15 Internships Abroad for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 17 hours ago
- 12 min read
High school is often the point when you start thinking about the kind of work you might want to do in the future. One way to explore those interests is through internships. When these internships take place abroad, you also get to see how people in other countries work, study, and approach everyday tasks. This gives you a wider view of how different environments shape professional life.
What is an internship? Why should I intern as a high school student?
An internship abroad lets you try out areas such as STEM, business, humanities, public service, or other fields you may be curious about. You learn how hands-on projects are carried out, how teams communicate, and how tasks move from planning to completion. You also meet mentors and peers who can guide you as you think about your next steps. These experiences can later support your college applications and interviews because you have real examples to talk about, including what you worked on, what you learned, and how the experience influenced your interests.
To help you explore your options, we have put together a list of internships abroad for high school students! If you're looking for more prestigious research programs, internships, and region-specific programs in engineering and STEM, check out this set of blogs!
15 Internships Abroad for High School Students
Location: Multiple locations in Germany
Cost/Stipend: Free; small stipend provided
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective; 25 students selected
Dates: August - June
Application Deadline: December 15
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors aged 18-19 by August of departure year | Minimum GPA of 2.5 | Must be a U.S. citizen | Some knowledge of German is preferred but not required
The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Vocational Scholarship is a fully funded program for high school seniors who want to spend a year in Germany gaining work and vocational training experience. You choose a career field that matches your goals, such as architecture, education, international business, or engineering, and complete internships at German companies along with related classroom instruction.
The program begins with two months of German language study and an orientation in Washington, D.C., where you learn about German institutions and prepare to represent the United States abroad. In Germany, you live with a host family, attend a vocational training program in your chosen field, complete one or more internships, and meet with U.S. and German government representatives. You also take a course on Weimar and finish the year with a seminar in Berlin that focuses on German politics, culture, and history.
Location: London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-18Â
The Career Insights Program offers high school students an introduction to professional environments across multiple industries.. As a participant, you can expect to engage in hands-on projects with established companies, connect with industry experts through interactive workshops, and conduct site visits. You'll also visit operational sites, including offices, factories, and headquarters. At the end of the program, you’ll make a presentation to industry professionals. You can explore career paths in subjects such as medicine, engineering, law, business, journalism, fashion, and more. The program also includes weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and sessions where you will receive personalized feedback. You can find more details about the application here!
Location: Jordan, Morocco, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, or South Korea
Cost/Stipend: Free; students must cover the cost of additional expenses (passport, medical exams, spending money, etc.)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very selective
Dates: 6-7 weeks in mid-to-late June to August/September
Application Deadline: November 12
Eligibility: High school students currently enrolled in grades 9-12 | Applicants must be U.S. citizens, aged 15-18, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and be in the ACTFL Beginner – Advanced Low language proficiency range | See more comprehensive details here
Hosted by the U.S. Department of State, NSLI-Y brings talented high school students abroad to study critical languages for U.S. international relations: Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Korean. After you’re given your language and country placement, you’ll begin your summer with intensive language training several months in advance. When you travel abroad, you’ll stay with a host family and spend your days in a combination of language study, cultural engagement activities, speaking with local community members, intern as a community service and development volunteer, and complete projects focused on building international connections. You’ll be expected to represent America as a citizen ambassador and use your position as an opportunity to build cultural competence for ongoing study and work. NSLI-Y also offers school-year and online opportunities.
Location:Â Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline:Â Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).Â
Program dates:Â 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 schoolers, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships are selective virtual internships connecting students with startups and nonprofits around the world across diverse fields - from tech, AI/ML, and health tech to marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. As an intern, you will work on real-world projects that make a tangible impact on the organization. Throughout the program, you will collaborate closely with a startup manager while receiving personalized mentorship from a Ladder Coach. The experience ends with a final presentation where you will showcase your project and the skills you’ve developed.
Location: Córdoba, Argentina
Cost: Varies by program length; ranges from $2,610 for one week to $25,560 for one year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Flexible; students can choose any length between one week and one yearÂ
Application Deadline: Rolling due to flexible start dates
Eligibility: Students 16 and older
Projects Abroad’s Human Rights Internship provides high school students with hands-on work advancing human rights initiatives in Argentina. You’ll work at Projects Abroad’s Human Rights Office alongside local staff, completing a combination of field work, education, and campaigns supporting the rights of vulnerable communities in Argentina. Your fieldwork might include traveling to rural areas to detect community needs, providing resources to homeless populations, or giving educational presentations to students and local institutions on issues and legal rights regarding discrimination against indigenous peoples. You’ll assist in campaign work like shaping projects to increase access to reproductive services, improve poor prison conditions, and develop resources to fight gender inequality and domestic violence.
Location: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, or Ecuador
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very Selective; 98 students
Dates: Three weeks over the summer; dates vary by country placement, but all take place between late May and early AugustÂ
Application Deadline: Fall; check the site for updates
Eligibility: High school students aged 15-17 who are U.S. citizens and residents with proficiency in English and/or Spanish; students must have at least one semester of high school remaining after program participation and be willing to complete a Community-Based Service Initiative in their community after the programÂ
The Youth Ambassadors Program, hosted by the U.S. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, brings high school students abroad for a combined learning, internship, and mentorship experience. You’ll begin with an initial training in the U.S. before heading abroad to develop skills in leadership, cross-cultural awareness, professional development, and civic engagement. Your work will include experiential learning activities, contributing to volunteer initiatives, engaging with local communities, and more. You’ll network and work with NGO and local business leaders, receiving training in entrepreneurship, civic participation, digital literacy, and innovation. After the program, you’ll develop a Community-Based Service Initiative of your own to put your skills in action; you can read about a former student’s project supporting women entrepreneurs in Paraguay here.
Location: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Cost: Varies by program length; ranges from $2,760 for one week to $22,760 for one year
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Flexible; students can choose any length between one week and one yearÂ
Application Deadline: Rolling due to flexible start dates
Eligibility: Students 16 and older
The Mongolia Psychology Internship with Project Abroad places high schoolers at psychology healthcare centers in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, for a flexible-length internship focused on both psychological practice and research. You’ll shadow psychologists during rounds and patient sessions to gain an inside look at careers as a therapist, and supplement your hospital work with an outreach service providing healthcare support to disadvantaged community members. You’ll network with Mongolian healthcare staff to learn about psychological treatment methods, and share your knowledge of the U.S. mental healthcare system, building skills to prepare educational presentations on topics like stress management or conflict de-escalation with local staff.
Location: Kumasi, Ghana; other locations in the country may be available
Cost: $2,000 (2 weeks), $2,500 (3 weeks), or $3,000 (4 weeks); students may extend their internship for $500/weekÂ
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: 2-4 weeks; additional weeks may be addedÂ
Application Deadline: Varies by program dates
Eligibility: Full-time high school students aged 15-19
Ogvo Ghana Microfinance for Economic Empowerment Internship is an opportunity for high school students interested in finance and economics to support local communities in Ghana. You work with field staff on microfinance activities such as small cash loans and micro-leasing programs that aim to reduce poverty in the region. Your tasks include helping develop business plans to expand access to funds, evaluating how programs are implemented, and assisting with efforts to improve processes.
You also give presentations to community members about how microfinance can support financial stability and small business development, and you take part in workshops with Ghanaian microfinance institutions. Outside of work, you visit sites such as the Kakum Rainforest Reserve and the Cape Coast slave fort to learn about Ghana’s environment and history. You also have chances to meet people from local financial institutions, government offices, and NGOs.
Location: Barcelona, Spain | Country placements may vary; prior locations have included Berlin and Amsterdam
Cost: $3,899
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not providedÂ
Dates: February 17-24 or March 23-30
Application Deadline: December 1 (February internship) or January 5 (March internship)Â
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
Sage Corps’ Micro-Internship program in Barcelona places high school students in a small group of peers to complete a consulting project for a local startup. You’ll be assigned a project based on your startup’s needs, where you’ll work on tasks across marketing initiatives, business development planning, and financial data analysis. Past projects have included supporting a Dutch digital wallet brand for Brazilian students to conduct market research, identify strategic university partners, and create a marketing strategy to target potential investors. You’ll work with your team to develop a final research project and development proposal, which you’ll present to the client at the end of the program.Â
Location: Dublin, Ireland, or Remote (working for a Dublin NGO)
Cost: Varies by program length, dates, and chosen accommodation, with a minimum cost of $4,039 and a maximum cost of $17,939
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Internships can run from 4 to 24 weeks, with start dates available in all months of the year
Application Deadline: Flexible/Rolling; students should apply at least 3 months before the desired start date
Eligibility: High school students aged 16+ (Online) or 17+ (In-person)
The Intern Group’s NGO Internship program allows high school students to work in Dublin to support initiatives across poverty alleviation, homelessness, mental health, and youth well-being. Your responsibilities as an intern may include social media management and content creation, coordinating events like guest speaker visits and virtual donor events, writing grant applications, and planning funding allocations. Other assignments can include campaign research, drafting written communication, and creating outreach strategies. You’ll also receive guidance on career planning, travel to other locations in Ireland, and attend a workshop series on professional development skills.
Location: Oxford University, Oxford, England
Cost: £8,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: July 19 - August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 | Students must obtain a proper visa
Oxford’s Future Climate Innovators brings high school students to the UK for a two-week summer program focused on sustainability, climate change, and leadership skills. You’ll live on campus at Oxford, combining class time with an array of social networking events, campus tours, and field trips to the Oxford Botanic Garden and an off-site industry visit. You’ll study topics across extreme weather, AI and climate change, and ecosystems, working towards a sustainable business proposal culminating in a final project and presentation at the Oxford Climate Innovation Conference. To expand your professional and academic development, you’ll attend a career workshop, resume clinic, and discussions on launching a successful startup.
Location: Bilbao, Spain
Cost: €500/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Flexible; placement options range from one week to one yearÂ
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Ages 14 and above | English fluency and basic Spanish strongly recommended
Instituto Hemingway brings volunteers of all ages from high school and above to work as teaching assistants for underserved children in northern Spain. You’ll intern for local instructors to support English language education, including developing creative lesson plans, games, and activities for interactive learning, and directly teaching students. You’ll additionally provide guidance through reading to young students, helping older students complete projects and homework, and serving as a fluent speaker with whom children can practice their English skills. On weekends and weekday evenings, you’ll participate in activities like salsa lessons, museum tours, and hiking on local beaches and mountains.
Location: London, UK
Cost: Varies by program length and accommodation; minimum cost is $4,588, and maximum cost is $21,167
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: Flexible; programs can run from 4 to 24+ weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors
The Intern Group’s Computer Science Internships provide a gap-year experience for high school students looking to gain work experience in computer science while living abroad in the UK. You’ll be matched with a company partner to complete hands-on computer science work in areas including web development, quality assurance, and industry research. Company placements include Sony, KPMG, FIFA, and Make-A-Wish, providing opportunities to work directly in technology companies or support computer science operations at international organizations. Tasks include improving user experience on company websites, debugging code, developing machine learning software, and using data analysis to predict user behavior.Â
Location: Oxford University Saïd Business School, Oxford, UK
Cost: £8,995
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not providedÂ
Dates: July 19 - August 1
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: Students aged 16-18 | Students must obtain a proper visa
Hosted by the Oxford University Saïd Business School and Oxford’s Department of Economics, the AI and Machine Learning Pioneers program provides real-world training on entrepreneurship and computer science. You’ll study industry applications of artificial intelligence models, focusing on econometrics, global development, and financial analysis. You’ll develop skills in Python programming, using AI for data science research, and developing AI innovations from an ethical approach. You’ll study under an Oxford Economics professor, with additional industry training from visiting AI researchers and industry professionals. You’ll additionally learn about careers and academic pathways in computer science at Oxford and other universities.Â
Location: Phang Nga, Thailand
Cost: $3,645Â
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not provided
Dates: 2 weeks with start dates of July 5, July 19, of August 2
Application Deadline: Rolling; scholarship deadline October 31
Eligibility: Students aged 15-17
The GVI program in Community Development and Sea Turtle Conservation offers a volunteer work experience focused on environmental science and conservation of southern Thailand’s sea turtle population. You’ll work at a local turtle conservation center run by the Royal Thai Navy, beginning by learning about environmental and industrial threats to the species and current conservation efforts. You’ll then dive into more hands-on volunteer work, including assisting with turtle medical treatments, collecting animal data for a science research database, and contributing to environmental sustainability projects in the local area.Â
You’ll also visit the Khao Sok National Park conservation area, where you’ll survey park wildlife for additional data collection. You’ll learn about how wildlife conservation efforts tie into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and build plans for involvement with further environmental protection initiatives. Other features include Thai language lessons, visiting local beaches, and touring the Tsunami Museum.
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 Ph.D. student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program in which students work one-on-one with a mentor to develop an independent research paper.Â
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