26 High School Internships in Los Angeles in 2024
What’s Covered:
Internships provide numerous benefits to high school students. For example, they let students explore career paths, gain work experience, and build life skills. Internships also allow high schoolers to expand their professional network and make connections. College-bound students are also happy to hear that internships can bolster their odds of college admission, as they demonstrate interest outside of the classroom, show a willingness to pursue their passions, and help them stand out from crowded fields of applicants.
26 High School Internships in Los Angeles
1. Eve and Gene Black Summer Medical Career Program
Application Deadline: February 16
Duration: Varies
The Los Angeles Pediatric Society established this free program to encourage high school students to consider careers in health professions—the program dates back to 1969! The program is best described as medical mentorship, although the activities and requirements will vary depending on the facility participants are placed in.
The program is open to high school juniors and seniors from Los Angeles and its surrounding counties.
2. CAMP CHLA – Health Care Career Exploration
Application Deadline: January 12
Duration: Five days
- Session 1: June 24 – 28
- Session 2: August 5 – 9
Los Angeles County high schoolers—in grades 9 through 12—can explore potential career paths in healthcare through this free five-day program provided by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Students will take part in healthcare-related activities, observe healthcare professionals, and engage in skill-building labs.
3. Ladder Internship Program
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort. Main summer deadlines are March 15, April 15, and May 15
Duration: 8 weeks for the startup internship
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. Ladder’s start-ups are all high-growth companies raising over a million dollars, on average.
Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. In the program, students closely with their managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company.
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! Here is the application form.
4. Reach Honorship Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
This program for students passionate about the business of media and entertainment is provided by Warner Bros. Discovery. Participants are awarded honorships, which are packages consisting of both a $5,000 scholarship and a paid summer internship at Warner Bros. Discovery Studios in Burbank, CA. The program offers two tracks:
The business track is aimed at students with an interest in finance, marketing, communications, and other corporate and administrative roles in entertainment. The production and studio operation track is for students interested in careers in production, post-production, and studio facility roles in the entertainment industry.
The program is open to graduating seniors from Burbank or Los Angeles County. Eligible participants must possess a minimum 3.0 GPA and must plan on attending college.
5. USC Young Researchers Program
Application Deadline: March 31
Duration: Six weeks (June 17 – July 26
Although not an internship per se, the USC Young Researchers 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. Participants also engage in activities like workshops on college applications and seminars about careers in STEM.
The program is open to students entering their senior year of high school from the Los Angeles, Lynwood, Compton, or Inglewood Unified School Districts. Participants should plan on working with their mentor for 15 hours per week, attending mandatory two-hour weekly seminars, and going on field trips to places such as the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
6. Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement
Application Deadline: March 22
Duration: Four weeks (June 17 – July 19)
While it’s not exactly an internship, participation in the Annenberg Youth Academy for Media and Civic Engagement provides an excellent foundation for a career in media and journalism. Just 26 talented high school students are selected annually to participate in this intensive academy designed to foster a deeper understanding of the role that media and journalism play in fashioning civic-minded thought leaders and innovators.
Over the program’s four weeks, students will build essential skills in writing, critical thinking, public speech, debate, multimedia production, interviewing, and ethnography.
The program is open to students who reside in Los Angeles County and participants are provided with free breakfast and lunch daily.
7. USC Bovard Scholars
Application Deadline: January 12
Duration: Yearlong
USC Bovard Scholars is kind of like an internship in going to college. The free yearlong program is aimed at high-achieving high school juniors and is designed to help them gain admission into the nation’s top schools.
Bovard Scholars are provided with access to experts in admissions, are offered assistance in navigating the financial aid process, and receive test preparation. Participants are also provided with personalized career exploration experiences, helping connect occupational goals to academic pursuits while exploring potential career paths.
8. The Intern Project
Application Deadline: March 15
Duration: Eight weeks (June – August)
The Intern Project pairs high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with internships in fields including arts, media and entertainment, engineering and tech, business, government, non-profits, sports, and healthcare and medical technology.
The program is open to students from all Los Angeles County high schools; however, priority is given to high-need students.
9. Aquarium of the Pacific VolunTEEN Program
Application Deadline: January 5
Duration: Eight weeks (February 4 – April 7)
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. VolunTEENs also gain work experience and a deeper understanding of careers in marine biology, ocean science, and conservation.
10. Young Ambassadors Program (YAP)
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
YAP is aimed at creating the next generation of Latino leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities. The program is provided by the National Museum of the American Latino and 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 Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Before beginning the internships, students take part in a weeklong training seminar at the Smithsonian Institution.
11. Getty Museum Teen Program
Application Deadline: Varies
Duration: Nine weeks
The Getty Museum offers two internship programs for Los Angeles area high schoolers—Teen Gallery Guides at The Getty Villa and Teen Gallery Guides at The Getty Center. Application deadlines and residential requirements vary between the two positions, but both programs are paid, run for nine weeks, and require participants to be rising high school juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old.
12. The Huntington Teen Volunteers
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Four months
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. The Huntington Teen Volunteer Program runs year-round, and participants are asked to commit to a two-hour assignment weekly for a four-month term.
13. Court Angels
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
Court Angels is an internship program provided by the Los Angeles Superior Court for local area high school students ages 16 and 17. The aim of Court Angels is to provide participants with quality work experience and a deeper understanding of the court and court-related career opportunities. Interns are paired with a mentor to guide them through their experience, and some positions receive compensation.
Participants in this program are recommended by a high school counselor or instructor, or a community organization, professional organization, or church within Los Angeles County.
14. Port of Long Beach Internship
Application Deadline: March 15
Duration: Six weeks (June 24 – August 1)
Internships with the Port of Long Beach offer students the chance to gain work experience, explore potential careers, and earn a paycheck. Interns receive mentoring, acquire firsthand experience with international trade and related fields, and participate in personal enrichment training—building skills like financial literacy. Interns are expected to work 30 hours a week over the course of the six-week internship.
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. Participants must possess a minimum 2.5 GPA.
15. Metro Transportation Career Academy Program
Application Deadline: March 12
Duration: 6 weeks (June 21 – August 2)
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. Participants will learn about Metro’s approach to promoting transportation and safety education programs while building a relationship with a professional mentor.
The program is open to students between the ages of 16 and 18 who reside in Los Angeles County and who live within proximity to a Metro rail station or Metro rail expansion site. A minimum 2.5 GPA is required to be eligible for this program.
16. Child Development Institute (CDI) Volunteers and Interns
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Varies
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. Participants not only make a difference in their community but also gain valuable work experience.
17. Pasadena Symphony and POPS Volunteer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Duration: Varies
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. In addition to gaining real-world experience in performing arts management, volunteers are awarded complimentary tickets, are invited to attend special volunteer-only events, and can earn service credit hours.
18. Scripps Student Research Internships
Application Deadline: March 30
Duration: 10 weeks (June 3 – August 9 or June 17 – August 23)
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.
Interns will increase their knowledge of translational science, gain firsthand experience with the various steps in clinical trials, and increase their proficiency in presenting scientific concepts. This program is extremely selective—just 40 total students are selected to participate.
19. Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS)
Application Deadline: March 4
Duration: Three years
Pomona College provides this free, three-year program to high-achieving students from surrounding communities and populations traditionally underrepresented in college. Students begin the program as rising sophomores and remain in the program through their senior year—the program aims to assist students in gaining acceptance at competitive colleges.
20. MOCA Teen Program
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: One year
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) teen program is open to high school juniors and seniors interested in museums, art, artists, and creative careers. The program runs for an academic year, over the course of which students gain firsthand experience working in a museum—working with museum professionals, learning about exhibits, making art, and planning events.
Students are paid for their participation in the program.
21. INSPIRE at Cedars Sinai
Application Deadline: February 15
Duration: Six – 10 weeks
Inspiring New Scientists through Professional Internships and Research Experience, or simply INSPIRE, is a program designed to introduce high school students to careers in healthcare. Interns receive mentorship and learn about a variety of topics through hands-on training and workshops, including the research process, working in a lab, data collection and analysis, and the review process for scientific literature.
22. Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Summer Employment Program (SYEP)
Application Deadline: March 17
Duration: Six weeks (June 17 – August 7)
This paid program introduces prospective pre-health students to healthcare careers. Participants are exposed to healthcare professions, take part in a community awareness project, and build college readiness, interview preparedness, leadership, and communication skills. Students also develop valuable life skills, such as professionalism and timeliness.
The program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
23. Los Angeles Public Works Employment Opportunities for Students
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: N/A
Los Angeles County Public Works, one of the nation’s largest municipal public works agencies, provides work opportunities for high school seniors. Participants serve as “student workers,” gaining real-world job experience assisting with clerical work, typing, and assisting with other routine duties.
Students ideally commit to working 20 hours a week, although some positions may allow students to work a minimum of 12 hours a week.
24. LA Times HS Insider Summer Internship
Application Deadline: February 19
Duration: Seven weeks (June 17 – August 2)
Student journalists will want to check out this opportunity to work with a team of high school reporters and hone their story-telling chops. Interns cover breaking news, craft features, experiment with multimedia storytelling, and experience life as a “real” reporter.
The program is open to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Interns work 24 hours a week and are paid $16 an hour.
25. LACMA Art & Tech Teen Internship
Application Deadline: N/A
Duration: October 21 – February 21
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) provides underserved youth ages 16 to 18 with this paid internship opportunity. Interns gain firsthand experience in the inner workings of a museum and develop the soft skills required to succeed in a professional environment.
26. Bank of America Student Leaders
Application Deadline: January 17
Duration: Eight weeks
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. The program culminates with an all-expenses-paid trip to a week-long event in Washington, D.C.
This program is open to high school juniors and seniors from eligible communities.
How Do Internships Impact Your College Chances?
Extracurricular activities, like internships, can have a substantial influence on your odds of acceptance, particularly at selective colleges. Applicants at top schools often have excellent academic records and strong test scores—therefore, impressive extracurriculars can help you stand out and show admissions officers why you’ll be a good addition to their campus.
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. In contrast, Tier 4 is home to the most commonly seen extracurriculars, such as being a member of a debate team.
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. Internships are less common than typical Tier 4 activities but are not quite as rare and distinguished as typical Tier 1 activities.
CollegeVine can help you see how your activities stack up. Our free chancing engine will help you classify your extracurriculars into tiers and let you know which aspects of your profile need improvement—enabling you to begin the college admissions process as prepared as possible!
Disclaimer: This post includes content sponsored by Lumiere Education.
