15 Art History Programs for High School Students
Art history programs for high school students give you structured exposure to how artworks are studied, preserved, and presented. You may learn visual analysis, basic research methods, and historical interpretation, and observe museum or gallery operations through guided visits or case studies. These programs show you how curators and scholars evaluate artworks and build historical arguments.
Many programs are run by universities, museums, or cultural institutions and taught by faculty members or curators. By participating, you can assess whether art history aligns with your interests before choosing a college major, understand academic and museum career paths, and build skills relevant to humanities coursework.
To help you find the right option, we have put together a list of 15 art history programs for high school students.
1. The Met Internship Program for High School Students
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Stipend: $1,100
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: School-year internships: January – June | Summer internships: June – August
Application deadline: Summer Internship: March | School-year Internships: Typically, October
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors based in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
The Met High School Internship Program introduces you to the daily workings of the largest art museum in the U.S. through either a six-month school-year placement or a summer-only internship. You will spend your time learning directly from professionals in curatorial work, design, imaging, social media, education, and related fields while observing how a major cultural institution operates. You will participate in hands-on tasks, receive ongoing mentorship, and take part in Career Labs–two-hour sessions where designers, curators, and other experts share insights into their career paths and discuss museum practice. This art history program for high school students also focuses on consistent interaction with staff, skills development, and exploration of how art history connects to modern creative industries.
2. Lumiere Research Scholar Program: Art History Track
Location: Virtual!
Cost: Varies; financial assistance offered
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Multiple sessions, including summer, spring, fall, and winter cohorts, are scheduled each year
Application deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students; accepted students typically have an unweighted GPA of 3.3 out of 4.0
The Lumiere Research Scholar Program gives high school students the structure and support to complete an independent, college-level research project under the guidance of a Ph.D. or postdoctoral mentor. Over 12 weeks, you will work one-on-one with a scholar to develop a research question, conduct an academic inquiry, and produce a full research paper that aligns with rigorous undergraduate standards. Lumiere offers opportunities across a wide range of academic tracks, along with the option to tailor your project toward art history or museum-related themes. The program includes support from writing coaches and program managers to help you organize drafts, refine arguments, and prepare your final submission. The program concludes with a symposium and a formal completion ceremony.
3. Asian Art Museum Volunteering Opportunities
Location: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Cost: None; discounts on museum membership and merchandise, access to select events and exhibitions, and other benefits available
Dates: Flexible; volunteers must commit for at least one year and a minimum of 96 hours in a year, i.e., two four-hour shifts/month
Application deadline: No deadline; applications open year-round
Eligibility: Open to all, ages 16 and up
The Asian Art Museum offers volunteering opportunities to anyone interested in exploring Asian art and working with local artists and museum professionals. You will offer assistance to the museum staff in organizing workshops, discussions, and curated events, and also explore Asia’s art and culture during the program. The opportunity offers hands-on learning experiences and chances to engage with the Bay Area’s broader arts ecosystem and build lasting connections and professional networks. This is also an opportunity to make creative and community-focused contributions while exploring the museum’s collections.
4. Museum of Arts and Design Teen Programs
Location: Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour (Artslife) | RECESS also awards stipends (amount not specified)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Artslife is limited to 10 students; cohort size for RECESS is not specified.
Dates: Artslife: July – August | RECESS I: February 18 – 21 | RECESS II: April 15 – 18
Application deadline: Artslife: April 21 | RECESS: January 12
Eligibility: Artslife: Rising high school sophomores and juniors in NYC | RECESS I and II: Students, ages 13 – 18, in NYC
The Museum of Arts and Design offers two internship programs, Artslife and RECESS. Artslife is a six-week summer internship that focuses on museum practices, leadership development, and collaborative art projects. Here, you will learn about careers in museum departments like development, curatorial, education, communications, visitor services, and security. During the first week, you will attend orientation and team-building sessions, and then you will spend five weeks on group art and design projects and collaboration with designers, museum staff, and arts professionals. RECESS is a week-long, paid internship that focuses on introducing you to museum operations and allows you to develop youth-oriented tours of the Museum of Arts and Design’s exhibitions. You will study how curators and educators interpret objects, and then use that information to design accessible tours for your peers.
5. Sotheby’s Institute of Art Pre-College Program: Art History Track
Location: Sotheby's Institute of Art, New York, NY
Cost: $6,195 for day students | $7,695 for residential students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; small cohort size
Dates: July 5 – 17 | July 19 – 31
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: Students in grades 10 – 12 and graduating seniors, ages 15 and up
Sotheby’s Summer Institute offers high school students the opportunity to enroll in art history courses and explore major artistic traditions and museum collections through lectures, expert-led discussions, and visits to New York institutions such as The Met, the Guggenheim, MoMA, The Frick Collection, and others. Over the course of two weeks, you will study art from diverse regions and eras, including Egyptian works, pre-Columbian objects, Asian art, Islamic art, and European movements such as Impressionism and Modernism, to understand how different cultures shaped the broader history of art. Behind-the-scenes sessions with curators, scholars, gallerists, and artists will help you see how research, conservation, and exhibition design function in professional settings. The program also offers exposure to the global art market, offering context on how artworks are circulated, valued, and introduced in public or private collections.
6. Teen Council at the Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15 students
Dates: September 13 – June 6
Application deadline: June 30
Eligibility: Chicago high school students under the age of 18
The Teen Council at the Art Institute of Chicago brings together about 15 high school students who collaborate with museum staff on various projects. You will help design teen-centered programs, events, and resources tied to the museum’s collections and exhibitions. As a member, you will attend weekly meetings–typically on Saturdays with occasional Wednesday sessions–to plan initiatives that make the museum more accessible and relevant to youth audiences. You will also participate in workshops, behind-the-scenes sessions, and mentorship activities that introduce you to museum education, curatorial thinking, and community engagement.
7. Exploratorium’s High School Explainer: PACE Program
Location: Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA
Stipend: Paid; amount not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: School year and summer programs available; dates vary
Application deadline: July (school-year program) | March (summer program)
Eligibility: Students, ages 17 – 21, who have valid work permits
The High School Explainer: PACE (Professional Advancement & Career Exposure) Program offers high schoolers learning and hands-on experiences in science, art, and museum education. You will explore roles in cinema arts, exhibit maintenance, public programs, biology labs, and program administration. You will contribute to interactive, visitor-facing work that will help you build communication skills and add to the museum’s learning resources. You will undergo training to learn about exhibit facilitation and explore science content, boost career readiness and professional/academic development, and access mentorship.
8. Art History and Curatorial Studies Early College Program
Location: Spelman College, the Atlanta University Center, and the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 20 – July 17
Application deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
Spelman College’s Early College Program immerses rising juniors and seniors in the study of African American and Western art while introducing them to museum work, curatorial methods, and the history of visual culture. Over four weeks, you will complete Ways of Seeing: Art History, Curating, and Museums, a credit-bearing undergraduate course that examines how artworks are interpreted, preserved, and presented to the public. Lectures, workshops, and discussions will take place across Spelman College, the Atlanta University Center, and the High Museum of Art, with additional site visits throughout the region. You will complete exhibition-focused projects that require analyzing primary sources, studying museum collections, and considering how curators respond to diverse audiences. Upon completion of this program, you earn three Spelman credits.
9. Brooklyn Museum’s Creative Practice
Location: Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour + MetroCards provided for working weekends
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: September – May
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: New York City teens, ages 15–19, who are enrolled in high school as sophomores, juniors, or seniors
The Creative Practice program at the Brooklyn Museum offers hands-on involvement in art, art history, and teaching practices, allowing you to assist professional teaching artists across classes for learners of all ages. You will prepare studios, organize materials, practice lesson-planning strategies, and learn the basics of classroom management while engaging in conversations about the relationship between art, fashion, design, culture, and social justice. You will meet artists, educators, and museum staff to see how artistic practice can connect to community-building and public engagement. You will create original artwork that reflects your interpretation of program themes while developing communication, collaboration, and time-management skills.
10. Brooklyn Museum’s Museum Apprentice Program
Location: Brooklyn Museum, New York, NY
Stipend: $16.50/hour; Second-year Museum Apprentices get $17.50/hour; MetroCards will be provided to support weekend and summer work.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: November – August
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: NYC high school students
The Museum Apprentice Program immerses New York City teens in art, art history, and museum education through paid internships. You will develop lesson plans, practice teaching, and learn how to use artwork to engage audiences ranging from young children to adults. Throughout the program, you will work under the guidance of Brooklyn Museum educators and curators. The program also introduces you to museum professionals and working artists, along with discussions about key issues in the field, such as public education, community access, and museums’ roles in social justice movements. You will assist with family programs, summer camp tours, and education initiatives that connect artworks to contemporary topics. Over the course of the program, you will work on building public speaking, research, lesson-planning, and organizational skills.
11. MFA Boston Teen Programs
Location: The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: 12-month program
Application deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students who are Boston residents and/or attend a Boston Public School
The year-long Teen Programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is a paid, sustained engagement for rising high school sophomores through seniors who want exposure to museum careers, art and art history, leadership development, and studio-based creative practice. You will receive exclusive access to the MFA, explore the museum’s global collections, and work with artists, innovators, and community leaders in workshops and studio sessions. During the school year, you will support museum visitors in roles such as Visitor Aides or Program Assistants, gaining firsthand experience with public-facing museum work. You also collaborate with peers to plan and host events specifically designed for teens, gaining insights into how large institutions develop youth programming.
12. High Museum of Art’s Teen Team Program
Location: High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15 students/year
Dates: One-year program with an eight-week summer intensive; dates vary
Application deadline: March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors
The Teen Team Program at the High Museum of Art allows a small cohort of high school students to explore art, history, and museum work while contributing to public programming throughout the year. You will gain behind-the-scenes access to exhibitions and collections, meet with museum professionals, and assist with Teen Nights and community events that introduce more young people to the museum. During the eight-week summer intensive, you will work on a project related to art history or museum interpretation, guided by staff members who provide mentorship and feedback. Throughout the school year, you will continue supporting youth and family programs, contributing ideas, and helping with logistics for museum activities. You will also work alongside peers with shared interests in the arts, creating a small but active learning community.
13. Sadie Nash Summer Institute
Location: Various locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Newark
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Six weeks in the summer
Application deadline: April 14
Eligibility: Young women and gender-expansive youth who are enrolled in high school and live in New York City or Newark
The Sadie Nash Summer Institute is a six-week leadership program that focuses on helping you dive into identity exploration, community-building, and social justice education. You will take seminars that examine activism, power, and personal narrative, and meet artists, organizers, elected officials, and entrepreneurs to understand diverse models of leadership. You will attend classes covering themes like Creating Change: Art and Activism in America, which uses poetry, public art, storytelling, and performance to examine how creative work can advance social change, while also giving you space to develop your own artistic voice. Additionally, you will engage in workshops that help you dive into themes of identity, social justice, and community. You will also visit cultural and civic institutions during the program.
14. Fordham University’s Pre-college Immersion: A New York Exploration of Art History
Location: Fordham University’s Rose Hill Campus, Bronx, NY
Cost: Residential: ~$4,395 | Commuter: ~$3,195 (exact cost TBA)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 20 students/class
Dates: July 20 – 30
Application deadline: Course + housing: May 1 | Course only: May 29 (rolling until full)
Eligibility: High school students who have completed their first year; recommended GPA is ~3.0 or higher.
This Fordham University course allows you to explore art history by exploring museums and galleries in New York City, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. You will observe art from around the world and examine why artists created these pieces, how artwork was treasured by admirers, and the role of art in society. The course also offers an introduction to the research practices that art historians use to understand artwork. Most class sessions are scheduled in museums, allowing you to spend time developing skills in attentive observation, clear writing, and research. You will also learn how to explore museum spaces and experience visual culture.
15. Pre-College ArtLab (PCAL) @ Kansas City Art Institute
Location: Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO
Cost: $2,500 (includes three college credits, housing, meals, and supplies)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified (applications accepted until program is full)
Dates: Session 1: June 14 – 26 | Session 2: July 19 – 31
Application deadline: March 1 (scholarship application deadline and priority studio placement cut-off); applications accepted until program is full.
Eligibility: High school students
Pre-College ArtLab is a two-week residential program where you will earn three college credits while exploring art and design. You can choose one studio concentration from options including Animation, Illustration, Ceramics (July only), Painting, Interdisciplinary (graduating seniors only), or 2D+3D Design (June only). In addition to the chosen studio, you get to participate in sessions covering areas like art history and life drawing. Throughout the program, you will work in collaborative studio spaces with professional artist instructors. You will also learn through projects, faculty demonstrations, and individual feedback sessions.
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