10 Winter Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student looking for an internship during the winter months, we’ve got you covered! Whether you’re keen on interning in one of the many STEM fields, social sciences, art, or law, there’s something for you in this list of 10 best winter internships, covering both in-person and virtual internship options.
Doing a winter internship during high school can offer unique advantages compared to summer programs.
With reduced competition, students stand better chances of securing placements in prestigious programs.
Taking place during the academic year, these internships allow students to explore interests while balancing school commitments, and applying classroom knowledge to real-world scenarios.
Smaller cohorts often foster intimate networking opportunities, facilitating deeper connections with mentors, professionals, and peers. Additionally, these internships may expose students to unique seasonal activities or projects not available during summer programs, offering diverse and enriching experiences.
Ladder Internships is a selective program that offers students virtual internships at startups and nonprofits around the world. The startups range across various industries, and each student can select which field they would like to deep dive into. This program provides a carefully tailored curriculum that caters specifically to high school students, ensuring both academic enrichment and the development of practical skills. These internships provide a structured pathway for high school students to engage in real-world research and innovation.
As an intern, you will work on a real-world project that the startup needs, and present your work at the end of their internship. In addition to working closely with their manager from the startup, you will also work with a Ladder Coach, who serves as a second mentor and a sounding board, guiding you through the internship and helping you navigate the startup environment. Interns are offered one-on-one training in communication, time management and other such valuable skills and will also have the opportunity to attend group training sessions with other interns in their cohort. The program's emphasis on hands-on experience allows you to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, fostering a sense of confidence and adaptability.
Tip: We’ve covered this program in depth here!
Application deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-15 hours/week, for 8–12 weeks are welcome to apply. The program invites applications from high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students.
Program dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Starting from $1,990. Financial assistance is available.
Internships at the American Psychological Association (APA) present an exceptional opportunity for students interested in pursuing a winter internship. The APA, a distinguished organization representing psychologists in the US, offers diverse internship roles in policy, research, communications, and financial services. These internships, available in paid and unpaid formats, enable students to apply psychological expertise for societal benefit.
\Winter internships with the APA provide a chance to deepen understanding of professional psychology within a nationally-recognized organization. Internships at the APA are offered year-round, and the program dates for winter internships vary based on the selected opportunity.
Application deadline: Varies based on the internship. Internships in the winter months are available.
Eligibility: While specific details may vary based on the internship, students who are enrolled at least part-time in an academic institution at the time of applying are eligible. Students under the age of 18 must submit an official District of Columbia Work Permit with their application.
Program dates: Internships are offered year-round, exact dates vary based on the internship selected.
Location: Remote or Washington, DC.
Cost/Stipend: No cost. Paid and unpaid internships are available.
The Department of Education (ED) offers internship opportunities for students and recent graduates keen on gaining valuable experience in federal education, policy, and administration. Participants contribute meaningfully to ED’s mission of fostering educational excellence and equitable access. Students and recent graduates get to engage in various ED-sponsored intern events, including a brown-bag lunch series, D.C. landmark tours, professional development workshops, and social activities. The following programs are open to high school students:
1. Student Volunteer Trainee Program:
This program runs for 8-10 weeks, offering volunteer opportunities to students enrolled in accredited educational institutions.
It provides hands-on experience in their field of study or career interest, fostering personal and professional skill development.
2. Pathways Programs – Internship Program:
This program offers paid, part-time or full-time opportunities for a year or longer to students enrolled or accepted in qualifying educational institutions.
It enables students to explore career paths aligned with academic fields or areas of interests.
Application deadline: November 30, every year (Winter/Spring cohort) | July 31, every year (Fall cohort)
Eligibility: Applicants need to be at least 16 years old, enrolled, or accepted in a qualifying educational institution for a degree or certificate program. International applicants can apply to the student volunteer trainee program provided they meet the listed criteria.
Program dates: September - December (Fall cohort) | January - May (Winter/Spring cohort). Internships are available in the fall, winter/spring, and summer, varying in duration.
Location: Multiple locations across the country. Varies based on the internship position.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. Interns will receive a stipend, it varies based on the position.
Building-U is an entirely remote non-profit organization that works to assist high-school students. The non-profit offers 3-month to year-round virtual internships in administrative and business roles. As an intern, you will be assigned a range of duties. Once selected, you will be part of one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and other profiles, more details of which you can read about here. Each role offers a range of experiences and responsibilities, and will give you the chance to contribute towards the organization’s larger goals.
Application deadline: Rolling deadlines.
Eligibility: Applicant must currently be enrolled as a K9 — K12 student. Students from all over the world, in grades 9-12, are encouraged to apply.
Program dates: 3 months, but can be year-round if the student is open to it.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: No application cost. Information about a stipend is not specified.
NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships at locations all around America. These internships are a great opportunity for students to contribute to ongoing agency projects under the guidance of NASA mentors. These internships provide training, mentorship, and career development to over 2000+ students annually alongside exposure to leading experts in science, engineering, finance, IT, and business. Available across various disciplines like space science, engineering, technology, and outreach, interns engage in designing experiments, analyzing mission data, and developing innovative technologies. This real-world experience fosters a deep understanding of NASA’s work, nurturing a passion for scientific discovery.
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.
Note: These paid internships are available across NASA facilities throughout the year, from winter to spring.
Application deadline: January (Fall session) | August (Spring session) | October (Summer session)
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old, with a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and are U.S. citizens, can apply.
Program dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions – Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December) | Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May) | Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities. Students may select roles based in the cities they are in.
Cost/Stipend: No cost involved. A majority of interns receive a stipend based on their academic level and session length.
Sandia National Laboratories is a contractor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s ‘National Nuclear Security Administration’ (NNSA) and they offer internships for students during the summer and year-round. The lab’s association with the government makes the internships it offers a prestigious choice for students.
Student interns engage in technical and business roles for impactful national projects. This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a cutting-edge research environment. As an intern, you will work alongside experienced scientists and engineers on projects that contribute to technological advancements. Intern positions cover cyber security, energy, engineering, and software, under the guidance of a manager, who will help define your work assignment, schedule and the duration of your internship. Competitive pay, academic credits, top-notch mentoring, and cutting-edge training make these internships a valuable learning and training experience.
Year-round internships: These allow students who attend local schools to work part-time at a Sandia site, working up to 25 hours a week for high school students, and up to 40 hours per week during school breaks.
Co-op internships: These are conducted in partnership with individual schools, and allow students to take time off during the academic year to gain work experience at Sandia, working up to 40 hours a week. They run for 3–8 months in the academic term and may include an adjacent summer term.
Application deadline: Open throughout the year.
Eligibility: Students who are at least 16 years old, are enrolled full-time in an accredited college, university or high school, are U.S. citizens can apply. Those applying must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for R&D, technical or business roles.
Program dates: Year-round, if you choose that program option. For the Co-op internships, you can select your internship period, in coordination with Sandia and your school.
Location: Current internship openings at Sandia National Laboratory are based in Albuquerque, NM and Livermore, California.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. The stipend will vary based on the internship role.
The U.S. Senate Page Program is an opportunity for high school juniors to learn the value of public service, while interacting with some of the nation’s leaders, and witnessing political debates in the Senate first hand. As a page, you will play a significant role in the daily operation of the Senate, and will have a range of responsibilities that you share with other pages.
You will be responsible for delivering correspondence and legislative material within the Capitol and Senate office buildings, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, working on the Senate floor, supporting senators and staff during debates, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. This program can give you an insight into the legislative process and allow you to learn about the inner workings at the nation's capital.
We’ve covered this program in detail here!
Note: The application process differs across Senators’ offices. Many offices provide information on their application process online, however not all senators sponsor pages. Students should contact their senators’ offices directly if they need further guidance. Unfortunately, the program does not have a list of senators who are able to sponsor pages. If you wish to apply for a page position, find your senator’s website here and apply directly. Information on stipend, housing and other details will also be provided by the respective senator’s office.
Location: United States Senate, Washington, DC
Eligibility: High school juniors who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/B, may apply.
Application deadline: This information will be available on the respective senator’s website, and if not, you can contact their office for details.
Program dates: While the program doesn’t offer an internship only during the winter months, it does offer fall and spring internships. Fall (early September - late January) | Spring (late January - early June) | Summer Session I (3-4 weeks in June) | Summer Session II (3-4 weeks in July)
Cost: No cost, annual salary of $35,116 (payments are made monthly, so close to $3000 per month that you are working)
Penn State College of Medicine provides high school students with the opportunity to explore immersive biomedical research internships and observation opportunities. Students can choose brief 1-2 day shadowing experiences or extended internships spanning weeks or months. As an intern, you will dive into hands-on learning in the laboratory. Your role will involve shadowing and observing the daily activities of a research mentor, gaining insight into their methodologies, experiments, and approaches to biomedical research. This hands-on observation will also interns to witness laboratory procedures, experimental setups, data collection methods, and analysis techniques firsthand.
Note: Before applying, students should seek a potential research supervisor on their own. To explore faculty research interests at Penn State College of Medicine, students can browse the Pure research networking directory. This involves entering a topic of interest in the search bar or exploring departments for faculty profiles and research areas.
Application deadline: Currently accepting applications. No deadline has been specified.
Eligibility: High school students must be living in the United States.
Program dates: Flexible dates, based on which research mentor you select while applying.
Location: Penn State College of Medicine (PSCOM), Hershey, PA.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. Internships may or may not provide a stipend.
EnergyMag provides virtual research internships to high school and college students keen on exploring the renewable energy sector. Participants dive into company research, technology analysis, and market exploration, acquiring valuable research, analytical skills, and practical experience. The internships are available at half-time (2–8 weeks, 20 hours per week) or quarter-time (1–9 months, 8 hours per week) schedules, catering to diverse academic commitments.
Application deadline: Applications are open all year round, you can apply here.
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have taken at least one honors science or honors English class, with a minimum GPA of 3.25, can apply.
Program dates: Rolling dates
Location: Virtual.
Cost/Stipend: No cost to apply. Internships are unpaid.
This internship at New York Historical Society is tailor-made for high school students eager to delve into history. Through immersive research and creative digital projects, interns explore American history under the theme “Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America.” They collaborate with peers, engage in hands-on learning, and meet professionals to expand their historical thinking, communication, and digital media skills. Participation meets the extracurricular requirement for the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness. With a limit of 25 interns per cohort, this in-person internship is an enriching opportunity to immerse in history.
Application deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Open to high school students entering grades 10, 11, or 12. Applicants must make provisions to be in and around the location of the internship.
Program dates: October 25, 2023 — June 12, 2024, every Wednesday, 4–6:30 pm ET
Location: New York Historical Society, NY
Cost/Stipend: Stipend will be provided for those from Title 1 Schools to those eligible to receive free/reduced lunch. Other students can opt for unpaid internships, receiving community service hours or school credit.
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
Bonus — the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you are interested in doing university-level research in computer science, then you could also consider applying to the Lumiere Research Scholar Program, a selective online high school program for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, over 4000 students applied 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.
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.
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