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January 12, 2025
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14 Marketing Summer Programs for High School Students

Summer programs offer high school students the chance to develop practical skills, gain industry experience, and build professional connections—all while keeping their school year uninterrupted. If you're interested in marketing and business, these programs provide hands-on learning in areas like digital marketing, brand strategy, market research, and content creation.

Summer programs offer high school students the chance to develop practical skills, gain industry experience, and build professional connections—all while keeping their school year uninterrupted. If you’re interested in marketing and business, these programs provide hands-on learning in areas like digital marketing, brand strategy, market research, and content creation.

We’ve compiled a list of 14 marketing summer programs for high school students. Many of them are fully funded and provide stipends as well:

1. Warner Bros. Reach Honorship Program – Business Track

Subject Areas: Finance, marketing, and communications

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Program Dates: Typically 8 weeks during summer (dates vary)

Cost: A $5,000 stipend paid in four annual installments of $1,250 for college tuition.

Eligibility: High school seniors from Burbank or Los Angeles County with a minimum 3.0 GPA, pursuing business or entertainment marketing.

Application Deadline: Not announced, usually close a month before the program’s start date

The Warner Bros. Reach Honorship Program offers high school seniors hands-on experience in finance, marketing, and communications within the entertainment industry. You will work at a major film and TV studio, gaining insight into marketing strategies, creative development, and business operations. 

The program includes mentorship from industry professionals, involvement in marketing campaigns and multimedia projects, and exposure to corporate roles. It is a competitive opportunity for those pursuing a career in entertainment business and media marketing.

2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program

Subject Areas: Marketing, finance, economics, data science

Location: Remote

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year: Summer (June – August), Fall (September – December), Winter (December – February), Spring (March – June)

Cost: Varies; financial aid available

Eligibility: Open to high school students with a strong academic record (recommended GPA: 3.3/4.0); no prior research experience required

Application Deadline: Varies by cohort – Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)

The Lumiere Research Scholar Program provides high school students with one-on-one mentorship from PhD researchers to develop independent research papers in fields like marketing, finance, economics, data science, and more. The program lasts 12 weeks to 1 year, offering research experience, critical thinking development, and the potential for publication. 

You will tackle real-world challenges in areas like marketing strategy and digital advertising, making it an opportunity if you’re interested in research-focused careers and competitive college applications.

3. Building-U Marketing Internship

Subject Areas: Marketing, business development, and student engagement

Location: Remote

Program Dates: Three-month duration, typically from June to August

Cost: Free

Eligibility: Open to currently enrolled high school students

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions – apply as soon as possible

Building-U is a nonprofit internship program for high school students interested in marketing, business development, and student engagement. As an intern, you help expand an online database of scholarships, internships, and educational programs.

You can choose from 10 teams, including Marketing, Business and Development, and Student Ambassadors, to work on projects that match your interests. This three-month virtual internship offers hands-on experience, remote collaboration, and the chance to contribute to student resources.

4. Ladder Internship Program – Marketing Track

Subject Areas: Marketing, business development, and student engagement

Location: Remote

Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter)

Cost: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)

Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap-year students who can commit 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks

Application Deadline: Varies by cohort – Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)

Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for high school students. You will work with start-ups across various industries, including marketing, AI, journalism, and consulting. The program provides a comprehensive application process to explore suitable start-ups, often partnering with firms valued over $1 million. 

The program connects you with real-world business challenges, offering hands-on experience in marketing strategy, brand management, and digital advertising. You will collaborate closely with company managers and a Ladder Coach. The internship concludes with a final project presentation in front of your mentor and company manager.

5. Babson Summer Study

Subject Areas: Leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication

Location: Remote

Program Dates: July 7 – 28

Cost: $6,295 + $95 application fee (scholarships available)

Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Babson Summer Study is a three-week online program for high school students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset while learning leadership, marketing, finance, and business communication. Coursework applies business concepts to real-world challenges based on the UN Global Goals.

You engage with Babson’s entrepreneurial network through faculty, alumni, and industry panels. The program includes three hours of live daily classes and up to five hours of independent coursework. On completing the program, you will earn four college credits from Babson College. 

6. Meta Summer Academy

Subject Areas: Branding, digital advertising, and content strategy

Location: California (in-person)

Program Dates: June 16 – July 25

Cost: No cost; stipend provided

Eligibility: Applicants must be high school sophomores. 

Application Deadline: February 14

The Meta Summer Academy gives high school students an inside look at a global tech company, working with industry leaders in branding, digital advertising, and content strategy. This competitive in-person internship at Meta’s California headquarters includes 30 hours per week of training, mentorship, and hands-on projects. Transportation support is provided, and only 150 students are selected each year.

7. Yale Online: PLSC 270 – Capitalism: Success, Crisis, and Reform

Subject Areas: Economic forces, market behaviour, and systemic inequalities

Location: Conducted online

Program Dates: Self-paced

Cost: Free of cost

Eligibility: Open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Yale Online’s Capitalism: Success, Crisis, and Reform is a self-paced course for high school students exploring capitalism’s foundations, achievements, crises, and reforms. It covers economic forces, market behaviour, and systemic inequalities through interactive modules, case studies, and expert insights. If you’re interested in economics, business, and policy-making, this is a course you can consider exploring.

8. Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s (TIP) Internship Program

Subject Areas: Finance, business, and marketing

Location: Boston, MA

Program Dates: Summer

Cost: Stipend provided; Amount varies

Eligibility: High school students from Boston Public Schools, completed their sophomore year

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

The Today’s Interns, Tomorrow’s Professionals (TIP) Internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is a paid summer program for Boston Public Schools students interested in finance, business, and marketing. As an intern, you will work on your professional development, get job coaching, and have real-world experience in departments such as financial markets, economic research, and corporate communications. High performers may be selected for a year-round internship.

9. Rice University Pre-College Programs

Subject Areas: Marketing, entrepreneurship and financial technology

Location: Online

Program Dates: Multiple course lengths throughout the year

Cost: $1,495 per course

Eligibility: High school students with an interest in business and entrepreneurship

Application Deadline: Rolling admissions

Rice University’s Pre-College Programs offer online courses in marketing, entrepreneurship and financial technology (Fintech) for high school students. The curriculum covers business fundamentals, digital finance, and startup development through interactive coursework, hands-on projects, and a capstone assignment. You will earn a certificate of completion from Rice University, which can enhance your college applications.

10. KP Launch High School Internship Program – Sales & Marketing Track

Subject Areas: Healthcare marketing, sales, account management, and product development

Location: Varies

Program Dates: June 16 – August 1

Cost: Interns receive $15.50 – $18.00 per hour

Eligibility: high school students interested in business, marketing, or healthcare

Application Deadline: January 6

The Kaiser Permanente (KP) Launch Internship offers high school students hands-on experience in healthcare marketing, sales, account management, and product development. You will get to collaborate on branding strategies, marketing materials, and campaign analysis. This experience will also help you with mentorship and career development through weekly business workshops.

11. Smithsonian Science Education Center’s Global Goals Intern 

Subject Areas: Digital Media, and Communications 

Location: This hybrid internship includes in-office days in Washington, DC, and remote work.

Program Dates: June 9 – August 15

Cost: Stipend provided.

Eligibility: All high school students

Application Deadline: March 17

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) offers digital marketing internships, including the 2024 Global Goals Intern role in the Curriculum, Digital Media, and Communications division. As an intern, you will collaborate with curriculum developers and communications teams to create educational resources, conduct research, and support digital marketing initiatives.

12. The Mary Miller Summer Program by the PHC Group

Subject Areas: Digital Media, and social media 

Location: Not specified, but the internship may be virtual or at the PHC office in Philadelphia, PA

Program Dates: To be announced

Cost: A Stipend is provided

Eligibility: High school students

Application Deadline: To be announced

The PHC Group internship is for rising high school juniors and seniors interested in public health management. As a Mary Miller summer intern, you’ll work on social media projects, online community engagement, technical support, and social marketing research. Strong Microsoft Office skills and multitasking ability are preferred. This role provides hands-on experience in social media management, research, and remote collaboration.

13. Interns4-Good

Subject Areas: Marketing, graphic design, social media management, and video editing. 

Location: Virtual

Program Dates: Varies

Cost: None

Eligibility: High school students

Application Deadline: Open throughout the year 

Interns4Good offers high school students (grades 9–12) internship opportunities at nonprofits, including roles in marketing, graphic design, social media management, and video editing. You will complete assignments and submit weekly reports. Social media positions include working with organizations like Her Term to develop recruitment strategies. Internships are available year-round, with updated listings on their website.

14. Building-U’s High School Internships

Subject Areas: Marketing, multimedia, and social media

Location: Virtual

Program Dates: Year-round (usually at least 3 months)

Cost: None

Eligibility: High school students

Application Deadline: Rolling applications

Building-U helps high school students explore post-secondary options by curating opportunities like service activities, educational programs, and funding sources in the U.S. and Canada. They offer year-round internships in marketing, multimedia, and social media.

As a social media intern, you will create content for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok, collaborating with marketing and business teams. Marketing interns gain experience with Google Ads and Analytics, while multimedia interns edit videos for YouTube.


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David Wilkinson is a freelance writer for Horizon and currently resides in the United States.