12 Internships in New Orleans for High School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 10 hours ago
- 9 min read
If you're a high school student looking to build career skills, gain exposure to industries, and strengthen your resume, internships are a solid option. Whether you're interested in healthcare, media, technology, public service, or business, internships provide firsthand experience of professional environments, helping you develop soft skills, learn how to use technical tools, and build connections with mentors and peers.
Participating in an internship can also boost your college applications by showing admissions officers that you’ve explored your interests outside the classroom. You might be looking to test out a career path or simply spend your break doing something meaningful.
That's why we’ve narrowed down a list of 12 internships in New Orleans for high school students.Â
12 Internships in New Orleans for High School Students
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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 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. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
Location:Â UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Cost:Â $1,550, financial aid available
Acceptance rate/cohort size:Â Selective
Dates:Â June 22 to 26 for session 2, July 6 to 10 for session 3, July 20 to 24 for session 5, July 27 to 31
Application Deadline:Â Varies by session
Eligibility:Â Students entering grades 7 to 9
The AMRI High School Summer Research Program offers a full-time research experience for students interested in materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, neuroscience, and related fields. Over the 8-week program, you will work in modern research labs alongside experienced scientists, contributing to ongoing studies or pursuing independent exploratory projects. Topics often include nanomaterials, catalysis, thin film deposition, sensor arrays, and 3D printing. You will engage in hands-on lab work, attend weekly seminars on scientific and professional topics such as research ethics, career pathways, and lab safety, and participate in field trips to local research facilities.
Location:Â Orleans Parish, LA
Stipend:Â Stipend provided, amount not specified. Transportation support available
Dates:Â 15 week program, offered year round
Application Deadline:Â Rolling
Eligibility:Â Ages 14 to 17. Must reside in Orleans Parish and have past or present involvement with the juvenile justice system
The Pathways Youth Internship Program provides an opportunity for students to gain work experience while receiving guidance and mentorship. It offers paid internships with local companies throughout the year and features workshops on workforce readiness, conflict resolution, mindfulness, and essential soft skills such as communication and professionalism. In addition to the hands-on job placement, Pathways connects you with a mentor and a case manager who can help guide your transition back into school or into the workforce. You’ll also take part in development sessions and may have access to transportation support, making it easier to stay engaged throughout the 15-week commitment.
Location:Â Various internship sites across New Orleans, LA
Stipend:Â $2,240
Dates:Â June 23 to July 25, 20 hours per week
Application Deadline:Â March 12
Eligibility:Â Current juniors enrolled in an open enrollment public high school in New Orleans. Must reside in Orleans Parish. Must be available for the full program schedule
The YouthForce NOLA Internship is a summer opportunity for rising seniors to gain hands-on experience in high-demand industries like healthcare, IT, digital media, skilled crafts, and business services. As an intern, you’ll start with a three-week training phase, during which you’ll develop essential workplace readiness skills, including resume writing, interview preparation, communication, planning, and problem-solving. After the training, you'll spend five weeks working at a local business or organization, taking on real projects while being supported by a YouthForce coach. These coaches stay in regular contact with you to help you navigate your internship, address any challenges, and make sure you're meeting your goals and getting paid on time. The program ends with a capstone presentation where you’ll showcase your work and reflect on your learning.
Location: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, University Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital, New Orleans, LA
Stipend:Â $2,645
Dates:Â June 2 to July 25
Application Deadline:Â March 1
Eligibility:Â High school juniors or seniors, ages 16 to 18, who live in or near New Orleans during the internship period
If you're a junior or senior in high school and thinking about a career in medicine, research, or public health, LSU’s Summer Research Internship Program offers a chance to work alongside scientists and doctors in real clinical and laboratory settings. Over eight weeks, you'll work with a mentor to either lead your own research project or support a larger one. As part of the program, you'll learn lab techniques, data collection, and how to analyze scientific findings. Weekly seminars expose you to different research areas and career paths in the health sciences, while dedicated training sessions help you build presentation skills. The program wraps up with a poster session or oral symposium where you’ll present your work to faculty and fellow interns.
Location:Â Greater New Orleans area. Events typically within 1 to 2 hours of the city
Stipend:Â Pay varies by event size and participation. Interns are paid at the end of the semester
Dates:Â Fall Semester: September to December. Spring Semester: February to May
Application Deadline:Â Spring cohort opens November 1
Eligibility:Â Public high school students ages 14 to 20 from Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Bernard, Plaquemines, or St. Tammany Parishes
If you enjoy being outdoors and want to build leadership and teamwork skills, the Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) Internship Program might be a great fit. This semester-long program allows you to explore Louisiana’s natural environment while developing both professional and personal skills. Activities include kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, camping, fishing, and wetlands ecology training. Interns also help with program facilitation and gain experience leading outdoor events. You’ll attend weekly after-school meetings and monthly weekend trips, including one overnight camping trip. To complete the internship and earn a LOOP NOLA Outdoor Adventure certificate, you’ll need to attend at least 50% of the semester’s events. The more events you join, the more you earn, since payment is based on participation and event type.Â
Location:Â Louisiana State Bar Association, New Orleans, LA
Stipend:Â Students who complete the program receive up to $250
Dates:Â June 9 to June 27
Application Deadline:Â May 5
Eligibility:Â Rising high school juniors and seniors, and graduating seniors entering first year of college
Suit Up for the Future helps you determine if a legal career fits you by letting you learn from professionals, explore courtrooms, and argue a mock case before judges. You’ll experience what it’s like to be a law student through abridged law school sessions, where you’ll learn the basics of criminal law, legal writing, and research using the Socratic method. Along the way, legal mentors will help you prepare a mock legal problem that ends in an oral argument and a written legal memo. Outside the classroom, you’ll job-shadow judges and attorneys at local courts, firms, and agencies. You’ll get to sit in on hearings or depositions, tour legal workplaces, and ask practicing professionals what their day-to-day really looks like. You’ll also take part in field trips to the Louisiana Supreme Court, federal courts, and two law schools, where you’ll hear from guest speakers and possibly witness live legal proceedings.
Location:Â Multiple schools across New Orleans, including Arthur Ashe Charter, Wheatley Community School, Samuel J. Green Charter, Langston Hughes Academy, and others
Stipend:Â Unpaid
Dates:Â Year round. Summer internships last 8 to 10 weeks
Application Deadline:Â Rolling. Apply early, ideally a semester in advance
Eligibility:Â High school or college students
If you're passionate about food, nature, and education, and seek hands-on experience in these areas, consider interning with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESYNOLA). Your efforts will support garden- and kitchen-based learning for more than 3,500 students throughout New Orleans. As an ESYNOLA intern, you’ll collaborate with staff in school gardens or teaching kitchens, aiding in cooking and gardening classes, preparing garden beds, supporting community events, or assisting with nonprofit tasks such as development and communications. Internships are available at multiple public charter school campuses and the ESYNOLA Network Office. You can choose from four tracks: School Garden Internship, Garden Education Internship, Culinary Education Internship, and Development Internship. Most internships last 12–16 weeks during the school year, with a commitment of 8–10 hours per week. Summer internships run for about 8–10 weeks, and full-time January options are also available.
Location:Â 1307 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., 2nd Floor, New Orleans
Stipend:Â $15.00 per hour
Dates:Â June 2 to July 11
Application Deadline:Â April 12
Eligibility:Â Orleans Parish residents ages 16 to 24
The Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program links you with local employers from various industries, providing work experience and vital job skills. The city provides two summer tracks designed specifically for high school students. The traditional program gives you job experience in a supportive, professional environment. You’ll learn workplace basics, such as showing up on time, collaborating with coworkers, and taking responsibility, while being compensated for your time. The Upward Bound College Prep track, run in partnership with the University of New Orleans and Southern University at New Orleans, helps you prepare for success. You’ll get academic support, prep for college entrance, and build a strong foundation for higher education.
Location:Â Second Line Stages Film Studio, New Orleans
Stipend:Â Unpaid internship
Dates:Â February to May
Application Deadline:Â Rolling
Eligibility:Â High school students, interest in education or film preferred
As an Education Intern at COOL Cooperative, you’ll work alongside experienced teachers, support middle school students, and gain experience in an inclusive classroom. You’ll help craft lesson plans, assist students in small groups, aid with grading, and participate in classroom activities. You'll also be part of school-wide events, such as student film slams, and work alongside other interns to brainstorm ways to keep students engaged. Since the COOL Cooperative is rooted in the film industry, you’ll also get a chance to learn how film equipment and storytelling can be used in an educational setting. Through this internship, you’ll gain mentorship from experienced educators and firsthand teaching experience in a real classroom.
Location:Â New Orleans, various sites
Cost:Â Free
Dates:Â Typically runs for 5 weeks year-round, 4 hours per day, 20 hours per week
Application Deadline:Â Rolling
Eligibility:Â High school students from New Orleans
The Aspiring Heroes Youth Program is a 5-week summer opportunity where you’ll spend around 20 hours each week exploring different career paths and developing new skills. You can choose from a range of elective sessions and training areas, including: TV and film, medicine and health, law and government, journalism, entrepreneurship, business and marketing, finance and economics, transportation, culinary arts, culture and heritage, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, coding, gaming, Web3, robotics, drones, electronics, podcasting, and more. The program collaborates with local businesses, such as Chick-fil-A and Wise Guys, to provide students with exposure to various workplace environments. You’ll also hear from professionals across various industries who offer mentorship and valuable career insights.
Location:Â NASA centers across the US, virtual options available
Cost/Stipend:Â Free to participate, stipend provided. Amount varies by session and education level
Dates:Â Fall, 16 weeks from late August or early September to mid-December. Spring, 16 weeks from mid-January to early May. Summer, 10 weeks from late May or early June to August
Application Deadlines:Â January for Fall session. August for Spring session. October for Summer session
Eligibility:Â US citizens at least 16 years old, minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
If you're passionate about science, technology, or space exploration, NASA's OSTEM Internships provide high school students with the opportunity to work on actual NASA projects. Depending on your placement, you may work on tasks such as analyzing astronomical data, supporting mission planning, assisting with robotics research, or creating science outreach materials. Internships are available both in-person at NASA centers and virtually, and all participants receive mentorship from NASA professionals. Virtual internships offered in the past have included managing knowledge databases from past missions and applying deep learning tools to space telescope data. For example, interns have helped classify signals from the Kepler and TESS missions, contributing to the discovery of new exoplanets and even co-authoring academic papers.
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, check out students’ reviews of the program here and 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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - NASA logo