clients. These clients typically include young children with cortical visual impairment (CVI) and mobility challenges, as well as middle and high school students who are blind or have low vision.
This internship provides you with real-world engineering design experience in a workplace setting, allowing you to apply universal design principles and develop a deep understanding of empathy-driven design. Throughout the four weeks, you will not only learn about designing for disabilities but also gain hands-on experience with Maker Technologies such as 3D modeling, printing, and electronics like Arduino and laser cutters. Other activities include campus field trips, tours, and guest speakers, enhancing your educational experience.
Location: NIST campuses – Boulder, CO | Gaithersburg, MD
Eligibility: High school students (with U.S. citizenship) in their junior or senior year and students who have graduated high school but haven’t started college yet
Application Deadline: February 9, 2024
Dates: June 17, 2024 - August 9, 2024
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship.
The Summer High School Intern Program (SHIP) offered by NIST is a fairly competitive program for high school students who demonstrate an interest in scientific research. During this program, you will get to engage in cutting-edge research at NIST and work closely with NIST scientists and engineers on a specific research topic. There are 6 laboratories where students may choose to work:
Some research areas can include sustainable manufacturing, intelligent manufacturing (such as automation, robotics, and equipment), net zero-energy buildings, integrated and automated construction processes, just to name a few. You can look at the full list here!
Location: At one of Lockheed Martin’s nine facilities - Boulder, Littleton, Colorado Springs, CO; Huntsville, Courtland, AL; King of Prussia, Valley Forge, PA; Cape Canaveral, FL; Sunnyvale, CA. Some virtual opportunities might be available
Eligibility: High school students at least 16 years old and should reside within a commutable distance of a participating Lockheed Martin Facility
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in January.
Dates: 9-10 weeks during the summer, dates will be provided to selected interns
Cost: Hourly wage provided
The Lockheed Martin Space High School Internship program offers students a chance to work with aerospace scientists and engineers. The program is only open to students who reside within a commutable distance of Lockheed Martin’s nine locations across the country, as this is a non-residential internship.
As an intern, you will spend over 9 weeks in the summer solving and deploying processes, procedures, and systems that support Lockheed Martin’s aerospace operations. You will be expected to work 30-40 hours per week and will be paid an hourly wage. You will also engage in all summer programming activities such as networking, career development, and executive engagements. As software and digital solutions become more integral to the aerospace and defense sector, an internship here will be a good addition to your resume, especially if you want to work in the aerospace sector.
Bonus — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’d like to participate in a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you may want to consider the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded by 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!
Jessica attends Harvard University, where she studies Neuroscience and Computer Science as a Coca-Cola, Elks, and Albert Shankar Scholar. She is passionate about educational equity and hopes to one day combine this with her academic interests via social entrepreneurship. Outside of academics, she enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and running her jewelry business!
Image Source: Lockheed Martin Space Systems logo