10 High School Internship Opportunities in Texas
Internships allow high school students to explore their interests in a real-world setting and get a glimpse of what their professional life might look like. With the exposure internships offer, you stand to gain a solid head start in your education and career. By working alongside professionals, you dive into a subject of interest, hone your practical skills, and cultivate a strong network.
Beyond bolstering resumes, internships can help you gain insight into potential career paths, allowing you to make informed decisions about your future. The hands-on experience will help you stand apart from your peers when it comes to college applications and future employment.
If you’re a high schooler in the state of Texas, you’re in luck. Texas offers a number of internship opportunities for high school students across a wide range of subjects. In this blog, we’ve listed 10 best internships for high school students in Texas!
1. AI Internship Program by Veritas AI
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Internship Date: Start date for the cohort is November 11, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more.This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
2. Ladder Internships
Subject areas: Multidisciplinary
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Startup Internship Program: $1990 | Research Internship Program: $5400. Some financial aid is offered.
Internship Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year – summer, fall, winter, and spring.
Application Deadline: June 26, 2024, for Summer II cohort
Eligibility: Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students.
Ladder Internships offers high school students the opportunity to work with startups and nonprofits across the world in a virtual setup. Students will have the freedom to choose to intern in a field of their interest, from a wide range of industries, including AI, ML, engineering, healthcare, health tech, media, journalism, business, sustainability, and more. This internship program offers students valuable insight into potential career paths. Partnered with startups across the U.S., Asia, Europe, and the UK, this program allows remote immersion in areas that you are passionate about.
As an intern, you will engage in meaningful projects and present your work at the end of the internship. Interns also collaborate closely with startup managers and receive guidance from a dedicated Ladder Coach who serves as their mentor throughout the internship. The program offers professional development training as well!
3. AI Internship Program by Veritas AI
Cost: $2,490
Application Deadline: October 20, 2024
Internship Date: Start date for the cohort is November 11, 2024
Eligibility: Open to high school students who have prior experience with AI/ML or have completed a Veritas AI program
The AI Internship Program by Veritas AI is founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the 8-week internship, students have the opportunity to work VC-backed startups on real-world AI/ML projects. Students work directly with mentors from Harvard, Wharton, Google, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and more.This program is a great opportunity for students who have prior experience with AI/ML and are looking to gain real world exposure to a career in the field. Students get a chance to network with industry professionals, work closely with company leadership, and receive a letter of completion from the company at the end of the internship. You can learn more about the program here and apply here.
4. NASA and UT Austin’s SEES High School Summer Intern Program
Subject areas: Earth science, space research
Location: Hybrid (on-site experience at the University of Austin, Texas campus)
Cost/Stipend: None.
Internship Dates: May - July (tentatively, based on previous years)
Application Deadline: Applications typically close in February.
Eligibility: High school juniors who hold U.S. citizenship can apply.
SEES is a highly competitive program for high school students hosted by UT Austin in collaboration with NASA. This is a national-level internship program, where you will get to work with and learn from NASA subject matter experts. The program is focused on Earth and space research, and tasks interns with analyzing and visualizing data – key aspects of moving a project faster and foundational knowledge for aerospace engineering. All project teams will present their research during the Virtual SEES Science Symposium.
There is a virtual, learning component to the program and then an onsite experience on campus at the University of Texas, Austin. You are also expected to present your research at the program's concluding symposium.
Note: Here are a few things the SEES team looks for in an intern - your academic records, a written application that includes answers to essay questions, an introduction video, a letter of recommendation form, a transcript, and a demonstration of interest in STEM.
5. Anson L. Clark Scholars Program: Texas Tech University
Subject areas: Multiple research disciplines (Nutritional Sciences, Biology/Cellular & Microbiology, Computer Science, Neurobiology, Mechanical Engineering, History, Chemistry, Electrical and Computer Engineering)
Location: Honors College, Lubbock, TX.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; the student will receive a $750 stipend upon the completion of a successful research project report.
Internship Dates: June 16 - August 1, 2024 (7-week summer program)
Application Deadline: February 15, 2024
Eligibility: Applicants must:
Be a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident.
Be at least 17 years of age by the program start date and should graduate in 2024 or 2025 (no exceptions).
The Anson L. Clark Scholar Program at Texas Tech University offers a valuable opportunity for 12 exceptionally-qualified high school juniors and seniors to participate in a comprehensive 7-week summer research internship, in their chosen subject. While this program is not a traditional internship, it is highly selective and stands out for its well-rounded approach to academic exploration and research. As a scholar, you will delve into research projects, working closely with experienced faculty members for valuable hands-on experience.
The program also includes weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips. The students are afforded an atmosphere designed to develop their critical thinking abilities and career interests with faculty and other students like themselves. Students are selected based on their academic accomplishments, teacher recommendations, and career objectives. You can find a detailed list of research areas here.
6. Houston Methodist’s Summer Internship Program for High Schoolers
Subject areas: Research, medicine, and scientific writing.
Location: Houston Methodist Hospital campus in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost or stipend. Scholarships are available to cover room and board.
Internship Dates: 10 weeks, May 28, 2024 — August 2, 2024
Application Deadline: February 2, 2024
Eligibility: High school students must be completing their junior or senior year and be 16 years of age by the start of the program (May 28, 2024).
Every year, Houston Methodist’s High School Internship Program selects only a few interns with stellar academic records and a demonstrated interest in research and medicine. As an intern, you’ll receive training in a translational research lab and gain hands-on skills as you work on a project.
Each internship project will depend on the mentor assigned to the student and their area of expertise. With access to Houston Methodist's expert faculty, you will have professionals guiding you through your summer project and providing instruction on proper laboratory techniques. At the end of the program, you will present your research project to Houston Methodist's leading scientists, students, and staff at a scientific poster symposium. Additionally, the High School Research Internship has a career and professional development curriculum, including scientific writing, providing useful tools when applying to college.
7. NASA Internships
Subject areas: STEM, multidisciplinary
Location: These internships are offered across NASA facilities in the country, including Texas. Some virtual options are also offered.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; Interns may receive a stipend based on academic level and session duration.
Internship Dates: These internships are offered in 3 sessions –
Fall (16-week program, from late August or early September to mid-December)
Spring (16-week program, from mid-January to early May)
Summer (10-week program, from late May or early June to August).
Application Deadline: January (Fall session) | August (Spring session) | October (Summer session)
Eligibility: Open to high school students, who are U.S. citizens and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale). Students should be at least 16 years of age at the time of application.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers paid internships to high school and college-level students at its sites across the country. These internships offer training, mentorship, and career development to over 2,000 students yearly, along with the chance to learn from and work with leading experts in science, engineering, finance, IT, and business.
The internships are offered in a range of subjects and disciplines, including space science, engineering, aeronautics, technology, space microbiology, computer science, and even outreach and communications. You will get to design experiments, analyze mission data, and develop innovative technologies. You can explore different internships that provide coding opportunities here by using the ‘Filter’ option to view the options open to high school students.
8. Emerging Leaders Summer Internship Program
Subject areas: Multidisciplinary
Location: Varies with the internship project.
Cost/Stipend: No cost, there is a provision for a stipend
Internship Dates: June 3, 2024 - July 19, 2024 (tentative dates)
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Open to current high school students based in Texas
Emerging Leaders Summer Internship Program (ELSIP) is a paid summer internship program organized collectively by the City of Austin, Bank of America, and the Quality of Life Foundation. This internship is designed to help high school students currently residing in Texas to gain leadership skills and work experience.
The program is flexible in terms of dates and places interns in a variety of different career fields based on their career interests and availability. What’s more, ELSIP interns also participate in two educational field trips! The program is expected to commence next month and you can contact summerhsintern@austintexas.gov for more details.
9. Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Subject areas: Psychiatry, psychology
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free
Internship Dates: Two-week session in June.
Application Deadline: Applications for the 2025 session will open in September 2024
Eligibility: Open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students and recent graduates
The University of Texas Southwestern’s Department of Psychiatry hosts a 2-week virtual internship for rising 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students and rising college first-years every summer. This intensive internship program aims to highlight the range of careers available in mental health.
As an intern, you will learn about the wide breadth of work available in mental health, including psychotherapy, neuropsychological testing, neuroscience, interventional psychiatry, and community psychiatry. Interactive sessions are led by a variety of mental health clinician-scientists, such as licensed clinical social workers, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and psychiatrists.
10. Bank of America Student Leaders Program
Subject areas: Community service, leadership, nonprofit management, business, administration, accounting
Location: Multiple locations in the country (including several in Texas) + week-long residential Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C.
Stipend: Hourly rate + fully funded trip to the Student Leaders Summit
Internship Dates: 8 weeks in June-July. The summit will be held on July 22-27, 2024.
Application Deadline: Applications for 2024 are now closed. Keep checking the program page in the fall for applications for 2025.
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors with U.S. work authorization and permanent residence in one of the eligible locations
Running since 2004, the Bank of America’s Student Leaders Program connects 300 students annually to internship and employment opportunities across the country. This internship is an ideal opportunity for students keen to make an impact and serve their community. For the program, you will be placed with a local non-profit where you will learn the nuances of how such organizations function, and how they collaborate with governments and businesses.
Some examples of non-profits that students will work with are Habitat for Humanity and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Interns will work with their respective non-profits for the first 7 weeks of the program and will attend an all-expenses paid trip to the National Student Leaders Summit in the final week, where they interact with professionals in a variety of fields ranging from business to governmental affairs.
This program is considered highly selective and is a great way to apply what you learn in a hands-on environment while developing connections on a national level.
Bonus - Student Internship Program @UT Health San Antonio
Subject areas: Immunology, molecular pathogenesis, genetics/clinical epidemiology
Location: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
Cost/Stipend: Cost and stipend details will be shared as per availability.
Internship Dates: This is a year-round internship.
Application Deadline: Varies as per each internship and applications are open until positions are filled
Eligibility: Open to high school, college, pre-med, or pre-PhD students
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio offers a year-round internship program for students interested in pursuing interdisciplinary clinical research. Senior investigators employed with the UT Health Science Center will serve as mentors and role models to guide you, as you conduct intensive research – in the lab and out on the field. Selected interns will have the opportunity to work in one of three broad areas: immunology, molecular pathogenesis, or genetics/clinical epidemiology. Current focus areas for research in 2024 include - HIV/AIDS, atherosclerosis, bone disease, neurobiology, lupus, and alcoholism.
Note: There is no application portal. Interested students must reach out to Dr. Sunil Ahuja, along with an updated resume/CV including GPA, a personal statement, and a note about long-term goals via email.
Baylor College of Medicine Internships
Subject areas: Medicine and related sciences
Location: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: No cost, a stipend of up to $14 per hour is provided
Internship Dates: Varies based on the role. Tentatively, May - August.
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Open to current high school students and recent graduates
The Baylor College of Medicine’s internship programs offer a chance to work on your practical skills while working in a real-world setting, in a program specifically designed for high schoolers. During this program, interns will gain hands-on insight into the operations, administration, and/or research in departments such as Pediatrics, Urology, or the Center for Medical Ethics, among others.
As an intern, you will join a project either as an aide or a project intern. You will provide temporary administrative or laboratory support to the department you’re interning in while gaining practical work experience. While most of the currently available internships are in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences division, projects are also available in Pediatrics and Neuroscience.
Bonus! Here are a few more internship opportunities high schoolers in Texas can consider:
TxDOT’s Internship Program: Transport and engineering
Sam's Club High School Internship Program: Retail, merchandising, customer service, communication
High School Internships: Southwest Airlines: Flight operations, human resources, technology, technical operations
TDIndustries High School Internship Program: Mechanical engineering, civil engineering
If you’re looking to build unique projects in the field of AI/ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI was founded by Harvard graduate students, and through the programs, you get a chance to learn the fundamentals of AI and computer science while collaborating on real-world projects. You can also work 1-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we had over 1000 students learn data science and AI with us. You can apply here!
Image Source - Ladder Internships Logo