Computer Science High School Internships: A Launchpad for Future Tech Leaders
For high school students with a passion for computer science, internships offer an invaluable opportunity to gain practical experience, explore potential career paths, and build a strong foundation for future success. These programs provide a glimpse into the world of technology, allowing students to apply their knowledge, develop new skills, and network with industry professionals. This article explores a wide range of computer science internships and related programs available to high school students, covering opportunities in various locations, formats, and areas of focus.
Why Pursue a Computer Science Internship in High School?
Participating in a computer science internship during high school offers numerous benefits:
- Real-world Experience: Internships provide hands-on experience working on real-world projects, allowing students to apply their classroom knowledge to practical situations.
- Skill Development: Interns develop technical skills in areas like programming, data analysis, software development, and cybersecurity, as well as essential soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and problem-solving.
- Career Exploration: Internships help students explore different areas within computer science, allowing them to discover their interests and passions.
- College Preparation: A strong internship experience can significantly enhance college applications, demonstrating a student's commitment to computer science and their ability to succeed in a challenging environment.
- Networking Opportunities: Internships provide opportunities to network with industry professionals, build relationships, and gain valuable career advice.
Apprenticeships: An Alternative to College
For students seeking an alternative to the traditional college path, apprenticeships offer a unique opportunity to gain technical training and on-the-job experience while earning a salary.
- Multiverse: This program offers paid CS apprenticeships at top companies, providing career development for students who choose an alternative to college.
- NPower: This work-study program, available in select states, supports military veterans and students from underserved communities.
- Year Up United: This year-long program combines six months of technical training with a six-month corporate internship.
Internship Opportunities
- Ladder Internships: This selective program connects ambitious high school students with high-growth startups across various industries, including tech, AI/ML, health tech, and more. Internships are available throughout the year and can be done remotely, requiring 10-20 hours per week for 8-12 weeks.
- Data Science Institute (DSI) Summer Lab at the University of Chicago: This eight-week paid internship is designed for Chicago-area high school students interested in exploring data science. Interns work closely with mentors to analyze data, identify patterns, build models, and interpret results.
- After School Matters (ASM): ASM offers internship opportunities for Chicago teens in STEM, arts, and communication. Apprenticeships provide hands-on work in computer science, focusing on industrial and information technology, with guidance from mentors.
- UChicago Youth Internship Program (YIP): This paid summer program for South Side high school students aims to build pathways into STEM careers. The program includes workshops, seminars, college and workplace tours, and a six-week internship at the University of Chicago.
- Adler Planetarium Summer Internship Program: This internship allows students to work with NASA data using OpenSpace, a program that visualizes space missions in 3D. Interns learn to code, handle data, and create visual projects that explain space science.
- NASA Pathways: This program offers high school and college students work experience in computer science and other STEM fields. Interns work on NASA projects, developing skills in areas like engineering, science, and technology.
- Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP): This program allows students to work with university scientists and Department of Defense experts in labs, gaining hands-on experience in fields like cybersecurity, software development, and data science.
- Northwestern University Research Program for High Schoolers (NURPH): This seven-week paid program provides students access to university laboratory resources and mentorship from professional researchers in Northwestern’s Materials Science and Engineering Department. The program highlights interdisciplinary connections, including applications in computing and data science.
- Stanford AI in Medicine (AIMI) Summer Programs: These programs explore the intersection of AI and healthcare. The Summer Research Internship offers expert-led sessions, hands-on projects, and mentorship from Stanford researchers. The Summer Bootcamp provides a curated curriculum covering the fundamentals of machine learning in healthcare settings.
- Empowerly’s Startup Internship Program: This program connects high school and college students interested in computer science with startups from around the world, where they can contribute to software-related tasks and collaborate with startup teams.
- Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP): This eight-week paid summer internship places students in a Navy lab with scientists and engineers, where they can gain experience in computer science by supporting research and solving problems using technology.
- NASA OSTEM Internships: As a NASA intern at the Marshall Space Flight Center, students work full-time on-site, helping with programs like the Student Launch Initiative and the Human Exploration Rover Challenge. They may build software tools, work with databases, run data analysis, and support teams during technical reviews.
- MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute - CogWorks: This program provides hands-on experience with AI and machine learning. Students learn Python, Git, natural language processing, and basic machine learning, then work in teams to build and test AI assistants.
- George Mason University - NASA Data Science Analysis and Scholarly Research Paper Writing: This five-week program allows high school students to explore space data and research with NASA, analyze data, and write a research paper with help from expert mentors.
- MITES Semester (formerly MOSTEC): This six-month online program helps high school students build STEM skills and prepare for college through challenging online courses, webinars, social events, workshops, and peer meetings.
Additional Internship Programs
- Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI): A four-week online introduction to computer science for graduated seniors, specifically targeting groups historically marginalized in the field. The curriculum emphasizes computer science fundamentals and encourages participation in workshops promoting self-care, identity, career development, and community building.
- Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Summer Internship Program: Provides students with on-the-job training and real-world leadership experience in STEM fields. Eligible students must be rising first-year college students and commit to 224 hours of work over an eight-week period.
- Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Internship: A six-week program at Boston University for rising high school seniors, engaging in hands-on research under the guidance of university faculty.
- Sandia Internships: Offers summer, year-round, and co-op internships for students 16 years and older, with opportunities to work on research projects and gain valuable work experience.
- Simons Summer Research Program: Offers rising high school seniors the opportunity to conduct research in a STEM field under the mentorship of Stony Brook University faculty.
- SPARK Summer Internship Program: Connects motivated high school students in the Greater Seattle area with leading educators and industry experts for hands-on, in-depth learning experiences.
- Meyerhoff Scholars Program: Selects high school students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. in the sciences or engineering, providing research, conferences, paid internships, and study-abroad experiences.
- MITRE’S High School Student Program: Empowers student researchers to become leaders in engineering and technology fields through paid positions over an eight-week period.
- American Collegiate Adventures Internship Program: Offers high school students internships in over 20 industries in Boston or New York, combining work experience with structured activities and weekend excursions.
- Externships Providing Leadership Opportunities in Research and Education (EXPLORE): Matches gifted and advanced high school students with distinguished mentors for research opportunities and professional experience.
- Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY): Offers summer programs and classes across the country in topics such as advanced java programming, Arduino prototyping, and designing inclusive algorithms.
- Summer Science & Engineering Program (SSEP): Designed for exceptional high school students with budding interests in STEM fields, offering cooperative, investigative learning under committed faculty and near-peer undergraduate teaching assistants.
- University of New Hampshire Tech Camp: Offers weekly programs covering specialized topics like molecular visualization and bioinformatics.
- University of Texas Science Summer Academies: Offers a variety of one-week summer academies for high school students in robotics, iOS app development, and game development.
- MIT Online Science, Technology, and Engineering Community (MOSTEC) Program: A six-month internship for rising high school seniors, especially from underrepresented or underserved communities, consisting of online courses, a conference on MIT campus, and interactions with researchers and professionals.
- Emagination Tech Camps: Teaches coding in multiple languages, game design, and engineering skills related to computer science in a camp setting.
- Illinois Tech Computational Science Course: Offers residential and daytime courses in computational science for rising 10-12th graders, with opportunities to earn college credit.
- Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Scholars (CSS): A grant-funded, merit-based program for rising high school juniors historically excluded from STEM fields, engaging in college-level courses in computer programming and mathematics.
- MSU High School Engineering Institute (HSEI): Invites juniors and seniors to apply for a one-week program at Michigan State University, designed to give high schoolers an in-depth experience in college engineering majors.
- Georgia Tech Summer Programs for Enrichment and Accelerated Knowledge in STEAM (PEAKS): Designed to increase STEAM knowledge through hands-on and engaging experiential activities.
- AI Scholars Program: Teaches high school students fundamental programming skills through project-based learning.
- Anson L. Clark Scholars Program: Provides 12 juniors and seniors the opportunity to participate in hands-on research in a variety of areas, including computer science, with faculty at Texas Tech University.
- CS4CS: A three-week introduction to computer science and cybersecurity for high schoolers held through NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering.
- Summer Immersion Program (SIP): A free, two-week program for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors, giving future STEM professionals exposure to the field of computer science.
- National Security Agency (NSA) Programs: Provides a number of opportunities for students, including internships and scholarships, such as the Gifted and Talented Language Program and the High School Work Study Program.
- Microsoft Discovery Program: Open to graduating seniors interested in technology who live within 50 miles of Redmond, Washington, or attend high school around Atlanta, Georgia, learning the fundamentals of programming and working at Microsoft.
- MITRE Nationwide High School Student Program: Provides students with the chance to participate in a ten-week internship aimed at making the world a safer place.
- Facebook University for High School: Offers students the chance to gain real-world experience working at Facebook.
- Carnegie Mellon’s CSS: Participants learn about the world of computer science through classroom instruction, hands-on research projects, faculty lectures, and programs in conjunction with leading tech companies.
- Forage: Provides students with bite-sized experiences at top companies in a variety of fields, including computer science.
- The DSI Summer Lab program: An immersive eight-week paid summer research program that pairs high school (freshman through seniors), undergraduate, and UChicago master’s students with a data science mentor to work on a research project.
- Summer Springboard: A program for New York City rising sophomores and juniors that immerses them in the world of STEM.
- iD Tech Camps: A two-week coding camp for students interested in computer science.
- Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program (SSRP): A program for 10th and 11th-grade students from New York City public schools that introduces participants to college-level coursework and provides hands-on research experience.
- Science and Engineering Apprentice Program (SEAP): High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors are provided the opportunity to perform research in a Department of the Navy (DoN) lab and receive mentoring from world-class scientists and engineers.
Additional Resources and Programs
Besides internships, several other resources and programs can help high school students explore computer science:
- Curriculum Catalog: Offers comprehensive curriculum offerings for every grade and experience level, featuring structured and self-paced learning options.
- Video Library: Provides a large library of engaging and informative videos to learn about key computer science concepts.
- Hour of Code: Offers short-form activities and resources for all age levels.
- Stanford University Programs: Stanford offers a variety of programs for high school students interested in STEM, including:
- Advanced Science Exploratory Program: Offers educational seminars aimed to ignite excitement about science, scientific research, and scientific career paths.
- Brain Day: An annual event where volunteers from the Neuroscience program take real human brains to middle school classrooms for hands-on demonstrations.
- Camp Cardinal: A summer camp with innovative programming and daily activities.
- Campus Walking Tours: No-cost tours exploring the highlights of Stanford’s campus.
- Cardinal Kids Club: Children under 14 can join to receive free admission to Stanford athletic events and notices of clinics conducted by Cardinal teams.
- Cardiothoracic Surgical Skills Summer Internship: A two-week course for high school students considering careers in science and medicine, focusing on cardiothoracic surgical anatomy and physiology.
- Clinical Anatomy Summer Program (CASP): Offers high school students the opportunity to explore anatomy and health careers in a week-long program.
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Summer Internship: Exposes participants to the breadth of research in the Stanford Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
- Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY): Offers academic and non-academic classes taught by Stanford students.
- Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST): Pairs Stanford graduate students with high school students for mentorship and project development.
- Genomics Research Internship Program at Stanford (GRIPS): Brings summer internship opportunities in computational genetics and genomics to Bay Area high school students.
- Health Career Collaborative (HCC): Connects high school students from East Palo Alto Academy to undergrads, medical and graduate students, and faculty at Stanford for health career exposure and mentorship.
- High School Chemistry Outreach: Brings novel hands-on guided inquiry lab experiences to high schools.
- Inspiring Future Scientists through Shadowing (IFSS): Offers rising juniors and seniors in high school an opportunity to experience cutting-edge chemical research while shadowing a graduate student mentor.
- Introduction to Logic High School Summer Camp: A two-week program offering an introduction to logic from a computational perspective.
- Pre-College Opportunities within Energy Research (POWER): Offers hands-on workshops to introduce local high school students from historically marginalized communities to topics in sustainability and energy research.
- Pre-Collegiate University-Level Online Math & Physics Courses: Designed for motivated and academically advanced high school students to explore their intellectual passions.
- Science Accelerating Girls' Engagement (SAGE): A one-week summer camp for public high school students hosted by scientists and engineers to share what life is like in STEM professions.
- Science, Technology, and Reconstructive Surgery (STaRS) Summer Internship Program: Hosts talented high school and undergraduate students in research laboratories.
- Seeds of Change: Partners Stanford undergraduates in technology disciplines with high school students interested in advancing the participation of women and girls in STEM, and provides an integrated curriculum of mentoring, training and skills development.
- SIMR - Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program: For high school juniors and seniors interested in hands-on research in immunology, stem cell, cancer, neuroscience, bioinformatics or cardiovascular medicine.
- SLAC Summer Internship Program: Participants in this program include high school (ages 18 and older), undergraduate and graduate level college students.
- Splash!: Offers a Saturday or Sunday on campus full of academic and non-academic classes taught by Stanford students.
- Stanford AI4ALL: Aims to increase diversity in the field of Artificial Intelligence through a three-week online program.
- Stanford CARE AI Summer Program for High School Students: A dynamic two-week in-person experience designed for high school students passionate about improving health outcomes in Asian communities and beyond.
- Stanford Clinical Science, Technology and Medicine Sumer Internships: This program is designed for high school (rising juniors and seniors) and pre-medical undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in medicine, STEM, medical research and development, or health care design, with a specific focus on Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine.
- Stanford Clinical Summer Internship: The Stanford Clinical Summer Internship brings together curious learners from differing backgrounds to actively engage in the exploration of the art and science behind world-class medicine.
NASA Internships: Exploring the Extraordinary
NASA offers internships for students of all majors, not just STEM fields. These internships provide opportunities to work alongside research scientists, engineers, and other professionals, contributing to the agency’s mission. Interns may support various business and program management areas, including human resources, administration, accounting, communication, IT, and education.
Read also: Requirements for Computer Science Degrees
- Eligibility: NASA internships are open to students who communicate proficiently in English. Interns are responsible for making their own housing arrangements and covering housing costs. Depending on the center location and housing options, a car may be necessary.
Success Stories: Former Interns Making a Difference
- Aaron Yazzie: A former intern at JPL, Aaron Yazzie inspires a new generation of Diné scientists and engineers.
- Clare Luckey: Former intern Clare Luckey was selected as one of Forbes’ 30 under 30 and helps plan how the first astronauts will land on Mars.
Read also: Read more about Computer Vision and Machine Learning
Read also: Computer Science College Guide
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