A science internship moves you from theory to application. You learn how research is actually conducted, how data is analyzed, how experiments are designed, and how professionals collaborate to solve complex problems. Beyond technical skills, you gain independence, time management, and confidence working in structured environments. Whether you’re interested in medicine, engineering, environmental science, artificial intelligence, aerospace, or wildlife biology, science internships help you make informed academic choices and stand out in competitive college admissions.
Why should you choose Nevada as a high school student?
Going to high school in Nevada is a great choice because the state is growing fast and offers a really unique setup for young people trying to get a head start. Between areas like Las Vegas and the booming tech and manufacturing scenes up north near Reno, you get access to an internship landscape where you can gain real-world experience in fields like hospitality, green energy, and business. You can easily connect with helpful organizations like the Vegas Chamber or the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada to find local mentors and early career opportunities. Plus, major institutions like the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and the Desert Research Institute enable you to explore top-tier campuses and research facilities.
Below, we’ve curated a list of 15 science internships for high school students in Nevada to help you get started. If you’re exploring broader STEM options, you may also want to look into paid STEM internships and specialized science enrichment programs to expand your opportunities further.
15 Science Internships for High School Students in Nevada
1. Clark County Information Technology Internship
Location: Clark County Information Technology Department, Las Vegas, NV
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size varies based on department needs
Dates: May 26 – July 30
Application Deadline: March 26
Eligibility: All high school students
This in-person summer internship places you inside Clark County’s IT Department, where you’ll contribute roughly 260 hours across teams like cybersecurity, software development, data analysis, cloud platforms, infrastructure, and QA. You work with professionals supporting live systems that power 38 county departments. You submit a resume and cover letter indicating your area of interest, interview if selected, and work directly with a mentor aligned to your academic goals. For students pursuing computer science, information systems, or applied tech fields, this is a practical way to see how large-scale public technology systems are built, secured, and maintained.
2. UNLV Science Education For The Youth (SEFTY) Program
Location: Las Vegas, NV (UNLV)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~16 students per session
Dates: Two-week Summer sessions
Application Deadline: Varies by year (Typically Spring)
Eligibility: 11th and 12th-grade high school students in Southern Nevada
In this program, you learn neuroscience, molecular biology, and neurogenetics working with DNA, RNA, and proteins, perform restrictive digestion on bacterial DNA, and evaluate cell growth using transmitted light microscopy. The program directly integrates with the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine and the College of Sciences, where UNLV undergraduate mentors guide you through university-level research. You will learn how to read and analyze complex scientific papers, linking your hands-on laboratory work directly to published scientific literature. By the end of the program, you will develop skills like advanced laboratory protocols, precise pipetting, data analysis, and scientific communication.
3. James Lathrop and Wayne Capurro Memorial Internship
Location: Nevada Department of Wildlife — Western (Reno), Eastern (Elko), or Southern (Las Vegas) regions
Stipend: $16.85/hr
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 1–3 interns
Dates: Summer; typically late May or early June through August
Application Deadline: February 6
Eligibility: Nevada high school seniors planning to graduate; minimum 2.50 GPA; must intend to pursue wildlife management, biology, ecology, or a closely related undergraduate major
The James Lathrop & Wayne Capurro Memorial Internship immerses you in Nevada’s wild landscapes. You’ll hike rugged terrain, camp in remote mountain areas, help build and maintain wildlife infrastructure like water developments, and assist with real conservation fieldwork. You may relocate within Nevada, live in rural areas (sometimes alone in camp trailers), and drive manual and 4WD vehicles across rough terrain. For science-stream students serious about wildlife biology or ecology, this is a hands-on, physically demanding experience that feels closer to field research than a typical internship.
4. Tech Ready Rebels – UNLV IT Workforce Talent Pipeline
Location: University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV
Stipend: Paid Summer internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 30 students
Dates: Year-long program (includes paid summer internship)
Application Deadline: Typically August
Eligibility: Nevada high school juniors and seniors; must be enrolled in an IT Career Cluster or have completed at least one IT-related course; minimum 2.0 unweighted GPA
Tech Ready Rebels is a year-long accelerated experiential learning program designed to prepare you for college and careers in Information Technology. Through dual enrollment at UNLV, industry-recognized credentials, and a structured paid internship, you build foundational employability skills, core technical IT competencies, and job-specific experience aligned with the National IT Competency Model. The program specifically aims to address Nevada’s IT workforce shortage while creating stronger pathways for underrepresented and female students in tech. You finish with real credentials, hands-on experience, and even a guaranteed job interview.
5. Community of Bilingual English-Spanish Speakers (CBESS) High School Researcher
Location: Reno, NV (University of Nevada, Reno)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~32 student researchers per cohort
Dates: 17-month program (Summer between 11th and 12th grade, plus senior year mentoring)
Application Deadline: Varies by cycle (Typically Spring of junior year)
Eligibility: Bilingual (English-Spanish) 11th-grade students located in Northern Nevada
In this program, you participate in a 17-month STEM and healthcare training initiative specifically designed for bilingual youth. Throughout the experience, you will explore diverse topics encompassing biomedical sciences, community health issues, and clinical healthcare pathways. As a participant, you will actively create a student-led community health research project, tour university research and healthcare facilities, and collaborate with a bilingual undergraduate mentor during your senior year. A unique feature of this program is its dual-language approach, delivering instruction in both English and Spanish while connecting you directly with local bilingual professionals.
6. Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center Medical Explorer Program
Location: Renown Health, Reno, NV
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 25 students selected per cycle
Dates: Summer: June – August; Fall: October – December
Application Deadline: Summer: April 3; Fall: October 12
Eligibility: High school students ages 15–17
The Medical Explorer Program is a structured healthcare experience for students serious about exploring careers in medicine. You’ll participate in hands-on clinical-style activities like IV prep, medication draws, lab cultures, tourniquet training, and tours of ambulance bases and helipads, all while interacting directly with healthcare professionals. Beyond technical exposure, the program emphasizes communication skills, leadership, character development, and career planning. The program requires you to attend at least 75% of meetings, complete 12 volunteer hours per month during the school year and 8 hours per week in the summer, plus participate in one hospital service project and one community outreach event (such as health fairs or blood drives).
7. Camp Invention STEM Leadership Intern
Location: Participating school districts across Nevada (and nationwide)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; Varies by location (typically 1–2 interns per camper group)
Dates: One-week summer sessions (exact dates vary by local school district)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Current high school students in grades 10–12
In this program, you mentor elementary and middle school students during local summer camps. Throughout the week, you will cover topics like STEM education, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, and creative problem-solving. You will actively facilitate hands-on module activities, guide younger campers through daily design challenges, help instructors set up classroom materials, and lead team-building exercises. You earn up to 40 community service hours and receive an official letter of recognition from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. By the end of the internship, you will have developed highly practical skills, including effective communication, team leadership, and classroom management.
8. Clark County Summer Business Institute (SBI) – STEM Track
Location: Clark County, Las Vegas, NV
Stipend: $12/hr
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; ~100–120 students
Dates: June 8 – July 30
Application Deadline: February 12
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors (at least 16 years old) with a minimum 2.0 GPA
In this program, you explore topics like engineering, information technology, healthcare, and financial literacy. Throughout the summer, you will actively shadow experienced industry professionals, complete hands-on technical office tasks, and participate in weekly seminars dedicated to practical life skills. The program features a massive public-private partnership, which matches you directly with one of over 80 local businesses and offers potential college scholarships upon successful graduation. This early career exposure helps you seamlessly bridge the gap between classroom science concepts and real-world corporate applications.
9. Bishop Gorman High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Various partner organizations across Las Vegas, NV
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small groups
Dates: May 28 – July 4
Application Deadline: March 30
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors at Bishop Gorman High School with strong academic standing; selection based on GPA, written application, and interview
This summer internship program places you with professional organizations across Las Vegas in fields such as healthcare, engineering, finance, media, construction, law, and sports management. While it’s primarily a career exploration experience, students interested in science, engineering, or healthcare can gain early exposure to clinical environments, technical firms, or STEM-driven workplaces. A unique feature of this program is that it functions as a formal course, requiring you to complete 20 hours of on-site experience while submitting academic coursework to earn school credit. By the end of the term, you will have mastered essential workplace skills like professional etiquette, networking within your chosen industry, and clear career goal setting.
10. AFRL Scholars Program
Location: AFWERX, Las Vegas, NV
Stipend: $506.80/wk
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 400 interns annually across all sites
Dates: Typically 8–12 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens and enrolled or accepted to an educational institution, and are at least 16 years old by the application deadline; check the detailed eligibility criteria here
The AFRL Scholars Program at the AFWERX site places you inside a real U.S. Air Force research environment, working on applied science and engineering projects tied to emerging technologies and national defense. You could be contributing to data analysis, engineering design, software development, rapid prototyping, or experimental testing, depending on your background and assigned team. This is hands-on R&D, not shadowing. You’ll see how innovation moves from research concept to operational deployment, making it a strong fit if you’re interested in aerospace engineering, computer science, physics, robotics, or advanced technology systems.
11. Washoe County School District (WCSD) CTE STEM Internships
Location: Washoe County, NV (Reno/Sparks area)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 12–20 students per group class
Dates: Fall and Spring Semesters (Semester-long duration)
Application Deadline: Fall: April 15; Spring: Mid-October
Eligibility: Full-time 11th or 12th-grade WCSD students (or 10th graders applying for the fall) with a minimum 2.0 unweighted GPA and 90% attendance
This program gives you direct exposure to fields like information technology, health science, architecture, and environmental engineering. Throughout the semester, you will complete over 40 hours of on-site job shadowing, attend weekly employability skill-building classes, maintain detailed professional journals, and deliver a comprehensive final project presentation to the public. The program allows you to choose between broad group explorations or highly specialized individual placements while simultaneously earning high school elective credits. This hands-on experience bridges your traditional classroom learning with real-world industry expectations.
12. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Local placement within approximately 45 minutes of your home (nationwide)
Stipend: $3,000
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 20–45 students
Dates: 8 weeks during the summer (June to August); flexible dates decided by the mentor and the student
Application Deadline: January 25
Eligibility: Students in grades 10–12; must be at least 16 years old by program start
Sponsored by the American Fisheries Society, the Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program places you directly into hands-on field and lab research in fisheries science and aquatic conservation. As a Hutton Scholar, you’ll work with a professional mentor conducting real-world activities like electrofishing, fish population surveys, habitat restoration, specimen analysis, and ecological data processing. The experience culminates in the fully funded Hutton Scholars Summit at the University of Arkansas, where you connect with peers and professionals in the field. If you’re considering marine biology, environmental science, wildlife ecology, or conservation research, this is one of the most immersive high school experiences in aquatic science.
13. Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Public Service Internship
Location: Statewide (Carson City, Reno, Las Vegas, Elko, Ely, Tonopah, and Winnemucca, NV)
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 70 students
Dates: May through August
Application Deadline: Late February
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who will be enrolled in a college degree program by the start of the internship
In this program, you gain on-the-job training that directly impacts the state’s infrastructure. This summer program immerses you in practical topics like civil and environmental engineering, highway construction, traffic engineering, and business management. Throughout your internship, you will actively inspect highway construction projects, conduct physical land surveying, and help crews perform routine highway maintenance. The program places you directly in the field across various Nevada cities rather than being confined to a single office. By the end of the summer, you will learn highly practical skills such as environmental compliance, project administration, and crucial field safety protocols.
14. Renown Health High School Volunteer Clinical Internship
Location: Renown Regional Medical Center, Reno, NV
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 30–40 students per session
Dates: June 9–20
Application Deadline: April 3
Eligibility: High school students starting their sophomore, junior, or senior year in the Fall
The Renown Health Spring Break High School Volunteer Program allows you to explore practical healthcare careers and daily hospital operations. Throughout the program, you cover topics like direct patient support, hospital hospitality, and clinical clerical assistance. You will actively participate in tasks such as visiting with patients, delivering mail and flowers to rooms, and providing a warm welcome to visitors at the information desks. The program features a condensed, short-term timeline, letting you gain direct hospital experience strictly during your school break without conflicting with regular classes. By the end of your time there, you will learn skills like effective patient communication, clinical facility navigation, and medical customer service.
15. MITES Semester
Location: Virtual
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 235 to 275 students per year
Dates: 6 months; STEM Immersion Phase: June – Early August; College and Career Prep Phase: August – December
Application Deadline: February 2
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently in their junior year of high school
MITES Semester is a research-focused STEM enrichment program built for academically driven juniors. Over six months, you take two advanced, project-based electives such as Machine Learning, Thermodynamics, or Astrophysics, along with a core course in Calculus, Physics, Computer Science, or Science Writing. The experience is about developing analytical reasoning, quantitative problem-solving, and scientific communication. With weekly live classes, faculty mentorship, collaborative projects, and a culminating conference at MIT, this program is ideal if you’re aiming for competitive STEM majors and want exposure to college-level scientific thinking.
One more option – Horizon Academic Research Program
If you’re looking for a competitive mentored research program in subjects like data science, machine learning, political theory, biology, and chemistry, consider applying to Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs! This is a selective virtual research program that lets you engage in advanced research and develop a research paper on a subject of your choosing. Horizon has worked with 1000+ high school students so far and offers 600+ research specializations for you to choose from. You can find the application link here!
Image Source – University of Nevada, Las Vegas