2015 high school summer internships

As colleges increasingly emphasize the importance of “experiential” learning within their own communities, high school students are discovering real benefits in setting aside time during the summer for internships or other similar work experiences.

In fact, they are finding that internships provide invaluable opportunities to gain significant work experience while exploring long-term career options.

And right now is a great time to begin forming plans for next summer.

Although college students are usually at the front of the line for internships, businesses and nonprofit organizations are increasingly holding positions open for students currently in high school or those transitioning to college.

It may take persistence, but opportunities are out there.

 

Why intern?
Going through the internship application process teaches much-needed job search and employment skills. Preparing a resumé, asking for recommendations, landing an interview, and understanding what it means to be a responsible employee are all skills that give high school students a big advantage in college and beyond.

And it’s no secret that internships strengthen college applications, as these opportunities introduce students to career fields or potential majors and strengthen valuable research or lab skills. 

An internship helps students understand how a professional organization functions in the real world. While learning and working, interns have the opportunity to refine career goals. In fact, a summer internship can serve as a “trial period” to test ideas about professions and industries—entertainment, nonprofit, technology, health—without making a long-term commitment.

And these opportunities can lead to award-winning science fair projects, journal articles, or patents.

Where are the internships?
Businesses and organizations sometimes have formal internship programs designed specifically for high school students. For the most part, these programs do not offer housing and are usually limited to students in the immediate region. 

For example, here a few of the many organizations making internships available to high school students in the Washington, DC area:

• Bank of America
• Children’s National Medical Center (online applications available November 2014)
• Department of Defense/Georgetown University Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (the webpage will be updated soon with a new application)
• Department of the Navy Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (applications due by December 19, 2014)
• Environmental Protection Agency
• George Mason University
• Goddard (applications due by March 1, 2015)
• High School Diplomats Program (applications due by January 7, 2015)
• J. Craig Venter Institute, DiscoverGenomics Science Education Program
• Library of Congress (applications accepted any time)
• Montgomery County Police Department
• NASA DEVELOP (applications due by February 27, 2015)
• National Air and Space Museum (applications due by February 15, 2015)
• National Eye Institute (applications due by March 1, 2015)
• National Genome Research Institute (rolling application process but all due by March 1, 2015)
• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (March 1, 2015)
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (applications due by March 1, 2015)
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (applications available in January 2015)
• National Institute of Health Summer Internship in Biomedical Research (applications available mid-November 2014)
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (applications due March 1, 2015)
• National Institute on Aging (applications due by March 1, 2015)
• National Institutes of Standards and Technology (applications due by February 1, 2015)
• National Marine Sanctuaries
• National Science Education Center
• National Security Agency
• Research Science Institute (applications available in November)
• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (Department of State immersion program for less-commonly taught languages)
• Northrop Grumman and CyberPatriots
• The Smithsonian Institution (rolling deadlines)
• Uniformed Services University Summer Research Training (applications due by February 1)
• US Department of Agriculture
• US Department of State Pathways Program
• US Secret Service
• Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars
• Werner H. Kirsten Student Intern Program at the National Cancer Institute  (December 3, 2014)

For a great list of opportunities outside of the DC area, check the webpage maintained by the Rochester Institute of Technology for high school students.

Note that some of these are “salaried” positions, some have stipends, and some are strictly volunteer. They are all highly competitive, and some deadlines may already be past.  So make note for next year.

Be aware that many organizations don’t advertise the availability of summer internships. This is when you have to do a little investigative work on the internet and through newspaper listings. Use your networks—parents, relatives, family friends, teachers—anyone who may have contacts in businesses or organizations of interest to you.

Even if you feel like you just got back from the beach, it's really not too early to begin thinking about next summer. 

An internship, particularly for students at least 16 years of age, is a great way to get to know yourself a little better while building skills that will make you competitive for the future.