If you’re a high school student in the Bay Area interested in accessible hands-on experience outside the classroom, local internships can be a great way to explore your interests and develop practical skills. In the Bay Area, there are multiple programs that offer opportunities to work alongside professionals in fields like science, technology, social impact, and more.
As an intern in one of these programs, you might spend your time assisting in a lab, writing and testing code, gathering data in the field, or contributing to research and analysis. In addition to project work, many internships include training sessions or workshops that develop skills in areas such as data analysis, laboratory techniques, or professional communication.
To help you explore what’s available, here’s a list of 10 internships for high school students in the Bay Area.
1. Internships at Sandia National Laboratories
Location: Livermore, CA; Albuquerque, NM; and other Sandia sites.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; students receive a stipend that varies with experience and internship placement
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines; internship openings are continuously updated.
Program Dates: Varies by internship; both full-time summer and part-time year-round internships are offered
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, full-time students in high school or college, age 16+, with a minimum 3.0 GPA for R&D, technical, or business roles.
Sandia National Laboratories offers internships throughout the year, including summer opportunities, for high school students interested in areas such as cybersecurity, mechanical and electrical engineering, and computer science. Your specific tasks will depend on your placement but may include writing code in Python or Java, testing electrical circuits, creating models with CAD software, or using tools like MATLAB or COMSOL for simulations. Projects vary and may involve working on energy systems, exploring ways to improve cybersecurity, analyzing sensor data, running diagnostics, or developing engineering models. Each intern is paired with a mentor who provides guidance on the project and offers technical training.
2. Project Pull, SF Govt Internship
Location: Various government department offices in San Francisco, with a hybrid option
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend of $19.25/hour
Application Deadline: February 17 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: All applicants must be entering junior year, senior year, or college-bound freshman in Fall; must live or attend high school in San Francisco, and have at least a 2.75 GPA from their last finished semester
Project Pull is a paid summer internship program run by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) for high school and college students residing in San Francisco. The program combines in-person and remote work, focusing on providing exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), particularly within the public sector. As a participant, you’ll be matched with a mentor and take part in projects that build skills in areas like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving. The program also introduces you to how public agencies operate and helps you explore potential career paths.
3. UCSF Summer Student Research Program
Location: San Francisco, CA, and Oakland, CA
Cost/Stipend: None; Summer stipends range from $3,000 – $4,300, varying by student status and granting agency
Application Deadline: February 14 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Program Dates: June 2 – August 1 (tentative, based on previous year’s schedule)
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors, age 16+ by June 1, with at least one year of completed math and biology
The UCSF Summer Student Research Program offers high school students the opportunity to assist with research in health and biomedical sciences. You’ll be paired with a faculty mentor and contribute to an active research project in areas such as molecular biology, clinical research, neuroscience, or public health. During the program, you may work in a lab setting where you’ll learn basic research methods like pipetting, PCR, gel electrophoresis, or collecting data from clinical studies. Your tasks might include analyzing patient information, observing experiments, or helping prepare summaries of research results, depending on the focus of your assigned project.
4. High School Intern Program — Science & Health Education Partnership
Location: UC San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipend is as follows: Part-time = 25 hours/week, earning $3,200 upon program completion. Full-time = 35 hours/week, earning $4,500 upon program completion.
Application Deadline: March 2
Program Dates: June 9 – August 1
Eligibility: Applicants must be current high school juniors, enrolled in an SFUSD high school, SF charter school, or College Track San Francisco, and from backgrounds historically marginalized in the sciences
The UCSF High School Intern Program (HIP) is a paid, eight-week summer internship available to high school seniors in San Francisco. As a participant, you will collaborate with UCSF researchers on biomedical projects covering fields like neuroscience, immunology, cancer, or stem cell biology. In addition to lab experience, the program includes activities focused on building communication skills and exploring career paths in science. HIP is designed to support students from underrepresented backgrounds in biomedical research, with the goal of broadening access to opportunities in the field.
5. SF YouthWorks
Location: Various locations depending on hosting office, San Francisco CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipends are $19.18/hour
Application Deadline: September 12
Program Dates: Year-long program
Eligibility: Applicants must be in 11th — 12th grade and must reside or attend school in San Francisco
SF YouthWorks is a paid internship program for high school juniors and seniors in San Francisco, offering the opportunity to gain experience working in local government. As an intern, you’ll be assigned to a city department, such as the Public Utilities Commission, the San Francisco Public Library, or the airport, where you’ll support projects in fields like public health, planning, or community programs. The program includes job readiness workshops that focus on skills such as workplace communication, time management, and understanding how local government functions. While not every role may align exactly with your interests, the experience offers a broad introduction to careers in public service and city operations.
6. Summer Science Intensive: iCLEM
Location: Emeryville, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost; participants are rewarded with a stipend of $3,000
Application Deadline: March 16
Program Dates: June 16 – August 1
Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, currently enrolled as high school sophomores or juniors with a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and have completed Algebra 1 and Biology. Must be at least 16 years old by June 16, live in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco County, and meet HUD low-income guidelines. Participation requires a virtual prep week (June 16–19) and in-person lab work in Emeryville from June 20 to August 1.
The iCLEM (Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology) program is a 7-week paid summer internship for rising juniors and seniors from low-income, underrepresented backgrounds in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco counties. As a participant, you’ll start with a virtual prep week, then conduct research at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), and receive training in microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, and synthetic biology. The program includes a $3,000 stipend and offers additional support for college planning, including workshops on financial aid, help with personal statements, and exposure to STEM careers through guest speakers and site visits.
7. Kaiser Permanente LAUNCH Internship
Location: Various Kaiser Permanente locations across Northern California
Cost/Stipend: $23 – $24/hour
Application Deadline: January 6
Program Dates: June 16 – August 1
Eligibility: Northern California high school students aged 16 – 19. Priority is given to juniors and senior-level students
The Kaiser Permanente LAUNCH Internship is a healthcare research program for high school students that combines mentorship, job shadowing, and workshops. During the internship, you’ll assist with projects focused on data collection, workflow analysis, and identifying areas for improvement in clinical settings.
You’ll also be introduced to tools commonly used in healthcare systems and learn how research contributes to improving patient care and clinical practices. The program offers a practical view of how healthcare organizations use data and analysis to support decision-making and system improvement.
8. Youth — Rock Paper Scissors Collective
Location: Rock Paper Scissors Collective (RPSC), Oakland, CA
Cost/Stipend: No cost or stipend mentioned
Application Deadline: Varies
Program Dates: Customizable internship lengths
Eligibility: Oakland-area youth between the ages of 15–25
The Rock Paper Scissors Collective (RPSC) internship is designed for individuals aged 15 to 25 who are interested in art, curation, and creative projects. Interns will participate in collaborative efforts with local organizations like the Oakland Museum of California and the Oakland Public Library, gaining hands-on experience in community arts and event planning. The program emphasizes self-directed learning and operates with a non-hierarchical structure, which means you’ll need to be comfortable working in a less traditional, volunteer-led environment. Interns can develop skills in artistic practice and project planning while contributing to local arts initiatives.
9. Experiences in Research
Location: Hybrid or virtual, depending on the office and scope of work
Cost: None; stipend of $500 per week
Application Deadline: March 23
Program Dates: June 16 – July 25
Eligibility: Current 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade high school students enrolled in Northern California; Should have experience in independent work; 16+ by the start of the program
Experiences in Research (EinR) is a six-week summer internship at Berkeley Lab for high school students interested in STEM and related disciplines. During the program, you’ll support ongoing projects in areas such as data science, science communication, research design, and laboratory operations. Depending on your placement, you may help write code for data analysis, assist with experiments, contribute to research planning, or create content aimed at explaining scientific topics to broader audiences. The program offers a chance to work alongside professionals and learn how research is conducted in a lab setting.
10. Stanford’s Genomics Research Internship Program for High School Students (GRIPS)
Location: Hybrid (Virtual + in person at a research lab in Stanford, CA)
Cost/Stipend: No cost (Need-based scholarship available). Information about stipend not provided
Application Deadline: February 28
Program Dates: June 16 – August 7
Eligibility: High school students who are 16+, live in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, or Santa Cruz counties, hold a minimum 3.0 unweighted GPA, and have prior exposure to biology, chemistry, or programming
GRIPS Summer is an eight-week internship at Stanford focused on computational genetics and genomics for high school students in the Bay Area. As an intern, you’ll be assigned to a research lab where you’ll work with a mentor on projects involving the analysis of genomic data and the use of computational methods to study health and disease. Alongside your lab duties, you’ll participate in weekly meetings featuring researcher presentations, career panels, and workshops on science communication and research methods. You will also have regular meetings with your mentor to discuss progress and obtain advice. Additionally, the program offers experience with tools like R or Python for data analysis within genomics.
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 – UCSF logo