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5 Internships for High School Students in Indiana

Writer's picture: Stephen TurbanStephen Turban

If you’re a high school student in Indiana looking for ways to gain an edge in college admissions, then participating in an internship can be a good option for you. Internships provide you with practical skills that aren’t always covered in classrooms and give you exposure to different industries, which can help you understand what it takes to succeed in a particular profession. Hands-on experience and demonstrated interest in a field can create a good impression on the admission committees of various colleges. 


Internships also allow you to explore multiple career paths before committing to a college major, which can help you make a more informed career decision. Additionally, by participating in internships, you can develop and maintain connections with mentors and peers. This lets you establish a network of industry contacts, which can prove to be helpful in opening doors to future opportunities. 


Here’s our list of 5 internships for high school students in Indiana!


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. Here is the application form. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.


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!


Location: Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

Cost: Free

Application Deadline: Applications open towards the end of the year 

Dates: This is an 8-week program that runs in the summer

Eligibility: High school juniors in a Marion County public high school who possess a minimum 3.0 GPA


The Future Scientist Program is designed for high school juniors with a proven interest in scientific research. Over the course of 8-weeks, you’ll get to undertake a research project under the mentorship of a university researcher. The program has an emphasis on hands-on lab exposure and one-on-one mentoring with IU faculty. Through direct lab experience, you get to develop practical skills, build conceptual clarity about scientific methodologies, and work with advanced lab equipment. 


Location: Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN

Stipend: $4,000 provided  

Application Deadline: January 15 

Dates: June 2 – July 25

Eligibility: High school students from public schools in the greater Indianapolis area in grades 10-12


Indiana University’s Medical Physician Engineers, Scientists, and Clinicians Preparatory Program is a training program that provides high school students with opportunities for professional development and mentorship in STEM and related fields. The program runs for 8-weeks and is research-centric. As a participant, you will receive clinical exposure as well as opportunities to network with peers, higher-level trainees, and faculty leaders working in scientific research and clinical care. 


Location: Multiple labs across the country, including the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, IN

Stipend: $4,000 for new participants and $4,500 for returning participants

Application Deadline: November 1

Dates: This is an 8-week program

Eligibility: High school students who have completed Grade 9 and graduating seniors who are at least 16 years of age or older by the internship start date. Most internships require applicants to be solely U.S. citizens; check the specific eligibility requirements for your lab


The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) is an opportunity for high school students to be placed in the Department of Navy's laboratories, participate in naval research, and learn about naval technology. As a participant, you will receive mentorship from top scientists and engineers in the U.S. Navy. This is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in the naval field and explore various career paths in STEM. Interested students can apply to a maximum of three labs across the country. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.  


Location: Interns are placed within a short commute of their hometown

Stipend: $3,000 provided

Application Deadline: January 19

Dates: The student and their mentor can decide upon start and finish dates; the program runs for 8 weeks

Eligibility: Rising high school seniors or rising college freshmen who will be at least 16 years old by their internship start date


The Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology program is a paid internship and mentoring opportunity for high school students who are interested in exploring fisheries and aquatic science. Participants are assigned mentors and expected to work 32-hour weeks. Your work could take place outdoors in a field, on a boat, in a laboratory, or in an office. Internship activities include taking fish population surveys, establishing aquatic vegetation and fish habitat, electrofishing, snorkeling, examining specimens under a microscope, water quality testing, data processing, and assisting with children’s educational programs. 


Fieldwork could involve overnight, multiple-day, or week-long trips. While there are no prerequisites for the program, past interns have found courses such as Ecology, Conservation, Biology, Geology, Statistics, and Computer Science to be helpful for their internship. To learn more about this program, check out our full guide here.  


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.

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