Why do internships in high school?
Before we jump into a long list of biotechnology internships for high school students in Los Angeles, it is important to understand why these opportunities could matter for your future. According to PRISM, a consultancy, 70% of students attending a US News top 50 University have completed at least one internship while in high school. These opportunities serve as a way to distinguish yourself in the admissions process by showing that you have gone out and verified your future goals through experience. Doing internships will help you enter college with a clearer idea of the professional environments you enjoy or don’t enjoy, which will make it easier for you to recruit into a job you love after graduation. Students who have done at least one internship in high school also typically have an easier time recruiting into college internships and pre-professional organizations such as finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Biotech Internships for High School Students in LA
The best way to find biotechnology internships for high school students in Los Angeles is through online search tools and lists. The StandOutSearch database provides the largest free resource that lists almost every internship program for the high school age group and allows you to search by interest area. MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of High School Internships.
However, official programs tend to be very competitive, so if you are serious about finding a summer internship in high school, you should also prepare a cold outreach strategy. You can read more about how to form a cold outreach strategy to find a high school internship at the end of this article. We also include email templates to make finding an internship or research position through cold outreach less daunting.
10 Biotechnology Internships for High School Students in Los Angeles
Most of the biotechnology internships for high school students in Los Angeles below have an acceptance rate of 20% or lower, given that there are many more high school students looking for internships relative to official programs that provide them. We recommend choosing at least five opportunities to apply to. If you see an opportunity that excites you, take a moment to write the deadline on your calendar!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Various Deadlines
StandOut Connect is a program created thanks to investment from UChicago’s Polsky Center for Innovation that matches high school students with internships in their interest area. Students interview with potential mentors who are leaders and innovators within their area of interest until they are hired for a two-month internship. Many students then receive optional return offers to continue with their internship for as long as they would like.
Ages: 15-19
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, Winter
Deadline: Rolling
Our volunteers commit to a 4-hour shift per week for a minimum commitment of 200 hours over the course of one year or more. Many volunteers enjoy the experience so much they continue to provide years of service and explore new opportunities in assisting patients and staff.
Ages: 16-19
Location: Locations across California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: December
Through KP LAUNCH, Kaiser Permanente offers young adults a variety of paid internship opportunities in our Oakland headquarters and medical offices across California. Our interns have the opportunity to work for an industry leader on projects that matter. Interns are provided with work experience that expose them to administrative and supporting careers in health care environments.
Ages: 15-17
Location: Locations across the country
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 17
The Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) is a paid summer science intensive for economically disadvantaged high school sophomores and juniors. The program seeks to broaden students’ understanding of biotechnology, microbiology, and biofuels. In addition to completing a research project, the program also exposes students to career exploration and preparation for the college application process.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Spring, Fall, Summer Winter
Deadline: May 15
The Cedars-Sinai High School Student Volunteer Program is the perfect opportunity for young students interested in a healthcare career. This program offers students aged 14-18 the chance to interact with patients, healthcare staff, and learn firsthand about the medical center's various operations. Students can choose between clinical (patient care) or clerical (administrative) volunteer assignments with tasks ranging from answering phone calls to assisting with meal trays. The volunteer program requires a minimum of 100 hours and takes a year-round approach, starting from March 1. Participants must be enrolled in high school, and annual flu vaccinations, initial and annual health evaluations, among other requirements, must be fulfilled.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Rolling
The Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center offers several volunteer programs including the General Volunteer Program, Teen Volunteer Program, and specialty programs like Red Vest Concierge, Silver Angel Program, Care Extender Program, No One Dies Alone (NODA) program, Gift Shop, Acoustic Remedies Program, and Paws of Love Pet Program. Volunteers in these programs donate their time to improve patient experiences in over 40 departments throughout the campus. Volunteers are required to commit a minimum of 200 hours over a year and must provide proof of COVID vaccination with booster. Applicants must communicate well in English, be willing to undergo a background check, and meet age and educational requirements depending on the program.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: November 1
The Department of Navy's Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) is a great opportunity that will provide you with hands-on, practical experience in the field of science and engineering. You will explore projects in cybersecurity, software development, algorithm design, or data analysis. These projects not only allow you to apply your classroom knowledge to practical scenarios but also expose you to new and emerging technologies and methodologies in the field. Your lab choice is based on your subject of interest, students inclined towards computer science must search accordingly!
Ages: 17-18
Location: Locations across the country
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: April 1
Whether you're interested in being a producer, a journalist, a web developer, an engineer, a business executive, a PR agent, a sales representative, or any other career in media or tech, the EBF Internship is here to help you get your start. If selected, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in these organizations so you can learn, grow and put yourself on the fast-track to career success.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Locations across the country
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Rolling, contact for deadline
What do cutting edge research, state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and unparalleled access to professional scientists and engineers have in common? The AEOP High School Apprenticeship. Spend your summer in a university research lab or in one of the U.S. Army Research Laboratories and Centers through this unique apprenticeship opportunity.
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations across the country
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Mid February
NIST research is subdivided into six organizational NIST laboratories that conduct research in a wide variety of physical and engineering sciences. The labs respond to industry needs for measurement methods, tools, data, and technology. Six laboratories participate in the SHIP program.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School Internships
If the opportunities listed above don’t turn out to be a fit, the next step to finding biotechnology internships for high school students in Los Angeles is to launch a cold outreach strategy. This may seem intimidating at first, but the guide below should make it much more simple. As an added note, please exercise caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know. It is always safest to interview or meet virtually.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Use LinkedIn to find small companies where you can help with skills such as social media, coding, content/grant writing, or graphic design. Smaller companies that need more hands on deck will be the most likely to hire high-school-aged students. Try to find personal connections with the professionals you reach out to, such as being from the same state originally or liking the same sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to find professors to reach out to for research positions. Note that if you are looking for a remote research position with a professor, you should be aware that these opportunities tend to be harder to come by. Professors typically have high school students help with more manual laboratory tasks such as washing beakers or running equipment and usually do not have very much use for interns at a high school education level within a remote setting. The exception is if you are doing computational research, which generally requires introductory knowledge of Python or R to parse large datasets. You should be able to learn Python or R on your own for free within a few months using resources such as Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For a successful cold-outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship providers. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which should be no more than one page while you are in high school. UChicago provides a helpful free resume template and guide. We recommend including your resume as a Google Drive link because including it as a PDF will sometimes negatively impact the deliverability of your email. However, be sure to check that the sharing settings on the document allow anyone with the link to view its contents. It can also be a good idea to include work samples in your resume, such as the link to a website you designed, a social media account you manage, or your GitHub profile.
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
Whether you are applying to established programs or launching a cold outreach strategy, the name of the game when looking for biotechnology internships for high school students in Los Angeles is perseverance. These opportunities can be extremely difficult to secure, but most high school students find it worth it in the end to get a head start on building their careers. If you found this article helpful, don’t forget to save it for later or share it with a friend. Good luck on your internship search journey!