15 Summer Internships for High School Students in Florida
- Stephen Turban
- Aug 6
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 18
If you’re a high school student in Florida, summer internships can give you a solid way to understand how real-world workplaces function while building early experience in your field of interest. Whether you're interested in healthcare, marine science, government, or law, Florida has local internship programs that are open to high school students. These aren’t always widely advertised, and some may only take a small number of students each year.
Most of these internships focus on giving you hands-on exposure in professional settings like hospitals, research labs, city offices, museums, and courtrooms. You might assist with simple tasks, observe professionals, or take part in basic training. Being part of a summer internship shows colleges that you’ve made the effort to learn beyond the classroom and understand how professionals work in your field of interest.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of 15 summer internships for high school students in Florida!
15 Summer Internships for High School Students in Florida
Location: Remote
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter)
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks.
Ladder Internships is a virtual program where high school students work with start-ups for about 8 weeks. You get matched with a start-up in fields like tech, AI, health, marketing, journalism, or consulting. These are early-stage companies that have usually raised over $1 million. During the internship, you work on real projects with a manager and a Ladder coach. At the end, you present your work to the company. You can check all the available options here.
Location: Eglin Air Force Base, Florida
Stipend: $500/week
Dates: Summer: 10 weeks (late May/early June – August); Fall: 16 weeks (late August/early September – mid-December); Spring: 16 weeks (mid-January – early May)
Application deadline: October 10 – January 10 (summer cohort)
Eligibility: U.S. citizens over 16 years of age with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0
AFRL Scholars Program (Eglin AFB) lets you work with government scientists and engineers at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. As a high school intern, you take part in paid research projects in aerospace, biosciences, materials science, and more. You work inside real labs, handle technical tasks, and get guidance from federal mentors. Many projects are connected to national defense, so you also learn how your work applies in real-world physics, computing, and engineering.
Location: Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key, FL
Cost: Free; unpaid internship
Dates: 16-18 weeks (varies by term)
Application deadline: Varies by term
Eligibility: Open to high school students worldwide who can read, speak, and understand English and are physically fit for the demands of the job.
Dolphin Research Center Internship is a full-time, onsite program in Grassy Key, Florida, where you work with marine mammals and assist in daily care. The internship runs for 16 to 18 weeks and includes physical outdoor tasks and scientific observation. You rotate through departments like Animal Care and Medical to learn how the center operates. This program gives you hands-on experience in marine biology and animal behavior.
Location: Broward County Judicial Complex, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Cost: Free
Program dates: June 16–27
Application deadline: May 1
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores who attend a high school located in Broward County
The Summer Justice Internship Program, run by the Broward County Public Defender’s Office, offers an in-depth look at legal defense work. Over two weeks, you’ll shadow public defenders, observe court proceedings, and participate in mock trials that simulate real cases. You’ll gain insight into constitutional protections and criminal procedure while contributing to case prep and learning how defense strategies are developed.
Location: Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, Florida
Cost: Free
Program dates: Three months in the summer
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Miami-Dade State Attorney Volunteer Program places you inside a working prosecutor’s office, where you help with real cases. After a training session, you assist in departments like Domestic Violence, Victim/Witness, or Criminal Intake. Tasks can include legal research, reviewing evidence, interviewing victims, and helping prepare documents. You also attend court hearings and observe how prosecutors manage cases from start to finish.
Location: Varies based on lab locations.
Cost: Free; stipend: $4,000 (new participants) | $4,500 (returning participants)
Dates: June–August (8 weeks)
Application deadline: Applications open in August and close on November 1 every year
Eligibility: Open to high school students in grades 10-12 who are 16 years old by the start of the program and are U.S. citizens
The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) gives you the chance to work in a Navy research lab for eight weeks in the summer. Locations include Orlando, Panama City, and Jacksonville. You assist naval scientists and engineers with hands-on lab work in areas like materials testing, robotics, ocean engineering, and cybersecurity. Your tasks may include helping with experiments, collecting data, and learning how scientific research supports national security.
Location: Available across all 50 U.S. states, you will be assigned an area that is within a 45-minute commute of your residence.
Cost: No cost, $3,000 stipend
Dates: June – August (flexible)
Application deadline: January 19
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors and rising college freshmen who are at least 16 years old by the internship start date
Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program offers you an eight-week summer internship in aquatic conservation. You work with biologists on tasks like population surveys, habitat studies, and water testing. The internship includes both fieldwork and lab science, giving you experience with real ecological challenges. You receive a stipend and work under a professional mentor throughout the program.
Location: Jimerson Birr office, Jacksonville, FL
Cost: Free
Dates: 4-6 weeks in the summer
Application deadline: Applications typically close in the spring
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
Jimerson Birr High School Summer Internship gives you a four to six-week experience inside a full-service business law firm. You get to explore not only legal tasks but also roles in marketing, IT, and accounting. Depending on your placement, you might help with research, internal communications, or project support. The program shows how a law office works across departments and enables you to understand how legal, business, and administrative systems connect. You also learn about business communication and client service in a professional setting.
Location: Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL
Cost: Free
Dates: June 3 - December 2
Application deadline: November 1 - December 31
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors enrolled in Duval or St. Johns counties in Florida with a minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA.
The Mayo Clinic SPARK Research Mentorship Program places high school students in research labs at the Mayo Clinic’s Jacksonville campus to work alongside scientists in fields like cancer biology, immunology, and neuroscience. Over the summer, you’ll contribute to an assigned project, attend lab meetings, and build research skills such as data analysis, scientific writing, and hypothesis testing. This program also extends into the academic year, requiring ongoing involvement to present your research.
Location: Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL
Cost: Free; stipend $13/hour
Dates: June 23 – August 1
Application deadline: March 4
Eligibility: Open to students entering their junior or senior years in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school during the next academic year. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.
As an intern at the MPFI High School Internship, you’ll spend six weeks engaging in real-world research with scientists who study brain development and function. You’ll work with imaging tools and genetic techniques, assist with lab tasks, and even draft a scientific abstract summarizing your project. The internship covers research communication, requiring you to present findings at the program’s conclusion. You’ll be involved in active lab work, learning techniques like microscopy, genetic engineering, and histological staining, and helping answer important questions about neural circuits.
Location: Miller School of Medicine, UMiami, FL
Cost: Free; paid internship
Dates: June 18–August 8
Application deadline: December 1–January 31
Eligibility: Open to juniors in good standing from high schools in South Florida. Eligible students must excel in the biological and/or computational sciences and have completed or currently be enrolled in at least one AP or honors science course.
The JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship at the University of Miami’s School of Medicine is aimed at juniors from the Miami or Broward area who are interested in genetics or computational sciences. You’ll spend eight weeks conducting research under a faculty mentor with an emphasis on human genetics, while attending genomics seminars and workshops to enhance your understanding of the subject.
The program concludes with interns preparing and presenting a final oral presentation on their findings at a research luncheon. Projects focus on the genetic basis of disease and may include both lab and data analysis components.
Location: Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, Jupiter, FL
Cost: Free; $4,480 stipend
Dates: June 2–August 1
Application deadline: March 2
Eligibility: Open to students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, will begin their junior or senior year in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school in the fall, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and will be 16 years old by the first day of the program.
Kenan Fellows High School Internship at the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute is a nine-week program where you conduct full-time biomedical research with professional scientists. It starts with a one-week crash course in lab techniques and research methods, followed by eight weeks of hands-on research in areas like drug discovery or biotechnology. You’ll design experiments, analyze data, attend weekly seminars, and complete a formal abstract and presentation by the end.
Location: Remote
Cost: Free
Dates: June 20–August 25
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all college students (varies by track)
CodeDay Labs Open-Source Software Internship is a remote program where you join a team of student developers working on open-source projects. You might use tools like GraphQL, Kubernetes, or machine learning libraries, depending on your track and skill level. You’ll have daily check-ins with a mentor and attend regular tech talks to learn how real development teams work. You ship actual code, contribute to large software platforms, and build experience in areas like backend development, AI, or UI/UX design.
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: 5 weeks (June to August)
Application deadline: December 1–March 1
Eligibility: Open to U.S. high school juniors and seniors
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a virtual, five-week program where you’ll explore neuroscience through seminars, workshops, and mentored research. You’ll work on a team with a mentor from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, learning core lab techniques and studying topics in neurology and cognitive science through reading and discussion. By the end, you’ll present your findings and receive feedback from researchers.
Location: Remote
Cost: Free
Dates: Offered year-round
Application deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to all high school students eligible to work in the U.S. (as verified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s eVerify service) and residing in one of the states where APA is already registered as an employer.
APA Remote Internship lets you explore psychology through virtual placements at the American Psychological Association. You might work on research, public communication, or policy-related tasks. The internship is fully remote and includes optional sessions to help you learn more about careers in behavioral science. You could support a communications project or analyze psychological data, depending on your placement. This program helps connect what you learn in class to how psychology is used in real-world settings.
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 where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
Image Source - Ladder Internship logo