15 AI Internships for High School Students in California
If you’re a high school student interested in AI, internships can be a worthwhile way to gain experience and explore potential career paths in the field. Many AI internships for high school students offer structured mentorship, research exposure, and skill-building opportunities. Participating in an internship helps you develop technical skills, understand how professional teams work, and make informed decisions about your future academic and career goals. These opportunities also demonstrate your initiative to college admissions officers by showing your willingness to develop new skills beyond the classroom.If you’re looking for virtual AI internships, check out our blog here. For those interested in summer-specific programs, check out the list here.
Why should I do an AI internship in California?
California is home to top universities, research institutes, hospitals, national labs, and tech organizations that support AI-related work. Depending on the internship, you might get an opportunity to conduct research at major universities such as UC San Diego or Stanford, or work on projects connected to the U.S. Army or Navy. You might gain familiarity with a wide range of subject areas, including machine learning, biomedical data science, computational biology, robotics, healthcare AI, or high-performance computing. Some programs even involve hands-on research and lab work, while others emphasize technical training, mentorship, and project-based learning designed to prepare you for advanced AI internship opportunities.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 AI internships for high school students in California, including paid research opportunities, as well as rigorous programs that build the required skills needed for future career pathways.
Quick Look
15 AI internships total spanning defense research, medical AI, computational biology, and general tech skill-building, hosted by organizations including Stanford, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, and the Salk Institute
Stanford appears three times through distinct programs: AIMI focuses on AI in medical imaging, SIMR centers on biomedical research broadly, and SHTEM blends AI with humanities and design
Several programs are funded through federal defense research pipelines, including AEOP (Army-affiliated) and SEAP (Navy-affiliated), both offering paid, in-person lab placements
Costs vary widely, from fully free options like EDIT AI, Berkeley Lab's BLDAP, and Google's Code Next Labs to programs with tuition, like UC Santa Cruz's SIP ($4,250) and Stanford AIMI ($2,400)
Ladder Internships is the only fully remote option with no California residency requirement, open to students working on AI-adjacent startup projects from anywhere
1. AEOP Internships for High School Students
Location: Various U.S. Army Research Labs and university research centers across the U.S., including California
Cost/Stipend: Free | paid, but the exact amount varies depending on the site
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Less than 15% | cohort size varies depending on the lab needs and funding
Dates: Internships are available throughout the year, in the summer, and during the academic year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the internship site
Eligibility: Current high school students who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents; additional site-specific requirements apply
AEOP Internships provide paid, in-person research experiences that place current high school students in the U.S. Army research laboratories or army-funded university labs, including sites in California. You will work alongside professional scientists and engineers on active research projects, with focus areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomy, data-driven systems, and other computational research connected to national defense priorities. These internships are typically full-time and short-term, allowing you to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world lab environment while learning how research teams operate on a daily basis. The internship also connects you to the broader AEOP community through training resources and workshops that support your professional and college-readiness skills.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (you can work from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid is available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Approximately 10%; cohorts of 70 - 100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort – spring (January), summer (May), fall (September), and winter (November).
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 8 - 12 weeks, devoting 10 - 20 hours/week
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students. In this program, you work with a high-growth start-up across a range of industries, such as tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies raising over a million dollars on average. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is typically 8 weeks long and provides you with valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship.
3. EDIT AI High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 90 participants
Dates: June 13 - August 31 (tentative; subject to change)
Application Deadline: April 15 (tentative; subject to change)
Eligibility: High school students with prior programming experience in Python
The EDIT AI High School Summer Internship Program offers a fully remote research experience where high school students learn how artificial intelligence supports biomedical research. You will work on hands-on coding projects using real healthcare and pathology datasets while applying machine learning and data analysis techniques using tools such as Python and R. Based on experience level, interns are placed in different tracks, giving them opportunities to build core programming skills or contribute to mentored research projects in areas such as cancer detection, medical imaging, and text analysis. You’ll collaborate closely with researchers, clinicians, and peers through structured mentorship, guided project sessions, and regular office hours. The internship focuses on practical research workflows and collaborative teamwork, providing you with exposure to how AI-driven medical research is conducted in a professional environment.
4. Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program: Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science (BLDAP:IPMLDS)
Location: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | $500/week
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students
Dates: June 17 - July 25 (tentative; based on previous years)
Application Deadline: February 3 - March 23; recommended to submit by March 21 (tentative; based on previous years)
Eligibility: Public high school students currently in grades 10 or 11 who are from Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco counties in Northern California | must be at least 16 years old and live within 20 miles of Berkeley Lab | must have a minimum required GPA of 2.5
BLDAP:IPMLDS is an in-person summer program that introduces high school students to applied machine learning and data science in a national laboratory environment. You will learn Python and data science by working directly with datasets connected to ongoing Berkeley Lab research, along with hands-on scientific projects in areas such as biosciences, environmental data collection, and engineering. The program combines short courses, project-based work, and regular interaction with Berkeley Lab researchers and STEM professionals, enabling you to understand how data-driven methods are applied across various research fields. Throughout the summer, you’ll build practical skills in coding, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication, and present your work in a final presentation. Participants continue to meet during the academic year and may be invited to additional workshops or a traditional laboratory summer internship in the future, providing them with a great pathway into more advanced research experiences.
5. The Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: Department of the Navy (DoN) laboratories across the U.S., including California
Cost/Stipend: Free | $4,000 for new participants and $4,500 for returning participants
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive, with around 300 placements in more than 38 DoN laboratories around the U.S.
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer, with the possibility of extending up to two more weeks
Application Deadline: August 1 - November 1
Eligibility: High school students who have at least completed grade 9 | must be at least 16 years old | must be U.S. citizens | graduating seniors can also apply | some labs might make exceptions for these criteria; so check individual lab pages here for exceptions and/or additional requirements
SEAP gives high school students the opportunity to spend eight weeks working in DoN laboratories across the U.S., including California, where they will contribute to ongoing research alongside scientists and engineers. Depending on your placement, you may support projects involving data analysis, programming, modeling and simulation, robotics, cybersecurity, or AI-enabled systems used for environmental monitoring, decision-making, and autonomous technologies. You’ll work closely with a mentor, assist with guided research tasks, and observe how technical teams solve complex, real-world problems. Throughout the program, you’ll build practical skills in problem-solving, collaboration, and applying concepts related to maths and computer science in a professional research environment. You’ll also participate in seminars, lab tours, and group activities, with some labs offering opportunities to share your work through presentations or showcases at the end of your internship.
6. Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (Mi4) Summer Internship Program
Location: Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC), Orange, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 1 - 28
Eligibility: Open to high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors
The Mi4 Summer Internship Program gives you hands-on exposure to how emerging technologies are applied in real healthcare environments. You’ll explore topics such as artificial intelligence in medicine, big data, robotics, and digital health through clinical case discussions, innovation challenges, and applied workshops. Throughout the program, you’ll learn directly from physicians, researchers, public health officers, and data scientists while participating in structured mentorship sessions and in an AI in medicine journal club. You’ll also visit research labs, healthcare organizations, and innovation centers, and build presentation skills by developing and sharing a healthcare innovation or research idea with professionals and peers. The experience includes hospital-based learning, clinical debriefs, and collaborative project time focused on designing solutions to healthcare problems.
7. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging (AIMI) Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $2,400 plus $45 application fee (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 50 students (tentative; subject to change)
Dates: June 15 - 26 (session 1) | July 6 - 17 (session 2)
Application Deadline: December 15 - February 20
Eligibility: High school students entering grades 9 - 12 | must live and attend school in the U.S. | must be at least 14 years old | preference given to students with strong math and/or computer programming skills and/or experience with a healthcare project
The Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship is a two-week virtual program designed for high school students interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspects of AI in healthcare. You’ll work in small groups on a project-based research challenge focused on solving a real problem in AI and medicine, with limited guidance to encourage independent thinking. The program includes introductory and technical lectures on AI in healthcare, along with hands-on group research sessions, mentoring from Stanford student leads and researchers, and Meet the Expert talks with professionals from academia, industry, and government. Throughout the internship, you’ll build skills in collaboration, problem-solving, and applying AI concepts to health-related questions. You are expected to participate daily throughout the program. Students who complete the entire program will receive a certificate of completion upon completion.
8. SFUSD Summer Internships with Industry Partners
Location: Various locations across San Francisco, CA, depending on the internship placement
Cost/Stipend: Free | paid, but the exact amount is not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors, with priority given to rising seniors
SFUSD Summer Internships with Industry Partners offer paid, hands-on work experiences that place rising high school juniors and seniors with local organizations across a range of career sectors. You’ll work at least 20 hours per week alongside professional mentors, supporting real-world projects while learning how teams operate in a workplace environment. For students interested in AI, you may be placed in a role that involves computer science, engineering, or other fields utilizing digital tools and data-driven work, depending on the host organization. Throughout the internship, you’ll develop practical skills related to communication, collaboration, and professional responsibility. You’ll also attend a weekly work-based learning seminar with an SFUSD supervisor or mentor, to discuss career readiness strategies reflecting on your internship experience.
9. America On Tech (AOT)’s Tech Flex Leaders (TFL) Program
Location: Hybrid, with both virtual and in-person sessions at several cities, including Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | paid, but the exact amount is not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Fall semester: week of September 8th - week of December 8th, along with a fall demo day competition on December 16 | spring semester: week of January 19th - week of May 4th, along with an in-person graduation session on May 14 | there might be a possible internship in July - August
Application Deadline: August 17 (applications received after August 3 will be reviewed on a rolling basis)
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors attending a Los Angeles County public or charter school
AOT’s TFL Program is a long-term, out-of-school experience that helps rising high school juniors and seniors build technical and professional skills connected to technology and artificial intelligence. You’ll participate in this nine-month program that includes weekly technical training, professional development workshops, and mentoring from technology professionals, with introductory AI concepts integrated throughout the curriculum. During the first semester, you’ll build foundational skills in web development while learning how AI tools work and how they are used responsibly, and then present a final project at a demo day. In the second semester, you’ll choose a specialized track such as data science, UX design, or product management, where you’ll apply AI concepts to hands-on projects and workflows. At the end of the program, students in the Los Angeles program are eligible to apply for selected paid tech internship roles based on availability, making TFL a structured pathway into future AI and tech internships.
10. Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free, except for a $50 application fee (fee waivers available) | unpaid, but a limited number of stipends are given out from a special grant based on need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Around 50 students (exact numbers may vary based on the number of participating labs and funding)
Dates: June 8 - July 30 (tentative; based on previous years)
Application Deadline: December 19 - February 21
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors aged 16 years or above | U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are currently residing and attending school in the country (preference is given to students from the Bay Area)
SIMR is an eight-week, full-time summer internship that places high school juniors and seniors in active research labs at Stanford. You’ll conduct hands-on biomedical research under the guidance of a one-on-one mentor, such as a Stanford graduate student or postdoctoral fellow. Students can select from multiple research areas, such as bioengineering, bioinformatics, genetics and genomics, and biomedical data science, where AI and computational methods are applied to medical imaging, molecular data, and health records. In addition to lab work, you’ll attend lectures that help you understand how scientific research is designed, conducted, and analyzed in a university environment. The internship concludes in a formal poster session where you present your research to family members, educators, and the Stanford research community.
11. Stanford’s Science, Humanities, Technology, Engineering and, Mathematics (SHTEM)
Location: Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free, except for the $95 application fee (fee waivers available) | unpaid, but need-based financial assistance may be available for some students.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 22 - August 14 (tentative; subject to change)
Application Deadline: December - March (tentative)
Eligibility: Current high school juniors or seniors who are at least 14 years old | must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Stanford’s SHTEM program provides high school students with early exposure to interdisciplinary research in an academic setting. You’ll work in small groups on multifaceted projects that rely on your existing interests while introducing you to new fields across engineering, computer science, the arts, and the humanities. Projects are mentored by students, faculty, and staff affiliated with the Stanford Compression Forum, providing insight into how collaborative research teams operate. Depending on the project, areas of exploration may include artificial intelligence, information and communication science, neuroscience, linguistics, and design. The internship emphasizes hands-on inquiry, collaboration, and mentorship, giving you insight into how interdisciplinary research is conducted at the university level.
12. Google’s Code Next Labs Program
Location: 4 locations, including one in Oakland, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: October - June
Application Deadline: April 7 - June 30 (tentative; based on previous years)
Eligibility: Students in grades 9 - 12 who live in the vicinity of one of the labs
Google’s Code Next Labs Program offers an in-person learning experience for high school students where they can build a strong foundation in computer science topics, such as artificial intelligence and web development. You’ll work in a physical lab space in Oakland, CA, where you follow a structured CS curriculum and complete hands-on projects such as programming robots, building AI-powered applications, or working with hardware tools. While not a traditional internship, the program closely mirrors real-world tech environments and prepares you for future AI internships through long-term, project-based learning. You’ll receive direct mentorship from Google employees and gain exposure to industry tools and workflows used in professional tech environments. The experience also emphasizes collaboration and community engagement, with opportunities to present your projects at demo days to peers and the broader Google community.
13. The Science Internship Program (SIP) at UC Santa Cruz
Location: Hybrid, with a one-week virtual session and a 7-week in-person research session at the University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost/Stipend: Tuition is $4,250; additional costs may apply based on housing type and other fees (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 3 - 5 interns are placed under each available mentor
Dates: June 15 - August 8
Application Deadline: January 16 - February 28
Eligibility: High school students aged 14 - 17 years (some placements require participants to be at least 16 years old)
SIP places high school students in a full-time summer research internship where they contribute to ongoing research projects. Depending on the mentor’s focus, you’ll work one-on-one with UCSC faculty, graduate students, or postdoctoral researchers on active research projects involving areas such as applied artificial intelligence, computer science, computational media, or data-driven research. Throughout the internship, you’ll take part in real research tasks such as coding, data collection, analysis, and reading academic literature. The experience emphasizes mentorship and collaboration, providing you with regular interactions with professional researchers in a university setting. The internship concludes with a formal symposium where you present your findings to peers, mentors, and the UCSC community, helping you build experience in scientific communication and presentation.
14. Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program
Location: Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free | $17.75/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive, with around 14 students per cohort
Dates: June 15 - August 7
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: San Diego County high school students who are at least 16 years old | must have successfully completed at least one year of high school chemistry and biology | required minimum GPA is 2.75 (exceptions for lower GPA are considered on a case-by-case basis)
The Heithoff-Brody High School Summer Scholars Program offers high school students the opportunity to join the Salk Institute’s research community for an immersive, paid summer experience. You will work alongside scientists on active research projects in fields such as computational biology, artificial intelligence, cancer research, neuroscience, and healthy aging, gaining hands-on exposure to various scientific research methodologies. Through close mentorship, you’ll learn laboratory techniques, data analysis, and how researchers apply tools such as AI and machine learning to explore real-world biomedical challenges. The internship also includes seminars, career workshops, and site visits that provide insight into scientific careers and the biotechnology field. You will collaborate with peers and mentors throughout the summer and present your research at a concluding symposium attended by scientists, families, and the wider Salk community.
15. UCSD Research Experience for High School Students (REHS)
Location: Virtual or hybrid, with in-person sessions at the UC San Diego campus, CA
Cost/Stipend: $1,500 for the research project (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies depending on the research project; check here
Dates: June 8 - July 31
Application Deadline: February 15 - March 15
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 - 12 living in and attending a public or private school in Southern California | must be 16 or older | one year each of high school-level chemistry or biology is recommended but not required | must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and be college-bound | check individual project descriptions here for project-specific prerequisites
REHS offers high school students an eight-week summer internship focused on computational science and data-driven research. You will work in pairs or small groups on established research projects, gaining exposure to areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing, and data analysis under the mentorship of UCSD researchers. Depending on the project, you may explore topics such as AI-supported cancer diagnostics, computational neuroscience, machine learning in computational chemistry, or developing interactive tools using Python and Jupyter Notebooks. The internship provides insights into various phases of the research process, from forming hypotheses and analyzing data to participating in lab meetings and group discussions. You will collaborate closely with mentors and peers throughout the summer. At the end of the program, you will present your work in a scientific poster at a concluding symposium attended by the research community and families.
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
1. Several programs, like AEOP and SEAP, are affiliated with the military. What kind of work does that actually involve, and is it strictly weapons-related?
Not necessarily. AEOP and SEAP place you in Army or Navy research labs, but the actual project focus spans a wide range of applied science, including data-driven systems, environmental monitoring, robotics, and AI-enabled autonomous technologies rather than exclusively weapons development. These programs are valuable if you're interested in applied AI research with real government funding and mentorship, regardless of whether you're specifically interested in defense applications.
2. I don't have much prior coding experience. Are there programs on this list that don't require it?
Yes. Berkeley Lab's BLDAP program teaches Python and data science from the ground up as part of the curriculum, and SFUSD's Summer Internships with Industry Partners don't require prior technical experience since placements vary by host organization. Google's Code Next Labs is also built for students building foundational computer science skills over time rather than assuming prior programming knowledge. Programs like EDIT AI, by contrast, explicitly require prior Python experience, so it's worth checking eligibility carefully before applying.
3. Stanford has three different AI-related programs on this list. How do I choose between AIMI, SIMR, and SHTEM?
AIMI is the most narrowly focused, applying AI specifically to medical imaging and healthcare data over a compact two-week virtual format. SIMR is broader and lab-based, placing you in an eight-week in-person biomedical research placement where AI is one of several possible focus areas depending on your assigned lab. SHTEM is the most interdisciplinary, blending AI with humanities, design, and communication sciences rather than staying strictly technical. If you want a fast, focused AI and healthcare experience, AIMI is the better fit; if you want sustained in-person lab research, SIMR is stronger; if you want to explore AI alongside non-technical fields, SHTEM offers that flexibility.