Topics We Cover:
- The Benefits of Online Internships
- Why Do Internships in High School?
- How to Find Remote Internships for High School Students
- 15 Online Internships for High School Students
- Cold Outreach Strategy for Remote High School Internships
- Email Template for Finding a High School Internship
High school internships offer students a chance to gain real-world experience, develop skills, and begin building their resumes. Online internships provide all the same benefits without ever having to leave the house.
The Benefits of Online Internships
Online high school internships offer several distinct advantages over their in-person counterparts.
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Accessibility: Virtual internships make opportunities accessible to high school students with a computer and internet connection, opening paths that might otherwise be out of reach. For example, a student in the Midwest interested in publishing may not have the same access to opportunities as a student in New York. Online internships help close that gap.
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Flexibility: Remote internships offer more freedom to high schoolers. These positions don’t require transportation, saving the cost and time of commuting. And, because interns can work from anywhere, it makes it easier to manage other responsibilities, like schoolwork and extracurriculars.
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Show Off Skills: An online internship is an excellent way for high school students to demonstrate they possess the skills needed for success in today’s workplace. In addition to the soft and hard skills needed to succeed in any internship, remote interns must also be proficient with technology such as email, video conferencing, chat tools, and file-sharing platforms, along with other professional software and programs.
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Demonstrate College and Career Readiness: Online internships often empower high schoolers with more autonomy. This gives them the chance to highlight their ability to work independently, stay motivated, and manage their time effectively. All of these skills are valuable to both college and career success.
Ultimately, virtual high school internships offer greater accessibility and flexibility, while giving students a chance to display their skills and begin preparing for a career.
Why Do Internships in High School?
Before diving into a list of online internships for high school students, it’s important to understand why these opportunities matter. According to consultancy PRISM, 70% of students at Top 50 U.S. News-ranked universities completed at least one internship during high school.
High school internships can help set you apart in the college admissions process by showing initiative and a commitment to exploring your interests. Internships also give you a clearer sense of which professional environments you enjoy, making it easier to choose a career path you’ll love. Furthermore, students with internship experience in high school often find it easier to land college internships and join competitive pre-professional organizations like finance or pre-law clubs.
How to Find Remote Internships for High School Students
Online search tools and lists are a fantastic resource for discovering internships and programs. The StandOutSearch database is a great starting point—it’s the largest free resource listing almost every internship program available to high schoolers and is searchable via numerous filters like interest and location.
MIT Admissions also provides a helpful list of both in-person and online high school internships. The CollegeVine blog is another reliable source of information about on-site and virtual internships for high schoolers.
One downside of official programs is that they’re typically very competitive, and few are offered remotely, so if you are serious about finding an online 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 remote 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.
15 Online Internships for High School Students
Most of the high school internship opportunities 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 (especially when it comes to remote high school internships). 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!
1. StandOut Connect
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: November 23, 2026 (Winter cohort)
StandOut Connect is a program that helps match gifted high school students with online internships in their industry of interest. Students match with companies across 25 interest areas such as finance, STEM, medicine, law, arts, and more. Examples of past matches include biotech startups developing Alzheimer's therapies, venture capital firms, and news organizations whose journalists have won the Pulitzer Prize. StandOut Connect is funded by StandOutSearch, the largest free database for high school internships. The program has been featured in Forbes and was created with the help of investment from The University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
2. U.S. Department of State Pathways Internship Program
Ages: 16-18
Location: Locations across the U.S. and remote
Timeline: School Year or Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced
The U.S. Department of State Pathways Internship Program is a paid federal internship for U.S. citizen students, open to those enrolled anywhere from high school through graduate school. Internship Experience Program (IEP) appointments last the length of a student’s academic program, while Internship Temporary Program (ITEP) appointments run up to one year, during school breaks or year-round. Positions are located across the United States, some are remote, and some entry-level roles are open to students enrolled in high school or a GED program. Applicants must be at least 16, hold a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0, stay enrolled during the internship, and be able to obtain a Secret or Top Secret security clearance. Openings are posted on USAJobs throughout the year.
3. The New York Academy of Sciences Junior Academy
Ages: 13-17
Location: Remote
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: Not yet announced (July 2 in 2026)
Each year, the New York Academy of Sciences selects an international cohort of passionate high school students (ages 13-17) to become part of The Junior Academy and join a dynamic global network of like-minded peers and mentors. Students work together on Launchpad, the Academy’s unique online platform. Launchpad enables students and STEM professionals to collaborate virtually as they compete in project-based challenges focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
4. Musée Magazine Internship Program
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer, School Year
Deadline: Not yet announced
Musée Magazine, a print and digital publication with an interactive website, features work by both emerging and well-known artists. Its remote internship gives high school students hands-on experience in digital publishing, along with exposure to leading photographers, new work, film premieres, and gallery openings. Interns commit two to three days a week over a 16-week term, and the position is unpaid. The magazine looks for applicants who can work on their own and with a team, write and speak clearly, and show professionalism and punctuality, and it asks candidates to read past issues before applying. Students ages 14 to 18 can apply for summer or school-year terms. All of the work is done online, so students can take part from anywhere.
5. NASA GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS)
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (March 15 in 2026)
NASA's GeneLab at Ames Research Center runs GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS), a free online summer program for high school students across the United States. Over 12 weeks of mostly self-paced training, students learn about NASA space biology research, how spaceflight affects living systems, and the bioinformatics and computational biology methods used to analyze large datasets such as genetic sequences. Students who finish the basic course can join a team for an optional capstone project and present a research proposal at a showcase near the end of the summer, and participants earn certificates.
6. Delaware Academy of Medicine Student Internship
Ages: Grades 10-12
Location: Remote (Delaware students)
Timeline: Spring, Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced (March 15 in 2026)
The Delaware Academy of Medicine offers a fully online public health internship, with a dedicated high school track for Delaware students in grades 10 through 12. Interns learn to define public health problems, locate and judge sources of health data, and work with both qualitative and quantitative findings. They also use public health theory to plan programs, build a logic model for running and evaluating a project, and present health data in writing. Schedules fit around each student's other commitments, with cohorts in the spring (January to April) and summer (May to August). The internship is unpaid and free, and each student first meets with the coordinator to go over the role and its expectations. It suits students drawn to health advocacy and community health work.
7. Future Founders Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Internship
Ages: 14-19
Location: Remote
Timeline: School Year
Deadline: Not yet announced
In the Be Your Own Boss (BYOB) Internship from Future Founders, high school students learn what it takes to build a working business from an idea. Teams tackle hands-on projects and group challenges with coaching from seasoned professionals, shaping and testing a business concept as they go. The program wraps up with a pitch contest, where teams can win cash prizes on top of their pay. Interns can earn up to $250, and taking part is free. The next cohort is planned to run from January 12 through February 4, 2027, with Zoom sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 5:00 to 7:15 p.m. Central. Some cohorts are open to students nationwide, and others are reserved for Chicago. It gives students paid, online experience in entrepreneurship.
8. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 1, 2027
Run by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI), this two-week virtual research program introduces high school students to how artificial intelligence is used in medicine and healthcare. Interns do mentored, hands-on research with real-world health data, exploring both the technical and clinical sides of AI in healthcare. Alumni who are still in high school may be invited to continue in AIMI's longer Academic Year Research Internship.
9. Girls Who Code Pathways
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: Not yet announced (April 10 in 2026)
Although not technically an internship, high schoolers interested in STEM and building their network of like-minded peers will want to check out this free virtual program. Students gain the computer science skills they need to make an impact and prepare for tech careers. Participants also gain exposure to tech jobs, meet leaders in tech careers, and find community in a supportive sisterhood.
10. Cornell University Online Courses for High School Students
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Winter (January)
Deadline: November 23, 2026
While not a remote internship per se, high schoolers can get a jump on college over winter break in this program provided by Cornell. Students can select from more than 100 regular undergraduate Cornell courses in Architecture and the Arts, Business and Hospitality, Health and Humanities, International Relations, Science and Technology, Social Change, Veterinary Medicine, and more.
Online courses are also offered during the spring and fall. The grades and credits you earn will be recorded on an official Cornell transcript and are generally transferable toward a degree at Cornell or elsewhere.
11. UT Southwestern Inspiring Careers in Mental Health Internship
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 1, 2027
In this free virtual summer internship from the UT Southwestern Medical Center Department of Psychiatry, high school students explore careers in mental health. Over two weeks of daily Zoom sessions, mental health clinician-scientists, including psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, physician assistants, and licensed clinical social workers, show what their daily work looks like and answer questions about their career paths. Topics include psychotherapy, neuropsychological testing, neuroscience, and interventional and community psychiatry.
12. Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics (SPINWIP)
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: Not yet announced
While this isn’t exactly a remote internship for high schoolers, it is an excellent virtual opportunity for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors of any gender interested in cutting-edge research in physics. The free, three-week online program covers topics like quantum physics, quantum computing, astrophysics, and cosmology, as well as coding in Python.
The program is led by Stanford professors, researchers, and undergraduates—providing a superb opportunity for mentorship, building a network, and learning firsthand about academic and career paths.
13. MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI)
Ages: Rising Seniors
Location: Remote and In-person
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: March 31, 2027
Hosted by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and MIT's School of Engineering, BWSI is a four-week summer program in which teams of students complete hands-on, project-based courses in areas such as autonomy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and satellites. Several courses, including CogWorks, Medlytics, Cyber Operations, and Quantum Software, run virtually over Zoom, while others meet on MIT's campus in Cambridge.
Applicants first complete BWSI's free online prerequisite courses, and progress in that coursework weighs heavily in admission. The program is free for families with income and assets under $200,000 and costs $3,000 for others.
14. Teens in Health Research Fellowship
Ages: 14-18
Location: Remote
Timeline: School year
Deadline: Not yet announced
Teens in Health, a teen-led nonprofit focused on scientific research and medical advocacy, runs a free, year-long Research Fellowship for high school students living in the United States. Training is taught remotely through 22 modules covering lab techniques, experimental design, statistics, literature analysis, and science communication, with live sessions on Sundays and about four hours of work a week.
In the spring, some fellows are matched with a partner lab near them for a summer research placement. No prior research experience is needed.
15. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Ages: 15-18
Location: Remote, Hybrid, and In-person
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 12, 2027
Students in this eight-week program have the chance to work one-on-one with researchers at George Mason University. Participants gain firsthand experience with cutting-edge technologies, develop their scientific writing and communication skills, and explore careers in STEM. Past participants have even had their names published in scientific journals and presented at scientific conferences.
The format of the program is at the discretion of the mentor, and opportunities range from in-person to online to hybrid internships.
For more programs, see our list of the 25 best internships for high school students.
Cold Outreach Strategy for Remote High School Internships
Another way to secure a remote high school internship is to develop a cold outreach strategy—that is, contacting a potential internship provider you’ve never interacted with in the hope of sparking interest in providing you an opportunity. The prospect of contacting someone you have no prior relationship with can be intimidating, but the guide below should simplify the process.
Just remember to be conservative when reaching out to professionals you don’t know—meeting virtually is always the safest option.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a Virtual High School Internship
LinkedIn is an excellent platform for discovering potential remote internship opportunities. Small companies are a great target for aspiring interns. Small companies are often operating at full capacity and are grateful for any assistance, making them more likely to hire a high schooler. When reaching out to professional contacts, try to find a common area to connect over—whether it’s being from the same hometown or a passion for a particular sports team.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
Online university directories are a great place to find professors to contact for research positions. Online research positions are rare, as typically high schoolers assist with manual lab tasks like washing beakers and running equipment, both of which require in-person interns.
Computational research is the exception, and virtual internships are more commonplace in this field. Computational research internships generally require a basic knowledge of Python or R, both of which you can learn on your own for free via resources like Coursera’s R Programming Course or Python for Everybody.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
For an effective cold outreach strategy, aim to send at least 50 emails to potential internship hosts. Be sure to include a link to your resume, which, while you’re in high school, should be no longer than one page. UChicago offers a helpful, free resume template and guide you can use.
StandOut Connects recommends sharing your resume as a Google Drive link rather than attaching a PDF. Attachments can sometimes reduce the chances of your email reaching the recipient’s inbox. Just make sure your sharing settings allow anyone with the link to view the file.
You can also strengthen your resume by including links to work samples, such as a website you’ve built, 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 remotely 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 aiming to land an in-person established internship or trying to convince a company to offer you a remote internship, tenacity is essential. These opportunities are challenging to secure, but most high schoolers find the time and effort worthwhile when they land one of these sought-after spots and begin building real work experience, valuable skills, and insight into potential careers.
If this article has been helpful to you, don’t forget to bookmark it for reference or share it with a friend who also might find it beneficial. Good luck on your internship journey!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can high school students get online internships?
Yes, and online is one of the most accessible formats for high schoolers. Many organizations offer remote and virtual roles in research, writing, social media, and data work that do not require being in a specific city, which opens up far more options than local-only internships. Structured online programs and cold outreach to remote-friendly startups and nonprofits are both good ways in.
Are there free or paid online internships for high school students?
Both. Some online programs are free to join or offer a stipend, while others charge tuition, and many remote roles at startups and nonprofits are unpaid but flexible.
What types of online internships can high school students do?
Almost any field has remote options. Common ones include research, business and marketing, psychology and mental health, STEM and computer science, and writing or media. Online roles are often easier to land than in-person positions because location is not a barrier.
Where can I find online internships for high school students?
Start with internship databases like StandOutSearch, which let you filter for online and remote roles, then expand with cold outreach to remote-friendly startups, nonprofits, and labs. You can also get matched with an online internship through StandOut Connect.
