8 Tech Internships for High School Students in LA
Los Angeles is a vibrant hub for high school students eager to explore technology and innovation through internship opportunities. From engaging with cutting-edge tech startups to hands-on experiences at institutions like NASA and the California Science Center, these internships offer valuable exposure to various tech fields. Each program provides a unique blend of practical experience, professional mentorship, and career development.
If you are interested in giving your college applications a boost while enhancing your academic and professional skills in the tech domain, here is our list of the top 8 tech internships for high school students in LA.
1. The Intern Project Summer Program
The Intern Project (TIP) offers high-achieving high school students in Los Angeles County an immersive experience in various professional fields, including Engineering & Tech, Healthcare & Medical Technology, Business, Government/Non-Profit, and more. Through this program, you will be introduced to projects that extend beyond traditional classroom learning. As part of the internship, you will receive a stipend and college credit.
Over the course of eight weeks in the summer, you work on a theme or problem statement aligned with current industry challenges. Beyond technical learning, TIP helps you gain valuable insights into potential career paths, bridging the gap between education and industry. The program also provides workshops on topics like financial literacy, resume editing, and networking.
Location: Los Angeles or virtual, depending on the internship
Cost/Stipend: Students receive a stipend
Program dates: June – August 2025
Application deadline: March 15, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program). Applications typically open in January
Eligibility: Students in grades 10-12 enrolled in an LA County high school. Priority is given to high-need students
Ladder Internships connects high-achieving high school students with innovative start-ups, offering an immersive experience in the tech industry. Established by Harvard entrepreneurs, this program provides selected interns the opportunity to work closely with ambitious start-ups founded by leaders with backgrounds in prestigious institutions. As a Ladder intern, you will work between 5 to 10 hours per week, starting by defining and developing a project with the guidance of a company manager as well as a Ladder Coach, who serves as a secondary mentor throughout the program.
Throughout the internship, you will gain hands-on experience by delivering project milestones and receiving feedback from industry mentors. The program includes stages such as drafting initial project proposals, presenting deliverables, and finalizing the project. By the end of the internship, you will present your completed projects to the company and showcase your practical experience and contributions to a leading start-up, earning a letter of recommendation.
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,490. Financial aid is available.
Program dates: December 16, 2024 onwards for the upcoming winter cohort (8 weeks)
Application deadline: November 24, 2024 for the winter cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can work for 10-20 hours per week, for 8-12 weeks
The Tech Flex Leaders Program is an intensive out-of-school initiative designed for high school juniors and seniors in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami who are passionate about technology. Students attend sessions on professional development and technical training led by industry experts. This is a nine-month commitment with weekly programming, including in-person events and virtual sessions.
In the first semester, you will master foundational coding skills, such as HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. Next, you will dive deeper into your chosen tech track from among advanced web development, UX design, digital marketing, product management, or data science.
Throughout the program, you will benefit from career days and mentorship opportunities with representatives from top technology companies, offering invaluable insights and fostering connections in the tech industry. No prior coding experience is required.
Location: Hybrid in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles
Cost/Stipend: Interns receive $1,000 upon completion of the program.
Program dates: TBA for 2024-25; the nine-month program typically starts in September.
Application deadline: August 15, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors enrolled in a Los Angeles County high school
4. America on Tech – TECH360 Summer Bootcamp Program
The TECH360 Summer Bootcamp by America on Tech is a three-week program designed to equip high school students with basic coding skills through web design and development. Throughout the program, you will gain hands-on experience with important coding languages and frameworks, such as HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. The learning process is interactive, with most sessions conducted via Zoom—so you can engage in real-time with instructors and peers!
During the final week, you will collaborate with other participants to make and present a fully functional website. This project culminates in a Demo Day Competition, where winning teams from various cohorts showcase their work to a panel of judges. You will also have access to an extensive mentor network as you interact with tech professionals. No previous coding experience is required.
Location: Hybrid in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles
Stipend: Interns receive $500 upon completion of the program.
Program dates: TBA for 2025. Two sessions were held in 2024:
June 24 – July 11, 2024
July 22 – August 8, 2024
Application deadline: Applications for 2025 will open in the spring
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors currently attending a Los Angeles County high school. Previous AOT participants are not eligible.
StandOut Connect is designed to empower high-achieving high school students by providing them with the tools and experiences necessary to make a meaningful impact in their future careers. The program begins with intensive workshops led by alumni from top universities that focus on essential skills like recruiting for internships, building a college-level resume, and mastering networking strategies. Additionally, you will be trained in incorporating modern tools, including AI, into your workflows, ensuring you are well-prepared for the evolving demands of the professional world.
Next, you will be matched with a two-month internship at companies founded by top university alumni through organizations like Harvard Ventures and The Yale Entrepreneurship Society. During these internships, you will take on significant responsibilities within small teams, often spearheading projects that will allow you to showcase your leadership and problem-solving skills. You will also have the opportunity to earn a recommendation letter from company founders and, in many cases, a return offer to continue your work!
Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,950. Financial aid is available.
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year; January 19 – April 18, 2025 for the upcoming winter cohort
Application deadline: November 30, 2024 for the winter cohort
Eligibility: High school students 15 years or older by January 2025 from around the world
6. Spark Summer Mentorship Program (SPARK SMP)
Location: Virtual or Greater Seattle area, WA
Stipend: Some internships offer stipends
Application Deadline: Applications for 2025 will open in March/April
Program Dates: June to August (~ 8-12 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents
SparkSMP gives high schoolers the chance to apply concepts in machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data engineering to real-world scenarios. When applying, you can choose from 1 to 5 projects that interest you from among a range of remote and in-person options. If you’re interested in tech, you can apply for their internships in ML Workflow, and Data Engineering and AI for Real World Problems.
The program allows you to interact with and learn from industry leaders, university professors, and mentors. SMP aims to prepare students for future academic and professional pursuits, and you will learn about various potential career paths.
7. Oxford Scholastica Online Computer Science and Coding Internship
Oxford Scholastica’s computer science and coding internships have two tracks: research internships and work experience internships. You can check the internships currently offered here. In the month-long big data ethics internship, for example, a team of students from around the world works under the guidance of a researcher to co-author a paper for publication.
This internship examines how major corporations like Meta and Facebook handle the large quantities of personal data at their disposal. You will learn how to collect and analyze data to answer this research question. The program concludes with you receiving a letter of recommendation, which can be useful for college applications.
Cost/Stipend: No information is available
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling
Program Dates: Depends on the internship selected
Eligibility: Students age 15–18
8. Stanford’s SHTEM Summer Internship
The Stanford Compression Forum’s SHTEM Summer Internship immerses high school and early community college students in an interdisciplinary research environment, blending technology with diverse academic fields. In this internship, you will have the opportunity to work on innovative projects that integrate areas such as computer science, engineering, psychology, and design.
Throughout the program, you will gain hands-on experience in research while learning to appreciate the connection between STEM and the humanities. You will work towards developing solutions that span multiple domains. This internship is designed to provide a holistic approach to addressing modern challenges, preparing interns for future professional pursuits in both technology and other intersecting fields. 60 students were accepted into the 2023 program.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $50 application fee, need-based stipend available
Program dates: June 17 - August 9, 2025 (tentative, based on the 2024 program)
Application deadline: Closed for 2024. Applications typically close in February
Eligibility: Students who will be in grades 11-12 at the time of application from around the world
If you’re looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
Veritas AI is founded by Harvard graduate students. Through the programs, you get a chance to 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 AI & ML with us. You can apply here!
AI + Medicine
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. In the AI + Medicine program, students learn how AI is used in the healthcare and medical industry. Students get a chance to work on real-world projects using AI & ML models to diagnose diseases, sharpen medical scans, and explain their outcomes to aid doctors and patients. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
AI + Finance
Veritas AI is an AI program for ambitious high school students, founded and run by Harvard graduate students. Through the AI + Finance program, students gain a deeper understanding of AI applications in the financial field. They get a chance to engage in lectures, code walkthroughs, and real-world projects using AI & ML models to predict future financial patterns using past data, forecasting stock prices, and more. Here is the program brochure and the application form.
Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.
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