8 Internships for High School Students in Phoenix, Arizona
- Stephen Turban
- Sep 8, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 24
Finding the right internship can be helpful for high school students looking to gain real-world experience and build a strong foundation for their future careers in a field. Phoenix, Arizona, offers an array of internship opportunities that cater to various interests, from computer science to biomedicine.
These internships provide hands-on experience and allow you to network with professionals, enhance your resume, and gain insights into your chosen field. Each program is designed to provide unique learning experiences, whether you're interested in technology, scientific research, or public policy. Internships can also strengthen your college applications by showing admissions officers your commitment to an area of interest.
In this blog post, we will explore 8 internships for high school students in Phoenix, Arizona. Note that the following information is based on the most recent program, with dates subject to change but generally similar from year to year.
Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
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 and 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. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Location: NIH campus, as well as labs in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; and Phoenix, AZ.
Cost: Fully funded, stipend provided.
Application Deadline: February 16
Internship Dates: 8 weeks between May to September (preferably June and July)
Eligibility: You must be a high school junior or senior and at least 17 years old by June 15, a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident, attend high school in the U.S., and live within 40 miles of the NIH campus to which you apply
Are you looking for an internship that allows you to conduct full-time research in biomedicine? The High School Summer Internship Program (HS-SIP) at NIH offers students the opportunity to engage in research under the mentorship of scientists. This competitive program accepts approximately 7% of applicants. Spanning 8 weeks, the HS-SIP program offers a stipend of $2,530 per month. The program begins with an orientation designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a research environment. You will have access to state-of-the-art facilities and resources, contributing to research projects in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences.
Location: Arizona State University campus
Cost: No cost; $1,800 stipend provided upon successful completion of the internship; interns are responsible for transportation costs
Application Deadline: February 26
Internship Dates: May 27 to July 30
Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in a high school in the Phoenix metro area.
In this research internship, you'll be matched with a PhD student who shares your research interests and will serve as your mentor throughout the program. Your mentor will guide you through a range of project options, including ongoing research and new ideas. Examples of past projects include comparing linting tools and ChatGPT for code review, creating a secure finance bot simulation to highlight vulnerabilities in Python, and exploring social media ad scams based on consumer demographics. You'll attend weekly lab meetings to present your progress, discuss challenges, and receive feedback from peers and professors. At the program's conclusion, you'll showcase your research findings in a presentation.
Location: BIO5 Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
Cost: No cost; financial assistance is available for costs like meals and transportation
Application Deadline: January 10; applications will open in Fall
Internship Dates: June 2 to July 18
Eligibility: Students must be at least 16 years old by June 2 and a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a minimum of one-year Arizona residency
The KEYS (Keep Engaging Youth in Science) program at the BIO5 Institute offers an opportunity in bioscience, biostatistics, biomedical science, biomedical engineering, data science, and environmental health research. This seven-week summer internship is designed to give you research experience and training in biotechnology skills, science literacy, ethics, and communication. For the past cohort, the acceptance rate was 13%. Interns begin with a one-week training session, where they learn various bioscience and data science techniques. Each student is then paired with a University of Arizona researcher leading a cross-disciplinary project. The program culminates in a research showcase. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Mayo Clinic, Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona, or virtual
Cost: Free; stipend provided
Application Deadline: February 1. Applications typically open in December
Internship Dates: In-Person Program: June 4 – 27 (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays) | Virtual Program: July 8 – 12 (Monday – Friday)
Eligibility: Open to Arizona high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
The Mayo Clinic Career Advancement, Research, and Education Summer (CARES) Program offers Arizona high school students an opportunity to explore a range of healthcare careers. The program includes activities in a hospital setting, opportunities to connect with professionals, and mentorship that extends beyond the summer. You will discover your strengths and explore potential career paths, such as physician, surgeon, biomedical researcher, and engineer. The program includes sessions on college preparation, resume writing, and interviewing.
Location: Virtual or in-person in Philadelphia, PA
Cost: No cost; a limited number of need-based stipends are offered
Application Deadline: November 1 for the spring cohort; TBA for Summer and Fall
Internship Dates: Spring: February – May; Summer: June – August; Fall: September – December
Eligibility: Students authorized to work in the U.S.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) offers internship opportunities for students during the Summer, Fall, and Spring terms. These internships provide a chance to connect with experts in foreign relations and gain experience working at a think tank. As an intern, you will be paired with a scholar or professional who will mentor you. Summer interns have the opportunity to attend weekly seminars focused on foreign policy and career development featuring guest speakers. FPRI offers several types of internships, such as research internships, where you work directly with FPRI staff and scholars in specific research areas such as the Middle East, Eurasia, Africa, or Asia. You can work on a research paper that may be published in FPRI’s Intern Corner. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Virtual or in-person in the Greater Seattle area, WA
Cost: No cost; some internships offer stipends
Application Deadline: April 22; applications will open in March/April
Internship Dates: Typically between May and August (~ 8–12 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and reside in the United States can apply
With an acceptance rate of less than 5%, Spark SMP is a highly competitive internship. This program provides research opportunities, interactions with scholars, and real-world experience. When applying, you can choose 5-6 projects in areas such as machine learning, software engineering, competitive analysis, and market research. Additionally, Spark SMP offers valuable resources for college applications. SPARK provides opportunities to interact with industry leaders, university professors, and community figures. To learn more about this program, check out our complete guide here.
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Cost: No cost; scholarships available
Application Deadline: April 1; applications will open in December
Internship Dates: July 1 to August 2
Eligibility: At least 16 years of age, enrolled in high school full-time
The Barrow Neurological Institute, the largest neurological disease treatment and research center globally, offers a Summer High School Internship Program. This year-round volunteer program allows you to gain experience in a professional lab setting, working with cutting-edge technology under the guidance of expert mentors. You will learn advanced scientific techniques and develop critical skills in evaluating scientific literature and communicating your findings. The program is designed to deepen your understanding of biological principles, the causes of diseases, and their potential treatments. You will develop a scientific project, which you can present at local and national competitions or even contribute to scientific publications.
One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program
If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, 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 4,000 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.
