If you’re a high school student passionate about history, a history internship can help you gain hands-on experience while exploring your interests. A history internship will allow you to study topics like archival research, data analysis, or oral history, and work with expert mentors and advanced research tools. Such experiences can help you see what a future in history-related careers might look like.
You’ll get to work with primary and secondary sources, understand how past events connect to the present and future, and dig into specific eras or regions. You’ll learn to develop meaningful research questions, evaluate sources, and build clear, evidence-based narratives. You’ll also pick up valuable skills, strengthen your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, and even make your college applications stand out.
Internships with well-known museums, historical societies, or research institutions can add significant value to your experience and credentials. Plus, the early exposure to real research methods can prepare you for college-level work and open doors to future opportunities.
Here are 16 history internships for high school students worth checking out:
1. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on the program; financial aid is available
Acceptance Rate: Around 19%, which can vary depending on the internship and cohort
Dates: Programs run year-round in 8–12 week sessions during spring, summer, fall, and winter; the upcoming fall cohort starts on September 15
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, or gap year students who can work 5–10 hours a week for 8–12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a remote program for high school students, founded by Harvard graduates. It connects students with startups and nonprofits around the world, many of which are backed by Y Combinator and led by people who’ve worked at companies like Google, Microsoft, and McKinsey. Internships are available in a wide range of fields, including health tech, mental health, nonprofits, environmental science, software engineering, AI, finance, consulting, and journalism. As an intern, you’ll work on real projects for your assigned organization and share your results at the end. You’ll also get to join group sessions with other interns, build communication and time management skills, and get help from both a Ladder coach and a site manager. You can check out the application form to see which internships are currently open.
2. New York Historical Society — Student Historian Internship Program
Location: New York Historical Society, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | Interns earn a $700 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 25 interns per session
Dates: July 8 – August 14 (summer session) | October 29 – June 24 (academic year session)
Application Deadline: March 30 (summer session) | August 24 (academic year session)
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students who live and attend school in the NYC metro area, including the five boroughs and parts of New York State, New Jersey, and Connecticut
The Student Historian Internship Program, run by the New York Historical Society, offers an opportunity to explore American history by using the Society’s collections to research and create digital projects for the public. You’ll work with staff to learn about the museum, digital humanities, library, and history fields, while collaborating with other interns to strengthen your research, communication, writing, and digital skills. This year’s theme is “Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America,” with a focus on American history and digital humanities. The program can also help you meet the extracurricular requirement for the NYSED Seal of Civic Readiness. The program is offered twice a year, once during the school year and once in the summer. The summer session includes meetings on Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
3. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type
Application Date: Multiple deadlines throughout the year for the Spring, Summer and Fall cohorts.
Program Dates: The spring and fall cohorts run 15 weeks, while the summer cohort runs 10 weeks (June-September).
Eligibility: High school students with good academic standing (>3.67/4.0 GPA) can apply. Most accepted students are 10th/11th graders! A few tracks require prerequisites, see here.
Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students across subject areas such as data science, machine learning, political theory, and more! Horizon is one of the few research programs for high school students that offers you the choice to engage in either quantitative or qualitative research. Once you select a particular subject track, Horizon pairs you with a professor/PhD scholar who acts as a mentor throughout your research journey. As a participant, you will be expected to develop a 20-page research paper that you can send to prestigious journals for publication as a high school student. The program also provides a letter of recommendation for each student and detailed project feedback that you can use to work on future projects. While this isn’t an internship, it follows the work-learn model quite closely!
4. Library of Congress High School Summer Internship
Location: Hybrid; virtual and in person at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Cohort Size: 12 students
Dates: June 23 – July 17
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 by the start of the internship and are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or visa holders
The Library of Congress High School Summer Internship allows students to help shape future programs, projects, and exhibits for families and youth. You’ll serve in an advisory role, reviewing collection items for use with kids and families, giving feedback on exhibit ideas, and suggesting ideas for teen-focused programming. The program runs Monday–Thursday, 10 AM to 3:30 PM, with virtual workshops, training, and group work. If you attend in person, you’ll also visit the Library once a week. You’ll work on content development, conduct historical research, and build communication skills. You’ll also learn about Library resources, careers, and collections, and assist the Center for Learning, Literacy, and Engagement in creating content for a new experiential learning space. The internship doesn’t offer academic credit, but you can arrange with your school in advance to receive internship credit or up to 60 hours of community service.
5. The Met High School Internship Program
Location: The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | Interns earn a stipend per New York State minimum wage law
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Around 30–36 students
Dates: June 21 – August 8
Application Deadline: February 3 – March 7
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–11 or working toward a High School Equivalency degree who live in or attend school in New Jersey, New York, or Connecticut
The Met High School Internship Program offers paid opportunities for students to work with museums, art, and creative professionals while building professional and networking skills through hands-on experience. You’ll work alongside Museum staff in areas such as editorial, education, curatorial, photography, scientific research, marketing, historical conservation, social media, and more. The program will help you explore different museum careers, with guidance from both peers and professionals. You’ll spend 10–20 hours a week observing, assisting, and receiving mentorship from staff in one of the Museum’s departments, with placements based on your interests and ongoing projects. The program also includes Career Labs, networking opportunities, and workshops led by experts in museums, the arts, and creative industries.
6. Spark!Lab Teen Innovators Program
Location: National Museum of American History, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: Free | Students earn $2,300
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: July 1 – August 16
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Current high school students from the DMV area aged 15–17
Spark!Lab, the Lemelson Center’s interactive invention space, offers the Spark!Lab Teen Innovators Program for students interested in museum education, the invention process, and creative problem-solving. Over 7 weeks, you’ll work part-time on-site (16 hours a week), assisting visitors, joining guest talks and exhibit tours, helping lead hands-on activities, and contributing to daily operations. You’ll also collaborate on creating your own invention, focusing either on historical research and display design or music history and beat production. By the program’s end, you’ll have a working prototype designed to make the lab more engaging for teens. The program includes weekly meetings plus regular communication by email and phone. You’ll use tools like Microsoft Suite, follow the invention process from idea to prototype, and gain experience guiding museum visitors while exploring careers in museums and innovation.
7. Museum of History and Industry’s (MOHAI) History Lab
Location: Museum of History and Industry, Seattle, WA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Students earn a $150 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 6 students
Dates: July 21 – July 25 | July 28 – August 1
Application Deadline: May 23
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th grade students
History Lab offers an opportunity for students interested in local history and storytelling. You’ll develop research skills and explore creative ways to interpret and share the past, focusing on a local history topic of your choice guided by a theme for the session. This year’s theme, “the power of history and the history of power,” explores how power influences the way history is studied, how historical narratives are formed and reshaped, how our understanding of the past shapes our view of power, and what creates social and political change. You’ll examine these ideas through Seattle’s history and your own experiences, using MOHAI’s collections, gallery work, field trips, and neighborhood exploration. You’ll learn how to share history online through digital public history tools and projects, building skills in research, writing, analysis, and editing. You’ll also complete a history project that will be published on the Rainy Day History website.
8. Smithsonian’s Young Ambassadors Program at the National Museum of the American Latino
Location: Multiple locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including one week in Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: Free | Stipend is paid (amount not specified)
Cohort Size: 20 high school seniors
Dates: July 8 – August 2; Washington Week runs from June 22 to June 28
Application Deadline: April 11
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors fluent in English, authorized to work in the U.S., with a minimum 3.25 weighted GPA, and enrolled full-time in an accredited college for the upcoming fall
The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is a nationwide leadership and college prep program for college-bound high school seniors, run by the Smithsonian. It’s geared toward students interested in the humanities, the arts, or sciences, with a focus on Latino communities, history, and culture. If you’re selected, the program begins with Washington Week, a week-long seminar in Washington, D.C., where you’ll tour Smithsonian Latino collections, explore academic and career options, and connect with experts and museum professionals. After Washington Week, you’ll complete a four-week hands-on practicum at a museum or cultural institution in one of 19 locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including sites affiliated with the Smithsonian. Throughout the experience, you’ll prepare for higher education, strengthen your leadership skills, and put your learning into practice.
9. High Museum of Art’s Teen Team Program
Location: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: Free | Students earn a monthly stipend (amount not specified)
Cohort Size: 15 students
Dates: Year-long program including an eight-week summer intensive from June 2 to July 25 and regular meetings
Application Deadline: February 1 – March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
The Teen Team Program at the High Museum of Art offers an opportunity to explore history, art, and culture while building professional and civic skills and learning about careers in the field. You’ll help with events like Teen Nights, get behind-the-scenes access to the museum, and assist in public programming, while learning about the museum’s collections. The program runs year-round and includes an eight-week summer intensive, Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., where you’ll complete an art history project and receive mentorship from museum professionals. During the school year, you’ll help out with programs for teens, youth, and families, while also meeting with museum staff and arts professionals.
10. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Location: Remote or in person in Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: Free | Stipend is paid, but varies depending on the opportunity
Cohort Size: Over 100 students
Dates: Year-round internships are offered and can run from six weeks to a full year, depending on the opportunity
Application Deadline: Varies based on the opportunity; March 1 (summer session)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and postgraduate students, as well as non-students like working professionals
The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage offers year-round internships in areas such as cultural anthropology, folklore, linguistics, ethnomusicology, history, museum studies, arts administration, graphic and web design, videography, marketing, social media, and library science. As an intern, you’ll work with Center staff on projects that often involve research and production for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives, cultural sustainability initiatives, and educational outreach programs. Internships can be part-time or full-time, from six weeks to a full year, with a preference for interns to commit at least 15–20 hours per week. Students studying fields like history, folklore, American studies, library science, or music may also have the option to earn academic credit.
11. Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS)
Location: Hosted at colleges across the U.S., including past sites like Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) and the University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate: Around 3–5%
Dates: June 21 – July 25
Application Deadline: October 15 – December 3
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors aged 15–18 at the start of the program, including international students
The Telluride Association Summer Seminar is a six-week program for students interested in the liberal arts. You will learn how power and privilege can influence society through humanities and social science courses. You can choose between two tracks: TASS-CBS (Critical Black Studies), which examines the history, politics, art, literature, and cultural work of people of African descent, or TASS-AOS (Anti-Oppressive Studies), which studies systems like white supremacy, patriarchy, and classism, and how people create social change. Each day includes three hours of faculty-led classes with lectures, group work, and discussions. You’ll read, explore art, watch films, write essays with feedback, and attend guest lectures, public speaking sessions, and other activities. There are no grades, but the program can help you grow as a reader, speaker, writer, and thinker.
12. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Voluntary Internship Program
Location: Various locations across the United States
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: Internships run for 10–12 weeks; January/February – April (Spring) | May/June – August (Summer) | September – November/December (Fall)
Application Deadline: Spring applications open November 3, summer on March 16, and fall from June 30 to July 18
Eligibility: Current high school, undergraduate, and graduate students who are at least 18 years old and have U.S. citizenship
The NARA Voluntary Internship Program gives students hands-on experience in historical research and records management with the National Archives and Records Administration, the federal agency responsible for preserving and organizing important U.S. documents. NARA’s collections cover key moments in American history and can help trace family history, research historical topics, or confirm a veteran’s service. Internships last 10–12 weeks, with flexible schedules of 10 to 40 hours a week, as long as you reach at least 100 total hours. You’ll need to work on-site for at least half of your hours, and your schedule will be set with your supervisor. Opportunities span many fields, including archival processing, business, communications, conservation, cartography, digitizing records, editorial work, IT, legal and legislative research, marketing, museum collections, public history, records management, and social media.
13. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights High School Internship
Location: Remote or in person from the Washington, DC-based office
Cost/Stipend: Free | Unpaid
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: Year-round internships are offered and usually run from two weeks to two months
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school seniors on track to graduate who have strong verbal and written communication skills
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights offers a hands-on internship for graduating high school seniors interested in exploring civil and human rights. You’ll learn how coalitions operate, gain experience in policy, observe the federal legislative process, and deepen your understanding of civil rights issues. You’ll also expand your network, develop career skills, and explore fields like communications, policy, development, and operations. You’ll assist with historical record-keeping, attend staff and coalition meetings, update listservs, help organize grassroots events, conduct online and offline historical research, and provide general staff support. The internship can also count toward community service hours if you work at least 25 hours per week. You’ll need to be available on Monday afternoons and able to work in the office at least two days a week.
14. National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Summer High School Internship
Location: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC
Cost/Stipend: Free | Interns earn a $3,600 stipend
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: June 24 – August 5
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18 who are fluent in written and spoken English
The NMNH Summer High School Internship provides students with a hands-on opportunity to explore museum work. Internships are available in the Department of Entomology and the Department of Exhibits. You might sort and classify moth specimens, work with collections of insects and related species like spiders, centipedes, and millipedes, or help develop museum exhibits and contribute to ongoing projects. The program runs Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays are spent with your supervisors on department projects, while Tuesdays and Fridays focus on enrichment activities. These include field trips, behind-the-scenes tours, college prep guidance, public engagement training, and opportunities to connect with other high school students who share your interests.
15. Hoover History Lab’s TCR History Camp
Location: Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost: $4,950–$5,250 (Residential) | $3,950–$4,100 (Commuter)
Cohort Size: Small cohort sizes
Dates: July 21 – August 1
Application Deadline: December 31 (early deadline) | February 28 (final deadline)
Eligibility: High school students
The TCR History Camp offers a hands-on opportunity to strengthen your research and writing skills in history. You’ll start with a topic you already care about, ideally with some prior reading or even a draft, and work with experienced instructors to develop it into a full historical research paper of 4,000–8,000 words. This is a long-term project that typically takes between two and six months to complete. You’ll get to choose a subject that you are truly interested in, allowing you to research and study the topic in detail. The program doesn’t have a set theme, but it’s held at the Hoover Institution, which is known for its focus on freedom and its extensive archives on revolution, authoritarian regimes, war and peace, political and social movements, law, and dissidents. These archives include both American history and a wide range of global history, highlighting the ways different regions and cultures connect.
16. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Internship Program
Location: The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free | Interns earn $16.50 per hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly competitive
Dates: Late May/early June – August (Summer internship) | September – May (Academic-year internship); start and end dates are flexible
Application Deadline: March 28 (Summer internship) | July 18 (Academic-year internship)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, or graduate Students
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Internship offers an opportunity to explore and share American history while working with historians, researchers, and educators. You can find internship opportunities in areas such as accounting, development, curatorial work, education, digital, and marketing. Depending on your role, you might dive into archival research, help design educational programs, create content, or assist with event planning, all with the goal of strengthening public understanding of the nation’s past. You’ll also have access to valuable historical resources and the opportunity to contribute directly to how history is studied and shared. The program runs twice a year, with internships offered during the academic year and in the summer. While most positions are for college students, some opportunities are available for high school and graduate students.
Image source – Smithsonian