15 High School Internships in Seattle in 2023
What’s Covered:
- 15 High School Internships in Seattle
- How to Find an Internship
- How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
- Do you want to know how your internship will impact your admissions chances?
Internships are a phenomenal way to boost your college application, gain work experience, and discover career options—just to name a few benefits. Although internships are popular among college students, completing an internship while you’re still in high school is great career preparation and an excellent way to develop a new skill set.
15 High School Internships in Seattle
1. The Seattle Public Library Student Assistant Program
Application Deadline: October 5
Duration: Four months minimum
Do you love books, reading, and research? The Student Assistant Program at the Seattle Public Library may be the perfect internship opportunity for you. High school students ages 16 and up can gain vocational experience working at the library for 12 to 15 hours per week. The Seattle Public Library requires that high school students be available to work for at least four months and can hold positions for up to two years provided they remain enrolled in high school.
2. The Port of Seattle
Application Deadline:
- Summer: May
- Winter: November
Duration:
- Summer: Eight weeks
- Winter: Ten weeks (virtual)
The Port of Seattle’s Internship Program offers various paid high school internships across a variety of fields such as aviation operations, maritime operations, governance, community engagement, and green jobs. The Port of Seattle’s goal is to provide high school students with the skills they need to succeed in a corporate environment and promises participants “real work on real projects—no coffee runs.”
Students must be 16 years old before the internship begins, enrolled in/recently graduated from high school, and have been involved with community organizations and extracurricular activities.
3. Seattle City Light
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Eight weeks (June/July through August)
If you’re interested in exploring energy production and distribution, Seattle City Light offers eight-week, paid summer internships that allow you to get hands-on experience with utilities. You’ll be able to talk with executive leaders, participate in professional development workshops, visit multiple City Light facilities, and more.
You must be at least 16 years of age, a U.S. citizen, a continuing high school student, and possess a minimum 2.0 GPA to participate in this internship.
4. Seattle Children’s Hospital
Application Deadline: April 3
Duration:
- In-person: Three weeks
- Virtual: One week
Are you considering a career in the medical field? If so, the research training program for high school students at the Seattle Children’s Hospital may be the ideal internship opportunity for you. During the internship, students will learn about biochemistry, immunotherapy, gene editing, and infectious diseases. Students will also participate in college readiness and career exploration workshops.
To participate, students must be completing their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school and consider themselves underrepresented in the field of biomedical research. Eligibility to the in-person program is limited to local students who live within a two-hour commute of downtown Seattle.
5. Youth Maritime Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Two years
The Youth Maritime Program is a two-year internship opportunity for high school students interested in a career in the maritime industry. This internship is managed by the King County Job Training and Education Center, the Port of Seattle, Seattle Central College, the Youth Maritime Collaborative, and other partners. Participants can earn a stipend and 80 service learning hours.
Students are expected to attend weekend activities and workshops during their senior year of high school. Students will also have the chance to take field trips and network with maritime industry experts and local community leaders during the internship. The internship also offers job placement assistance upon completion.
6. Youth Aerospace Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Two years
Similar to the Youth Maritime Program, the Youth Aerospace Program is a two-year internship opportunity for students interested in the aerospace industry. This program is held at both Renton Technical College in Marysville and Everett Community College.
Students are required to attend weekend activities and workshops during their senior year of high school. Students will also have the chance to take field trips to aerospace companies like Boeing, network with industry experts, and more. Students will receive job placement assistance at the end of the internship.
7. Seattle Good Business Network
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Ten months (August to May)
Calling all aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals! Seattle Good Business Network’s internship program connects high school students and college students between the ages of 16-24, from all backgrounds and levels of experience to paid internships. Interns are required to complete at least 150 hours of work and are paid between $16 and $17 an hour.
Applicants are matched with a local Seattle business to build skills and explore future career goals and interests. The program is sponsored by the Seattle Office of Economic Development and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle.
8. Microsoft Discovery Program
Application Deadline: March 14
Duration: Four weeks (July to August)
Although located just outside of Seattle—in Redmond, Washington—graduating high school seniors interested in high-tech will want to check out this awesome opportunity with Microsoft. Over the course of the four-week program, participants learn programming fundamentals, develop valuable career skills, receive mentorship from Microsoft employees, and explore potential tech careers. The Microsoft Discovery Program is open to students who live within 50 miles of Redmond.
9. UW Botanic Gardens Junior Naturalists
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Two weeks minimum
Junior Naturalists assist Summer Camp Naturalists at UW Botanic Gardens Arboretum Summer Camp. Junior naturalists gain firsthand experience working with kids while building their environmental knowledge and leadership skills. This volunteer position is available to 15- through 18-year-olds. Junior Naturalists are required to serve a minimum two-week session, however, four sessions are held over the summer.
10. Bank of America Student Leaders
Application Deadline: January 13
Duration: Eight weeks
Not a local internship per se, but the Bank of America Student Leaders program connects community-minded students to local non-profits to participate in paid internships. More than 300 students from over 100 communities, including Seattle, participate in the program annually. Students build valuable work experience and serve their communities over the program’s eight weeks while working 35 hours a week. The highlight of the program for many participants is the week-long Student Leaders Summit held in Washington, D.C.
The Bank of America Student Leaders Program is open to high school juniors and seniors who are in good standing at their school and in an eligible market—like Seattle.
11. Seattle Police Explorers Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
The Police Explorers Program serves as an introduction to police operations and potential careers in law enforcement. Students can participate in a wide range of programs covering topics from crime scene investigation to traffic control to crowd control procedures—they’re also given the opportunity for in-person visits to the K-9 unit and harbor patrol. The program is open to full-time students between the ages of 14 and 21 with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
12. King County Parks Youth Conservation Corps
Application Deadline: May 9
Duration: Seven weeks
This program offers internships with the King County Parks & Recreation Division to ten high schoolers. Interns will work at multiple park locations to gain a better understanding of environmental justice and ecological restoration, along with gaining firsthand experience with parks and recreation management.
13. Clean Water Ambassadors Internship
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: Six weeks
This internship provided by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust allows students to explore local environmental issues, solutions, and careers focused on clean water. In addition, participants will build their communication skills, develop and implement projects, and take part in field trips and workshops. Students over age 15 are eligible for the position and students underrepresented in environmental careers are encouraged to apply.
14. Rising Star Project
Application Deadline: January
Duration: Varies
For more than a decade, the Rising Star Project has introduced Washington State students between the ages of 14 and 19 to the theatre. This is a tuition-free program a variety of roles are available, including performance, technical crew, stage management, and administrative positions. Students will gain experience collaborating with peers and mentors while building firsthand theatre experience by staging a large-scale theatrical production. Those interested are warned that the Rising Star Project is a big commitment—in terms of both time and energy—however, the program has fulfilled the service learning and community service requirements of past participants.
15. Fred Hutch Cancer Center Summer High School Internship Program
Application Deadline: March 31
Duration: Eight weeks
This competitive paid internship is aimed at rising high school seniors from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research. The program begins with two weeks of hands-on training in laboratory safety followed by mentored activities in a research group. Participants also attend seminars and professional development workshops and take part in a variety of social activities with their team and peers. The program culminates with interns giving presentations to the Fred Hutch community. Interns are responsible for their own transportation and housing, which gives Seattle locals a leg up at being selected for this impressive internship.
How to Find an Internship
Network
If you haven’t already, you’ll quickly discover that one of the best ways to land a job (or an internship!) is through your connections. Think of the older adults in your life, like parents, teachers, administrators, coaches, grandparents, friends, and especially people with interests or careers that align with your future aspirations. Ask your network if they have or know of any internship opportunities, and even if they don’t right now, they’ll be likely to let you know when an opportunity does arise.
Join LinkedIn
After networking with your friends and family, consider creating a LinkedIn profile to do some online networking. LinkedIn is an essential tool you will use in your professional career to connect with other professionals and explore job opportunities.
Once you’ve built a LinkedIn profile and have added your education, work experience, extracurriculars, and leadership experiences, you’ll be able to attract job recruiters. You can also use the LinkedIn job board to search for internships relevant to your interests and career goals!
Explore Local Opportunities
Are there any small, local Seattle businesses you love to support? Consider visiting the store location and asking the owner if they have any unadvertised internship opportunities. Chances are, they’re probably willing to give a loyal customer a chance to help their business succeed!
Discover National Opportunities
While local internship opportunities are always a great avenue to explore, national internship opportunities also offer incredible, well-respected experiences for high school students. You can often find national internships online. Search for your field of interest, such as STEM, journalism, and more, to find internships that align with your future major.
How Much Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
Your extracurriculars will help you get into college to a certain extent, depending on the rarity and prestige of the activity. To make things easier to understand, we’ve divided extracurriculars into four tiers. Tier 1 encompasses the most impressive and unique extracurriculars, such as being named a Bank of America Student Leader. Conversely, tier 4 encompasses the most common extracurriculars seen by admissions committees, like volunteering as a Junior Naturalist at the UW Botanic Garden.
Having one or two tier 1 or 2 extracurricular activities can help you stand out during the admissions process, especially if you’re applying to highly-selective schools. While internship rankings vary per program, highly selective and especially national programs will certainly fall into tiers 1 or 2.
Do you want to know how your internship will impact your admissions chances?
CollegeVine’s free chancing engine can calculate your odds of admission using metrics like your GPA, test scores, and extracurricular activities, such as internships. Our chancing engine will even give you tips on improving your profile to increase your chances of admission!
