15 Winter Internships for High School Students

Key Takeaways

• These 15 winter internships span advocacy, government, museums, healthcare, and marine biology, from CAIR-Chicago’s civil rights work to the Dolphin Research Center’s animal care rotations, alongside Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs, which offers a virtual research track for students who want a fully remote option.
• Most of these internships are unpaid, though several, including the Himes Internship Program, the Met Spring Semester Internship, and the NYC Mayor’s Office Internship, offer stipends or hourly wages ranging from $17 an hour to $1,100 for the semester.
• Program length varies considerably, from short shadowing experiences like Baptist Health’s Observer Program to longer 16-week commitments like PSI at OHSU and the Dolphin Research Center’s internship.
• Several programs are restricted to specific regions or require a sponsor to secure a placement, such as Baptist Health’s Observer Program and Penn State’s Research Internships, so it’s worth locating a supervisor or sponsor early in the application process.
• Many of these internships combine hands-on project work with structured mentorship, workshops, or networking events, giving you both practical experience and exposure to career pathways in your chosen field.

Winter break is more than just a chance to relax – it is the perfect opportunity to explore a career you’re curious about. A winter internship lets you step outside the classroom and experience what it’s like to work in a real professional environment. Most of these internships take place between December and February. Whether you’re interested in STEM, business, healthcare, media, or another field, a winter internship can help you understand what the work is really like. You’ll work with professionals, learn how different industries operate, and make connections that could lead to future internships or academic opportunities. 

What do Winter internships for high schoolers include?

Winter internships give you the opportunity to work on real projects instead of only learning in a classroom. Depending on the program, you might collect and analyze data, write reports, conduct experiments, use software such as Excel, Python, or CAD tools, create presentations, or assist with research. Many internships also feature smaller class sizes, so you get personalized feedback, ask questions, and interact closely with Instructors and mentors. Some programs also include workshops, mentor sessions, and group projects that help you understand how professionals solve problems and work together. By the end of the internship, you’ll have practical experience and a better understanding of whether the field is the right fit for you.

Here are 15 winter internships for high school students. If you’re looking for online winter break programs, you can find them here. You can also check out winter research programs for high school students here.

1. Horizon Academic Research Program (HARP)

Horizon offers trimester-long research programs for high school students in subjects 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 you can use to improve future projects. Apply here!

 2. Internship Program at CAIR-Chicago

CAIR Chicago’s Internship Program offers year-round opportunities for high school students to gain experience in grassroots advocacy and explore career paths in areas such as law, public policy, communications, and nonprofit. The program requires you to complete at least 144 hours over a minimum of eight weeks, typically working more than 10 hours each week. After completing orientation and training, you’ll work on real projects in departments such as Civil Rights Law, Government Affairs, Communications, Operations, or Outreach. Depending on your placement, your work may include managing legal intake, writing news articles and press releases, creating social media content, organizing voter registration drives and community workshops, analyzing media bias, building nonprofit databases, and designing civil rights campaigns. If you perform well during the internship, you might receive an invitation to return for future sessions, subject to space availability.

 3. Signature Teen Research Internship Program (TRIP)

The Teen Research Internship Program at William Tennent High School gives local high school students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in science and medicine through a three-phase program. You’ll begin by designing a research project that explores how inflammation, diet, and environmental stress affect health, development, and behavior. Next, you’ll conduct experiments, collect and analyze data, and strengthen your scientific reasoning by solving research challenges. In the final phase, you’ll share your findings in a recorded presentation and a blog published on the program website. You’ll also take part in leadership and team-building activities, receive one-on-one mentoring from Fox Chase faculty, explore careers in science and medicine, and present your research at a symposium after completing the in-lab portion of the program.

 4. Internships at the American Psychological Association

The American Psychological Association offers remote internships year-round that allow you to gain practical experience in psychology from anywhere. You’ll work with a supervisor who assigns projects, supervises your learning, and introduces you to professional psychology workplaces. Depending on your interests, you’ll contribute to administrative work, writing, research, or web content in areas such as publishing, communications, education, policy, or operations. You’ll also get to apply classroom knowledge to real projects, attend virtual presentations by APA staff, access the organization’s resources, and connect with experienced psychologists. Along the way, you’ll join workshops, online discussions, and office activities that provide a deeper understanding of careers in psychology.

5. Department of Education Student Internships — Student Volunteer Trainee Program

The Department of Education offers year-round internships, including opportunities during the winter, for high school students interested in federal education, policy, and administration. Through the Student Volunteer Trainee Program, you’ll spend 8–10 weeks gaining hands-on experience in areas that align with your studies or career goals. Depending on your placement, you may work in Education Policy, IT, Communications, Data Analytics, Human Resources, Project Management, Grants Management, and other departments. You’ll also learn how federal laws and policies shape the education system, attend events with senior officials, join resume workshops, take guided tours of Washington, DC, and participate in networking activities. During the winter/spring session, you’ll usually work 20–40 hours each week, with flexible schedules and start dates arranged during the interview process. Available internship positions are posted on USAJobs.

6. Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage offers year-round internships that let you explore fields such as history, folklore, linguistics, cultural anthropology, social media, marketing, videography, design, and library science. You’ll work 15–20 hours a week in either part-time or full-time roles on projects related to Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, archival collections, and education programs. Depending on your role, you might conduct ethnographic research, digitize archival recordings, write for the center’s digital magazine, coordinate festival logistics, create accessibility maps, curate global music collections, or design educational resources. If you’re studying subjects such as folklore, history, music, or library science, you may also earn academic credit through the internship.

7. Internships at Dolphin Research Center

The Dolphin Research Center offers a 16- to 18-week internship during the winter term that gives you an in-depth look at how a marine mammal facility operates. You’ll spend 40 hours a week rotating through different departments, usually spending four days in one department and one day assisting with shared daily tasks through the Volunteer Resources Pool. Internship opportunities are available in areas such as Research, Education, Animal Care and Training, Medical, IT, and Visual Communications. Depending on your placement, you may help prepare dietary fish buckets, collect video and acoustic data for cognitive research, maintain lagoon habitats, observe animal training sessions, educate visitors through seminars, and assist veterinary teams. You may also have the opportunity to create DSLR media content, manage IT networks, or assist with regional wild stranding rescue operations.

8. Penn State Research Internships and Observation

Penn State College of Medicine offers high school students the opportunity to explore biomedical research through one- to two-day shadowing experiences or longer internships that can last from several weeks to several months. You’ll work with a research mentor and observe daily laboratory activities such as experiments, data collection, lab procedures, and data analysis to better understand how biomedical research is conducted. Before applying, you’ll need to identify a faculty member who will supervise your experience and oversee your training. You’ll be able to start your internship or shadowing experience only after completing all the required training. To find a supervisor, you can use the Penn State Research Database or explore faculty research interests on individual department websites.

9. Miami-Dade State Attorney High School Volunteer Internship Program

The Miami-Dade State Attorney High School Volunteer Internship Program introduces high school students to the criminal justice system and day-to-day work of the State Attorney’s Office. Before starting the internship, you’ll complete a screening, interview, and training to prepare for your role. During the internship, you’ll assist with a variety of tasks such as attending bond hearings, taking sworn statements, answering legal questions, contacting victims, running background checks, helping with protection orders, interviewing defendants, handling complaints, researching case law, and reviewing evidence to determine whether charges should be filed. You’ll work 16–20 hours each week for at least three months during a semester. The internship experience can help you explore careers in law, social work, paralegal studies, and criminal justice. 

10. OHSU School of Medicine Partnership for Scientific Inquiry (PSI)

The Partnership for Scientific Inquiry is a 16-week internship program for local high school students interested in medicine or biomedical research. Throughout the program, you’ll learn how scientific research works, interact with researchers from Oregon Health and Science University and other Portland research institutes, and attend two hours of lectures and discussions every Wednesday on ongoing research. You’ll receive guidance from undergraduate mentors, research faculty, and your assigned research mentor to develop your own research proposal, learn research methods, and present a published paper in a journal club. If you’re at least 16 years old, you’ll also get to complete a summer internship in a lab or clinical research setting, fulfill at least 250 total hours of program activities, and present your research work at a poster symposium.

11. Observer Program at Baptist Health

Baptist Health offers high school students shadowing opportunities that let you observe medical professionals and explore a variety of healthcare careers. You’ll gain firsthand insights into daily hospital operations by learning from physicians, nurses, and other staff, attending rounds, watching procedures, and sitting in on lectures or conferences when available. Depending on your interests and sponsor availability, you’ll shadow physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals. To participate in the program, you’ll need to find a Baptist Health professional who agrees to serve as your sponsor, as the Office of Academic Affairs does not arrange placements. Your sponsor will determine the length of your observership, up to four weeks, as well as the experiences you’ll have during the program.

12. Himes Internship Program: District Internships

The Himes Internship Program gives high school students interested in politics, American history, law, government, and related fields the opportunity to explore careers in public service and work in a congressional office. You’ll be considered for placements in both the Bridgeport and Stamford offices, and assignments will be based on staffing needs, commute time, and other factors. During the internships, you’ll conduct research, draft correspondence, assist with constituent casework, and learn how a congressional office operates. The program also gives you opportunities to interact with government officials and representatives to better understand lawmaking and public policy. The program is well suited for students who are detail-oriented, able to multitask, organized, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

13. The Met Spring Semester Internship for High School Students

The Met Spring Semester Internship gives high school sophomores and juniors the opportunity to work with professionals in departments such as curatorial, conservation, education, and digital media, while exploring how a museum operates behind the scenes. You’ll gain hands-on experience with public programming and collections management, attend biweekly learning sessions, and receive career mentorship throughout the program. Depending on your department, you’ll research historical artifacts, observe gallery lighting design, or create multimedia content for the museum’s teen social media team. You’ll also share ideas for improving the visitor experience, interact with museum staff and administrators, and help plan and run the Teens Take The Met event, which brings together thousands of young people for an evening of art, music, and youth leadership.

14. New York City Office of the Mayor Internship Program

The NYC Mayor’s Office offers internships that give local high school students the opportunity to explore city government and public policy by working in a department throughout the program. You’ll work alongside staff on a variety of projects, including research, data analysis, drafting briefs, attending meetings, assisting with citywide events, handling constituent inquiries, and helping with community outreach. You’ll also join a biweekly Speaker Series featuring Commissioners, Deputy Mayors, and other senior leaders, and may also get to tour the Mayor’s Office facilities, including City Hall. As part of the program, you’ll collaborate with other interns to plan and complete a community service project that uplifts high-need neighborhoods across New York City. The program also helps you gain a deeper understanding of social issues, how public policies are developed, and the role of city government and community organizations in everyday life.

15. U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pathways Internship Program

The Bureau of Land Management Internship Program offers year-round opportunities, including winter internships, for high school students interested in public lands and natural resource management. As an intern, you’ll work on conservation, land use, and environmental planning projects, as well as explore careers in the federal government. The program offers two tracks. The Indefinite Internship is a long-term developmental role lasting more than one year, with structured training, mentorship, career planning, and at least 480 hours of work experience. Successful interns may be eligible for noncompetitive conversion to permanent or term federal positions. The Temporary Internship lasts one year or less and focuses on short-term projects, labor-intensive assignments in field or office settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of winter internships are available to high school students?

You’ll find a mix of formats, including advocacy and civic-focused internships like CAIR-Chicago and the Himes Internship Program, research and healthcare internships like PSI at OHSU and Penn State’s Research Internships, and specialized experiences like the Dolphin Research Center and the Met Spring Semester Internship. Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs offer a different kind of option, letting you conduct independent, mentored research remotely across a wide range of subjects rather than joining a fixed in-person internship.

Do you need prior experience or coursework to apply?

It depends on the program. The Signature Teen Research Internship Program recommends completion of at least one high school biology or chemistry course, while others, like CAIR-Chicago’s internship and the NYC Mayor’s Office program, don’t require specific subject prerequisites. Programs like Penn State’s Research Internships require you to secure a faculty sponsor before applying rather than meeting a coursework requirement.

Are these internships paid?

Most are unpaid, but several offer compensation. The NYC Mayor’s Office Internship pays $17 an hour, the Met Spring Semester Internship offers $1,100, and the Himes Internship Program provides need-based stipends. The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and the BLM Pathways Internship also offer paid opportunities, though amounts vary by specific role.

Which internships require you to find your own sponsor or supervisor?

Penn State’s Research Internships and Baptist Health’s Observer Program both require you to secure a sponsoring faculty member or medical professional before you can be accepted, since neither program arranges placements directly. This differs from most other internships on this list, which handle placement internally once you’re accepted.

Which internships are restricted to specific cities or regions?

Several of these programs have geographic requirements. The Signature Teen Research Internship Program is limited to the Philadelphia area (including parts of New Jersey and Delaware), PSI is limited to the Portland metro area and other parts of Oregon, and the Met Spring Semester Internship and NYC Mayor’s Office Internship are both limited to New York City residents. Others, like the American Psychological Association’s remote internships and the BLM Pathways Internship, are open more broadly across the U.S.

Is there a way to pursue independent research beyond a structured winter internship?

Yes. If you want a mentored research experience without needing to secure a sponsor or commute to a specific location, Horizon’s Research Seminars and Labs pairs you with a professor or PhD scholar to develop a 20-page research paper you can submit for academic publication, entirely online. The program also provides a letter of recommendation and detailed feedback, and covers over 600 research specializations. You can find the application here.

When should you apply?

Deadlines for these programs are spread throughout the fall, so it helps to plan ahead. The Himes Internship Program’s fall cohort deadline falls July 24, followed by the Signature Teen Research Internship Program (October) and the Met Spring Semester Internship (October 27). PSI at OHSU closes between September 11 and December 1, while CAIR-Chicago’s winter/spring session closes December 1. Several programs, including Penn State’s Research Internships and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office program, use rolling admissions instead of a fixed date.

Image source: Horizon Academic Research Program