10 AI Internships for High School Students in Irvine, CA
An AI internship in high school lets you move beyond textbook theory and understand how this technology works. You can build coding and problem-solving skills and make your college applications stand out by showing your commitment to learning. An internship also gives you a clearer picture of what a career in AI looks like before you commit to a college major.
What AI internships are available for high school students in Irvine?
Irvine is a great place to find these opportunities. The city is home to UC Irvine and tech companies and startups, so you get to see both academic AI research and its applications. And because Irvine is a hub for industries like medical technology, gaming, and automotive engineering, you can see how AI is being used across fields. Getting work experience helps you build a professional network, which can open up future internship or job opportunities.
We put together a list of 10 AI internships for high school students in Irvine that focus on meaningful mentorship and skill development.
1. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (work from anywhere)
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program type; full financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25% acceptance; 70–100 students per session
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter)
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort — Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
Eligibility: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can commit 10–20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks
This selective virtual internship program places you with a high-growth startup to work on real-world, impact-driven projects. You collaborate directly with startup founders or managers across industries such as AI/ML, deep tech, health tech, marketing, journalism, and consulting. The experience emphasizes applied learning, allowing you to build practical skills while contributing to meaningful company initiatives. Throughout the internship, you receive mentorship from industry professionals and gain exposure to fast-paced startup environments. You also present your work to the company at the end of the program, strengthening your professional communication skills. Apply now!
2. University Lab Partners (ULP) AI & MedTech Internship
Location: UCI Research Park, Irvine, CA
Stipend: $500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; typically 20–30 students per site
Dates: June 8 – August 13
Application Deadline: May 25
Eligibility: High school students who have completed Molecular Biology 1 & 2
In this program, you will explore how AI and data science are revolutionizing healthcare, alongside topics like FDA regulations and biotech entrepreneurship. You'll build proof-of-concept models for pediatric clinical needs, conduct laboratory research, and develop your own patent strategies. The internship features a cross-disciplinary approach, blending high-level science with direct mentorship from industry leaders within a professional incubator environment. Ultimately, you’ll showcase your innovations at a final symposium, gaining the practical experience and networking connections necessary to thrive in the competitive MedTech world.
3. Vital Link Industry-Linked Internships
Location: Hybrid: Workshops are often virtual; Internship sites are throughout Irvine
Stipend: Paid and unpaid options available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; typically, a large cohort size
Dates: Workshop: Multiple variants between January 13 and February 25; Internship: June 8 – July 3
Application Deadline: Ongoing
Eligibility: Students ages 16–24; Must complete 7 Essential Skills Workshops
In this internship, you dive into the world of artificial intelligence through hands-on industry partnerships. You will explore core topics like machine learning, prompt engineering, and the ethical use of AI tools during specialized workshops. Throughout your internship, you’ll develop AI projects, participate in mock interviews, and collaborate with mentors on business solutions. You also get a chance to earn digital badges while networking directly with Orange County tech leaders in actual workplaces. By the end, you will have mastered skills in Python programming, data analysis, and professional communication.
4. Edwards Lifesciences High School Summer Internship
Location: Edwards Lifesciences Global Headquarters, Irvine, CA
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; approximately 10–20 high school students
Dates: 10 weeks between June and August
Application Deadline: January 9
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors who are 16+, have a 3.0 GPA, and are local Orange County residents
In this program, you will explore how artificial intelligence influences medical technology through topics like AI strategy, agent development, and data literacy. You will assist in improving AI solutions, participate in hands-on engineering tasks, and attend professional workshops led by experts. You will also dive into AI adoption and technical documentation while collaborating with cross-functional teams. A standout feature is the direct exposure to Edwards’ patient-first culture and the chance to interact with senior leadership at their global headquarters. You’ll walk away with improved skills in data analytics, professional communication, and technical problem-solving. This internship effectively bridges the gap between high school STEM and real-world AI applications in a high-stakes corporate environment.
5. NASA OSTEM Internships
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Paid based on their academic level and session duration
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Extremely competitive; over 3,000 high school interns selected annually
Dates: Year–round; Fall: early September to mid-December; Summer: early June to August; Spring: mid-January to May
Application Deadline: Fall: May 22; Summer: February 28; Spring: September 12
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old at the time of application, and have a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Through the NASA OSTEM internship, you dive into artificial intelligence by working on real-world missions like exoplanet discovery or air traffic management. You cover technical topics like deep learning for signal classification, generative AI for assurance, and machine learning workflows using authentic satellite datasets. During your session, you'll analyze transit signals, build models with TensorFlow, debug code, and present findings to NASA mentors. This program is unique for its direct access to agency experts and the rare chance to contribute to actual exploration goals. This role effectively transforms your AI interests into tangible career readiness for the STEM workforce.
6. Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence, Information, Investigation, and Innovation Institute (Mi4) Summer Internship
Location: CHOC Hospital (Main Campus) & CHOC Research Building, Orange, CA (7 miles from Irvine)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; typically 65 – 100 interns
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school freshman (9th grade) or higher
In the Mi4 Summer Internship, you’ll explore the future of pediatric medicine through topics like artificial intelligence, big data, robotics, genomic medicine, nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, and medical devices. You will shadow physicians on rounds, participate in the AI journal club, attend clinical workshops, and draft a research abstract for your own medical innovation. This program is unique for its access to over 150 mentors and the prestigious opportunity to present your findings at global AIMed conferences. By applying these tools to real clinical challenges, you’ll see firsthand how technology transforms hospital care. You’ll leave the summer understanding exactly how AI and human intelligence collaborate to save lives.
7. UCI Cancer Research Institute (YSFP) - Computational Lab
Location: UC Irvine Campus (Sprague Hall / Chao Family Cancer Center), Irvine, CA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive; approximately 20 students
Dates: June 29 – August 8
Application Deadline: January 30
Eligibility: High school juniors & seniors (11th-12th grade) at Orange County schools
In UCI’s YSFP Computational Lab, you’ll explore the intersection of AI and oncology by joining a professional research team for an intensive six-week fellowship. You learn about cutting-edge topics like machine learning for tumor modeling, genomic sequencing, and predictive bioinformatics. During the program, you will write code for biological datasets, attend expert-led seminars, and design a custom research project under one-on-one faculty mentorship. This fellowship immerses you in a high-tech environment usually reserved for graduate students, emphasizing real-world laboratory contribution over simple observation. You’ll develop advanced skills in Python programming, data visualization, and scientific inquiry.
8. Synoptek High School Tech Fellowship
Location: Synoptek Headquarters, Irvine, CA
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; 5–10 students
Dates: Typically 4–6 weeks between June and July
Application Deadline: March – April
Eligibility: High school juniors & seniors; Enrolled in IUSD/OC schools
The Synoptek High School Tech Fellowship in Irvine introduces you to the intersection of AI and modern managed IT services. You will explore topics like generative AI, machine learning, and automation through business cases provided by industry experts. Your activities will include shadowing technical consultants, attending interactive technology labs, collaborating on a team innovation project, and presenting your final solutions to company leadership. You receive one-on-one mentorship from Irvine-based engineers within the global firm's headquarters. This program effectively builds your resume and prepares you for the fast-evolving digital economy.
9. GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS)
Location: Virtual (fully asynchronous; optional live office hours)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; ~800 students
Dates: June 2 – August 29
Application Deadline: April 9
Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents attending U.S.-based high schools; rising juniors and seniors who are at least 16 years old; minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0; at least one high school biology course completed
This NASA-sponsored summer research program introduces you to space biology, omics research, and bioinformatics through a structured, self-paced online curriculum. You will gain exposure to computational biology techniques used to analyze omics datasets from NASA’s Open Science Data Repository, learning how bioinformatics supports space biology research. The program emphasizes foundational skills in data analysis, scientific reasoning, and formal oral presentation, supported by pre-recorded lectures, Jupyter notebooks, and optional live office hours. Students who complete all required coursework earn a digital Certificate of Completion. You may also choose to participate in an optional Capstone Project, where you collaborate in small teams to design and present a hypothesis-driven research proposal using original data analysis.
10. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual (participants must reside in the United States)
Cost/Stipend: $2,400 + $45 application fee; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; around 50 students
Dates: Session A: June 15–26; Session B: July 6–17
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: U.S.-based high school students entering grades 9–12; must be at least 14 years old by program start
This two-week virtual research internship introduces you to the technical and clinical foundations of artificial intelligence in medicine through Stanford’s Center for AI in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI). You will participate in lectures on AI in healthcare, group research projects, and structured mentoring with Stanford student leads and researchers. The program emphasizes collaborative problem-solving while exposing you to real-world applications of AI across clinical, academic, nonprofit, industry, and government settings. You also engage in “Meet the Expert” sessions with guest speakers and take part in guided social and professional development activities. Students who complete the program receive a Certificate of Completion.