10 Arts Internships for High School Students in New York
- Estelle Reardon
- Jan 27
- 8 min read
Topics We Cover:
From visual to performing to digital, the arts offer a wealth of potential career paths, and arts internships for high school students in New York are an excellent step toward achieving their dream jobs
Why Do Internships in High School?
Arts internships for high school students in New York, and internships more generally, are extremely beneficial, opening doors to academic and professional opportunities. Engaging in a high school internship demonstrates that you’ve followed your interests both inside and outside of the classroom and verified your career plans with real-world experience.
Completing a high school internship can differentiate you from a crowded field of college applicants, all of whom have stellar academic records. For example, the University of Chicago’s student-run consultancy PRISM found that nearly three-quarters of students attending U.S. News Top 50 universities worked as interns while in high school.
Furthermore, internships while in high school make it easier to secure college internships and gain admission to pre-professional groups, like:
Animation clubs
Art societies
Dance teams
Game design clubs
Improvisation comedy groups
Music ensembles
Performance troupes
Photography clubs
Student-run galleries
Ultimately, arts internships for high school students provide a strong foundation for a future career, regardless of their chosen field.
How to Find Arts Internships for High School Students in New York
Online lists and search engines are valuable resources for high school students looking for arts internships in New York. StandOutSearch is a notable tool—it’s the largest free online database of internships for high schoolers. StandOutSearch makes finding the right opportunity for you easy with filters like area of interest, location, and format (in-person, online, or hybrid). MIT Admissions has also cultivated a helpful list of summer programs and internships.
The downside of official internships is that they’re often extremely competitive. Because of this, students who are all in on securing an internship will want to develop a cold outreach strategy—that is, a plan for contacting potential internship providers with the goal of securing a position. Many professionals, much less students, find cold outreach intimidating. Don’t worry, the tips and templates at the end of this article streamline the process and should assuage any anxiety.
10 Arts Internships for High School Students in New York
Competition is high for the majority of the internships below, many of which have acceptance rates below 20%. The more internships you apply to, the better your chances of landing a position. We recommend applying to a minimum of five opportunities.
If an internship below catches your eye, note its deadline in your calendar, so you don’t miss out on an art-tastic opportunity.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program that pairs top high school students with virtual internship opportunities aligned with their career interests. Students can explore the arts, as well as fields like business, healthcare, law, and STEM. The program is supported by StandOutSearch, the nation’s largest free internship database for high schoolers.
StandOut Connect has been highlighted in Forbes and was developed with support from the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
2. Artslife
Ages: Rising Sophomores and Juniors
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Just 10 students are selected to participate in this paid summer internship program combining art and design with leadership, museum studies, and community engagement. Participants work side by side with Museum of Arts and Design staff and professional artists while exploring a variety of museum-focused sectors, including:
Communications and marketing
Curatorial
Development
Education
Registrar
Security
Visitor services
Participants also create artwork and visit local artists, gaining firsthand experience with the creative process.
Ages: Seniors
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Interns in this program gain hands-on experience with the technical elements of theater, such as:
Lighting design
Audio engineering
Videography
Carpentry
Production design
Interns are paid to work on live and recorded productions from the Apollo Theatre and connect with a professional production crew.
Ages: 14-18
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: 3 Years
Deadline: TBD
This visual storytelling course provides high school students with more than 1,000 hours of college-level training over 2.5 years. Fellows explore both the art and business of cinematic storytelling and production training. Participants meet filmmakers, visit sets and studios, and work as interns with media and creative companies. Fellows also receive support with standardized test prep and the college application process.
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Varies
ArtsWestchester provides internship opportunities to high schoolers in a number of fields, including:
Business administration
Communications
Development/fundraising
Programs
Interns develop skills in leadership, responsibility, teamwork, writing, and project management while building work experience at a successful nonprofit and engaging in professional development activities.
Ages: Seniors
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: Spring
Deadline: January 30
Students interested in careers in arts and entertainment will want to check out this incredible internship opportunity at the legendary Apollo Theatre. Participants work alongside professional administrators while learning how to develop successful events and programs through lenses such as:
Development
Education
Marketing
Operations
Production
Programming
Interns are paid, build real-world experience, and begin developing their network of industry professionals.
Ages: 14-19
Location: New York, NY
Timeline: Fall and Spring
Deadline: February 1
Just 12 students are selected to serve on the Teen Council per session. Teen Council members engage in art, culture, and creative thinking while exploring how young people engage with contemporary art and music spaces by:
Interviewing contemporary artists
Curating exhibits
Producing a zine
Over the course of the program, students gain firsthand experience with collaboration, communication, and curation.
Ages: 15 and up
Location: Bronx, NY
Timeline: Year-Round
Deadline: February 27
This internship is perfect for high schoolers interested in STEAM who are team players, passionate about working with the public, and great communicators. Interns assist with the Family Art Project, a cross-generational, multi-disciplinary program that brings families together to create art inspired by the natural world.
Participants also have the opportunity to explore a variety of careers, ranging from education to professional artistry. In addition to being paid, interns will build their portfolios and expand their skill sets throughout the program.
Ages: 14-19
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Timeline: Year-Round
Deadline: TBD
This paid internship enables New York City teens to explore art, art history, and museum education. Apprentices assist with programs, develop tours, and teach summer camps—gaining experience with educational programming and honing skills like public speaking, communication, collaboration, and organization. Participations also connect with artists, curators, and educational staff, growing their professional network.
Apprentices are paid and MetroCards are provided to support travel.
Ages: 14-19
Location: Bronx, NY
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Contact for Deadline
Participants in this four-week summer program explore art, community, and the role of museums in society. They learn about different art forms and create their own work, which is showcased in an exhibition at the program’s conclusion. Participants also gain experience in collaboration, communication, and curation.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Art Internships
If the arts internships for high school students in New York listed above aren’t the right fit for you, you’ll want to consider developing a cold outreach strategy. Many people find cold outreach intimidating—it’s often stressful reaching out to professionals you don’t know—but the guide and templates below make the process much more simple and less nerve-wracking.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
LinkedIn is a valuable tool that high schoolers can employ to find internships. Look for small companies or organizations where you can help with tasks like:
Setting up classes, workshops, or studios
Organizing supplies or portfolios
Prepping for exhibits or installations
Assisting with tours
Support festivals or performances
Small companies and organizations commonly operate with limited staff and are more likely to take on a high school intern.
When reaching out to professionals, try to find something personal to connect over, for example, a passion for a particular artist, a preferred medium, a favorite museum, or a shared creative influence. Keep your well-being in mind when connecting with professionals you don’t know—it’s always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
University faculty directories are useful for identifying professors to contact about potential research opportunities. If you’re hoping to secure a remote position, keep in mind that these are generally more difficult to obtain. Most professors rely on high school students to help with hands-on tasks.
One exception where remote work is more common is computational research. These projects typically require at least a familiarity with coding languages like Python or R to analyze large datasets. Fortunately, you can learn coding languages independently at no cost over a few months through platforms such as Coursera’s Python for Everybody or R Programming courses.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
We suggest sending at least 50 emails to potential internship providers as part of your cold outreach strategy. When emailing professionals, include a Google link to your resume, and be sure its sharing settings allow anyone with the link to view it. This approach is less likely to cause delivery issues than attaching files such as PDFs or Docs.
Our resume template and guide is packed with practical and effective suggestions for high schoolers crafting their first resume or polishing an existing one before sending it out as part of a cold outreach plan. The University of Chicago’s resume toolkit is another handy resource.
Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
If you are unsure how to structure your outreach emails to potential internship providers, here are some basic templates you can customize to your needs.
Template for Finding an Internship
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Mr./Ms.____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I read about your company on LinkedIn and found the concept quite interesting. For context, [briefly state how the company relates to your interests or experience].
I was wondering if you might be looking for interns. I know I would have a great deal to learn from working with you, and I would love to contribute in any way I can. I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Template for Finding a Research Position
Subject: Student Reaching Out
Dear Professor/Dr. ____,
I hope you are having a great day! My name is [your name], and I am a rising [grade] at [your school]. I recently read your paper on [restate the abstract] in [name of publication] and was quite intrigued by [part you found interesting]. I was wondering if I might be able to intern for you over this summer. [Elaborate on your relevant skills and experience and why you are passionate about the field].
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
No matter if you’re applying to established arts internships or reaching out to professionals working in the art world, persistence is the key to securing an arts internship for high school students in New York. These positions are often competitive, and the process can be discouraging at times, but many students ultimately believe the effort is worth it for the chance to jumpstart their careers.
If this resource was useful, save it for future reference or pass it along to a friend who’s also exploring internship opportunities. Wishing you good luck with your internship search!
