10 Political Internships for High School Students
- Estelle Reardon
- Nov 24, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
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A political internship for high school students can lay the foundation for a career in public service. Whether you aspire to hold office one day, work as a staffer, or lobby for a cause you’re passionate about—such as the environment, social justice, or public health—the insight, access, and influence provided by a political internship can start you on your path.
Why Do Internships in High School?
One of the major benefits provided by political internships for high school students, and internships in general, is that they increase the chances of gaining admission to a top school. The consultancy PRISM found that almost three-quarters of students attending a U.S. News Top 50 university engaged in a high school internship.
Participating in a high school internship shows colleges you’ve:
Dedicated yourself to your interests inside and outside of the classroom
Developed real-world academic and professional skills
Gained firsthand insight into potential career paths
Ultimately, completing a high school internship helps you stand out in competitive fields of applicants during college admissions.
Undertaking a high school internship also increases your odds of landing an internship in college and your chances of being accepted into pre-professional organizations and clubs like College Democrats/Republicans, leadership councils, debate teams, and civic engagement groups.
How to Find Political Internships for High School StudentsÂ
Online is the best place to find up-to-date information about political institutions for high schoolers. Online search tools like StandOutSearch are a great place to look for opportunities. StandOutSearch is the largest free online database of high school internships and offers searchable filters ranging from location to format (in-person, virtual, hybrid).
Another helpful resource is a list of high school internships and summer programs provided by MIT Admissions. One downside to official internship programs is that they’re extremely competitive. For that reason, students intent on earning an internship will want to form a cold outreach strategy—reaching out directly to professionals to secure an internship opportunity.
At the end of the article, we share some tips for creating a cold outreach strategy along with email templates to streamline the process.
10 Political Internships for High School StudentsÂ
Most of the internships listed below have acceptance rates under 20%, so we recommend applying to at least five. If one catches your eye, be sure to mark its deadline on your calendar to avoid missing out on a great opportunity!
Ages: 15-19
Location: Virtual
Timeline: Summer, Spring, Fall, or Winter
Deadline: Varies
StandOut Connect matches ambitious high school students with meaningful internships perfectly aligned to their passions—whether that’s the arts, business, law, politics, STEM, or any other field they’re excited about. Powered by StandOutSearch, the nation’s largest free database of high school internships, StandOutConnect opens doors to real-world experience and career insight.
Recognized by Forbes and developed in collaboration with The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, StandOut Connect gives high schoolers a proven head start toward college and their dream careers.
Ages: 15-18
Location: Trenton, New Jersey
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The Mercer County Internship Program provides students with real-world experience and professional development. Students get hands-on experience in a number of departments and engage in workshops focused on topics like:
Career readiness
Financial literacy
Leadership
Communication
Participants also connect with leaders and public sector professionals while gaining insight into possible career paths.
Ages: 16-18
Location: New Haven, Connecticut
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The City of New Haven offers students paid internships in municipal operations closely related to their field of study. Participants contribute fresh ideas, energy, and skills to the workforce while gaining hands-on experience and insight into potential career paths.
Ages: Rising Seniors
Location: Kentucky
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
While not an internship, strictly speaking, this prestigious free summer program is something rising seniors in Kentucky will want to explore. Scholars undertake a program focused on both liberal arts and sciences, growing academically and personally, while preparing to become the next generation of leaders in the state.
Ages: Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
The North Carolina Senate Page Program offers high schoolers the chance to get an up-close look at the legislative process of state government. Pages work on the Senate Chamber floor, attend committee meetings, and perform duties such as:
Delivering messages
Clerical work
Distributing documents and materials
Running errands
This is a fantastic opportunity for North Carolina teens to gain firsthand government experience.
Ages: Juniors
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: TBD
Charleston high school juniors can gain real-world public safety experience through this paid internship with the Charleston County Consolidated 9-1-1 Center and Emergency Medical Service. Participants receive on-the-job training and earn credits toward high school graduation while preparing for employment within the public safety sector.
Ages: Freshmen
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: TBD
This year-round, multi-year program supports high-potential students from low-income families through high school and prepares them for college. During the school year, scholars attend weekly enrichment sessions and then engage in a six-week institute over the summer.
Over the course of the program, students develop skills like critical thinking and leadership, fine-tune their inherent strengths, and forge bonds with peers and professionals. Ultimately, students leave the program ready to succeed at the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities.
Ages: 14-18
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Timeline: Winter-Spring, Summer, or Fall
Deadline: Varies
CAIR-Chicago interns learn, interact, and grow in a friendly and diverse environment while gaining real-world experience with advocacy and civil rights. Internships are available in a number of fields, including:
Communications
Operations
Outreach
Government affairs
Academic credit or community service hours are available to interns.
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: San Francisco, California
Timeline: Summer
Deadline: February 17
The City and County of San Francisco offers a variety of paid internships to high school students through a number of departments, including:
Airport
City Attorney
Department of Children, Youth and Their Families
Department of Elections
District Attorney, General
Services Administration
Office of Economic Workforce Development
Public Utilities Commission
Public Works
Internships are open to students who reside or attend school in San Francisco.
Ages: Seniors
Location: Oregon
Timeline: Year-round
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Participants in this program work one-on-one with attorneys—engaging with the legal and civic community, observing courtroom proceedings, and networking with professionals. They also attend events covering a wide range of topics, including:
Criminal law
Juvenile justice
Mental health
Immigration
Scholars also participate in interactive sessions with the Oregon Court of Appeals and the Oregon Legislature, gaining valuable insight into the inner workings of different branches of government.
Cold Outreach Strategy for High School InternshipsÂ
If, for whatever reason, the political internships for high school students above aren’t the right fit for you, you’ll want to form a cold outreach strategy. While many high schoolers find the idea of cold outreach nerve-wracking, the guide below should help alleviate any anxiety.
How to Find Companies to Reach Out to for a High School Internship
Small companies and nonprofits are great places to inquire about internal opportunities—they’re often short-staffed and more willing to bring on high school students. Use LinkedIn to find internship opportunities where you can assist with tasks like administrative work, logging constituent concerns, phone banking, canvassing, and preparing for events.
Try to make personal connections when reaching out to professionals, like a cause you’re passionate about or a local connection—like residing in a representative’s district. Remember to use caution when reaching out to professionals you don’t know; the safest option is to schedule online meetings and interviews.
How to Find Professors to Reach Out to for a High School Research Position
You can use online university staff directories to identify professors to contact about research opportunities. Keep in mind that remote positions are harder to secure—most professors rely on high school interns for in-person tasks like washing lab equipment or helping run machines, which can’t be done remotely.
One exception is computational research, which high school students can assist with if they have basic skills in Python or R. The good news is that you can learn either language on your own for free in just a few months through resources like Coursera’s Python for Everybody or R Programming course.
How to Structure and Send Outreach Emails
The more emails you send to possible internship providers, the better your chances of securing a position—aim to send at least 50 inquiries. When emailing, make sure to include a Google link to your resume. Links work better than PDFs or Docs, which can disrupt delivery. Of course, Google links are only effective if their share settings allow anyone with the link to view their contents, so double-check before hitting send.
If you have any relevant work experience—like a social media campaign you created, a newsletter you wrote, outreach you’ve done, or an event you helped plan—make sure to include it with your resume.
If you don’t have a resume, there’s no better time to write one. If you have a resume, now’s a great time to polish it. Our resume guide and template offers straightforward and effective advice for crafting a winning resume. The University of Chicago also provides a useful resume guide.
Email Template for Finding a High School InternshipÂ
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.Â
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].Â
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,Â
[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].Â
I have included my resume here. Thanks so much!Â
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Conclusion
No matter if you’re targeting well-known programs or sending out emails as part of a cold outreach campaign, the key to landing a political internship or research role as a high schooler is persistence. Political internships for high schoolers are tough to get, but almost every student who succeeds says the effort pays off big time by giving them an early edge in their future career.
If this guide was useful, bookmark it for reference or pass it along to a classmate. Best of luck with your search!