Compton College Internship Opportunities for High School Students
Internships provide numerous benefits to high school students, allowing them to explore career paths, gain work experience, and build life skills. They also enable high schoolers to expand their professional network and make connections. As Compton College expenses continue to rise, students are increasingly looking for flexible ways to earn money in the Compton, CA area. This article explores a variety of internship and work opportunities available to high school students interested in gaining valuable experience and preparing for future careers.
On-Campus Opportunities at Compton College
One of the best places to start your search for student jobs at Compton College is the Career Center. They can provide you with resources, job listings, and assistance with resume writing and interview preparation.
Another option to consider is working for the Associated Student Body (ASB) or student government. These positions can provide you with leadership experience and the opportunity to make a positive impact on campus.
Off-Campus Internship Programs and Opportunities
Healthcare and Social Services
- Los Angeles Pediatric Society Program: Established in 1969, this free program encourages high school students to consider careers in health professions.
- Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Program: Los Angeles County high schoolers (currently in grades 9 through 11) can explore potential career paths in healthcare through this free five-day program.
- Careers for a Cause: Compton College's Careers for a Cause training is administered through its Business and Industrial Studies Guided Pathway Division in conjunction with its agency partners and is funded by the American Recovery Act via Los Angeles County. Compton College uses non-credit ESL courses to embed social services-based content into the curriculum and works with St. Joseph's Center to coordinate the interview and selection process.
- INSPIRE (Inspiring New Scientists through Professional Internships and Research Experience): A program designed to introduce high school students to careers in healthcare.
Arts, Media, and Culture
- Warner Bros. Discovery Honorships: This program is for students passionate about the business of media and entertainment. Participants are awarded honorships, which consist of both a scholarship and a paid summer internship at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, CA.
- Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement: While not an internship per se, participation in this academy provides an excellent foundation for a career in media and journalism.
- YAP (Youth Arts Program) with the National Museum of the American Latino: This program offers four-week interdisciplinary internships in museums and other cultural institutions in cities across the nation, including the LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
- Getty Museum Internships: The Getty Museum offers two paid summer internship programs for high school students in the Los Angeles area: Teen Gallery Guides at The Getty Villa and Teen Gallery Guides at The Getty Center.
- MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Teen Program: Open to high school juniors and seniors interested in museums, art, artists, and creative careers.
- Student Journalism Opportunities: Student journalists will want to check out this opportunity to work with a team of high school reporters and hone their storytelling chops. The program is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
- CampusReel Content Creator: Produce engaging video or written content that showcases real student experiences-everything from dorm tours and campus events to day-in-the-life segments. This role involves capturing the authentic vibe of your college or university, helping prospective students see what life is truly like on campus.
STEM and Research
- USC Young Researchers Program: This program is an excellent opportunity for students to gain real-world research experience. The free six-week program pairs participants with graduate student mentors to complete a research project and present their findings at a symposium. The program is open to students entering their senior year of high school from the Los Angeles, Lynwood, Compton, or Inglewood Unified School Districts.
- Summer Biomedical Research Academy: Students in this summer program gain hands-on science experience working as a full-time member of a biomedical research team. Students receive a stipend for their work at the academy, and many have had their names included in published research papers.
- Translational Research Internship: This exciting internship opportunity is open to high school, undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. The internship aims to interest students in health sciences, statistics, and computer science to ultimately become leaders in translational research.
Government and Public Service
- Court Angels: This internship program is provided by the Los Angeles Superior Court for local area high school students who may be considered at risk with high potential. Court Angels aim to provide participants with quality work experience and a deeper understanding of the court and court-related career opportunities.
- Port of Long Beach Internships: Internships with the Port of Long Beach offer students the chance to gain work experience, explore potential careers, and earn a paycheck. The program is open to high school juniors and seniors who reside in Long Beach or attend a high school in the Long Beach Unified School District service area.
- Metro Internship Program: This internship program provides high school juniors and seniors with a close-up look at careers in transportation and teaches them how to turn classroom concepts into real-world solutions. The program is open to students who reside in Los Angeles County, depend on transit, and live within proximity to a Metro rail station or Metro rail expansion site.
- Los Angeles County Public Works Opportunities: Los Angeles County Public Works, one of the nation’s largest municipal public works agencies, provides work opportunities for high school seniors.
Community and Volunteer Service
- VolunTEEN Program at the Aquarium of the Pacific: Students between the ages of 14 and 16 can take part in the VolunTEEN program at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. VolunTEENs are expected to commit to 60 hours of on-site service and will build valuable skills like public speaking and communication while engaging with visitors about the aquarium’s inhabitants and ecosystems.
- Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens Volunteer Opportunities: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens offer a wide variety of volunteer opportunities-in everything from assisting guests to gardening-to participants as young as 14.
- CDI (Community Development Institute) Internship and Volunteer Opportunities: The CDI connects students-including high schoolers-to internship and volunteer opportunities that utilize their unique skills and interests to support young children and serve families. Opportunities range from fields like event planning to landscaping to social media.
- Pasadena Symphony and POPS Volunteers: Pasadena Symphony and POPS volunteers help fill a variety of functions, including serving as venue assistants, greeters, and ticket takers during concerts, along with non-performance roles in marketing, outreach, and programming.
Other Programs
- Ladder Internships: Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries from tech/deep tech, AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. This program is designed to accommodate your schedule-internships are available throughout the year, and you can also do your work fully remotely. Students can expect to work 10-20 hours per week, for 8-12 weeks. Gap year students are also eligible to participate!
- USC Bovard Scholars: USC Bovard Scholars is kind of like an internship in going to college. Bovard Scholars are provided with access to experts in admissions, are offered assistance in navigating the financial aid process, and receive test preparation.
- Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS): Pomona College provides this free, three-year program to high-achieving students from surrounding communities and populations traditionally underrepresented in college.
- Bank of America Student Leaders: Bank of America Student Leaders is a prestigious program available in 100 communities nationwide, including Los Angeles. The Student Leaders program places participants in seven-week internships with local nonprofits-allowing them to gain work experience, earn money for college, and serve their local community.
- EntreNous Youth Employment Services serves young people primarily ages 16-29 who have been pushed or have dropped out of traditional education. Through a variety of services, program members developed needed skills to create sustainable wage positions for themselves, primarily in Construction | Building Trades and Hospitality | Culinary Arts.
- CLIP-Compton Leaders Internship Program is an ongoing leadership and whole life mentoring program for high school and college-aged men and women. The program includes weekly Bible studies, one-on-one mentoring and quarterly educational, cultural and recreational activities.CLIP Summer Internship is a 3 week internship for young men and women aged 14-22. Paired with college mentors, the youth participate in seminars as well as in hands on workshops. Topics covered include: financial literacy, job preparedness, personal growth, auto mechanics, plumbing, gardening and culinary.Compton Summer Intensive (CSI) is a partnership with The Navigators, which draws students of color from around the country for a month-long training and service program. Working with Metro, the students serve in churches and as mentors to the youth in our CLIP Summer Internship.
Flexible Ways to Earn Money
- Freecash.com: An online rewards platform where students can earn money by completing offers, taking surveys, playing games, and engaging in various micro-tasks.
- Ipsos iSay Survey: Earn rewards by sharing your opinions on products, services, and various market trends.
- Vivint Summer Sales Internship: A summer internship program centered around direct sales of home security and automation solutions. As an intern, you’ll typically work door-to-door in a specific territory, engaging homeowners and demonstrating the benefits of Vivint’s smart home products.
- Swagbucks: Earn points by taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and even shopping through partner links.
- Pet Sitting: A flexible and rewarding way to earn extra cash while spending time with animals.
- Babysitting: A timeless option for college students looking to earn extra income while maintaining flexibility around class schedules.
How Internships Impact College Chances
Extracurricular activities, like internships, can have a substantial influence on your odds of acceptance, particularly at selective colleges. Admissions officers rate a student’s extracurriculars based on impressiveness and uniqueness. The 4 tiers of extracurricular activities are a good way to understand how schools evaluate your activities outside of the classroom. Tier 1 is reserved for the most outstanding activities, such as being an award-winning national science fair competitor. Generally, any given internship will fall under Tier 2 or 3, depending on the internship’s selectivity and prestige, as well as the responsibilities interns have to take on.
Compton College's Commitment
Compton College is committed to providing internship opportunities and support for historically underserved student populations, particularly students of color. They cultivate a sense of belonging to support students in achieving their academic goals.
Read also: Career Support at Compton College
Read also: Diverse Programs Offered at Compton College
Read also: Legacy of Compton College
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