12 Business Internships for High School Students in Kansas
If you are a high school student interested in business, a summer internship can be a practical way to explore career paths while gaining workplace experience. Internships allow you to apply classroom learning in professional settings, develop communication and problem-solving skills, and understand how organizations operate day to day. These experiences also provide concrete examples you can reference in college applications, essays, and interviews. Whether your interests lie in entrepreneurship, finance, operations, marketing, or public administration, a structured business internship demonstrates initiative and readiness for advanced academic or professional work.
What business internships are available for high schoolers in Kansas?
Kansas offers a range of business-focused opportunities through corporations, local governments, nonprofits, and educational institutions. From manufacturing and supply chain roles to entrepreneurship programs and public-sector operations, you can access internships that emphasize projects, mentorship, and skill development. Many programs are designed specifically for high school students and provide guided exposure to professional environments.
With that, here are 12 business internships for high school students in Kansas that offer meaningful academic and career exposure.
1. Spirit AeroSystems: High School Internship Program
Location: Wichita, KS
Stipend: $14 per hour
Dates: Dates to be announced
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors ages 16-18; Fabrication track requires age 18 before start date
This paid internship provides exposure to aerospace manufacturing and related business functions. You’ll work in supervised settings across areas, such as sheet metal and composites assembly, fabrication, machining, manufacturing engineering, quality inspection, supply chain, and finance. The structure centers on practical work assignments within Spirit AeroSystems facilities in Wichita. You’ll gain direct experience with real manufacturing tools, processes, and workplace routines. Performance is assessed during the program, and some students may be invited to return in a later year. In certain cases, you may be considered for full-time roles after high school graduation, with the program focused on advanced manufacturing and support functions.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Financial aid available
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: High school students
Ladder Internships is a selective startup internship program designed for ambitious high school students. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to spend around eight weeks working with high-growth startups across various industries, including technology, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. The startups involved in the program are typically high-growth companies, with many raising over one million dollars in funding. As an intern, you will get to collaborate closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and may have the opportunity to present your work to the company. The application form is available here.
3. ProX Summer Internship Program
Location: Kansas City metropolitan area
Stipend: Paid; exact wage not specified
Dates: June 1 – July 2
Application Deadline: February 20
Eligibility: High school students in the Kansas City area
ProX connects you with a paid, five-week summer internship or client-connected project with a local employer. The program includes structured onboarding, weekly professional development sessions, and ongoing coaching support throughout the internship. You’ll contribute in a workplace and complete meaningful tasks tied to employer needs. Weekly coaching check-ins provide consistent guidance as you navigate workplace expectations. As an intern, you will focus on building communication, collaboration, time management, and problem-solving skills alongside job-specific experience.
4. The Way to Work (TWTW) Summer Youth Program – City of Wichita
Location: Wichita City Hall, Wichita, KS
Stipend: Paid; exact wage not specified
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Details not provided
Eligibility: High school students (ages 14-17) residing in Wichita or Sedgwick County; Must meet income guidelines
The Way to Work Summer Youth Program places you in paid community-based job sites across Wichita and Sedgwick County. You’ll complete assigned work duties while following professional expectations related to attendance, communication, and workplace conduct. The program emphasizes goal-setting and basic job skills alongside supervised, real-world work experience. Job responsibilities vary by placement and may include administrative, service, or operational tasks. You’ll receive structured guidance while learning how to operate in a professional environment.
5. Blue Valley CAPS: CAPS Internship Program
Location: CAPS Network, Overland Park, KS
Stipend: Varies by employer
Dates: Varies by employer
Application Deadline: Varies by employer
Eligibility: Enrolled CAPS students
The CAPS Internship Program places you in professional work environments connected to your academic and career interests. Internships vary in structure and may include short-term placements, project-based roles, semester-long experiences, or summer opportunities. You’ll work with employers who supervise tasks and provide feedback on performance. This structure allows you to apply classroom learning in real workplace settings.
6. Kansas Legislative Internship Program
Location: Kansas Legislature, Topeka, KS
Stipend: Unpaid (may be considered for a stipend upon completion)
Dates: January – April
Application Deadline: December 1
Eligibility: Students enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education; Course credit required
This internship places you in a professional office environment supporting a Kansas state legislator during the legislative session. As an intern, you will be assigned to a legislator and work a schedule agreed upon with that office, with a minimum of 10 required days at the Capitol. You’ll assist with legislative research, committee and caucus meetings, constituent correspondence, and daily office operations. The program includes a mandatory orientation, seminars, and a required policy proposal project completed for the assigned legislator. Although not a traditional business internship, this program helps you develop professional communication, research, and office operations skills through direct responsibility.
7. Johnson County Wastewater: Student Internship Program
Location: Various locations across Johnson County, KS
Stipend: Unpaid
Dates: Up to 12 weeks; Spring session begins the week of February 23
Application Deadline: January 23
Eligibility: Students aged 16 or older enrolled in an accredited high school, college, or university
This internship places you within a county wastewater utility to gain hands-on exposure to public-sector operations. You’ll work under the supervision of a staff mentor and may rotate between office-based and field activities depending on placement. Internship areas can include asset management, data systems, lab support, or operational projects tied to infrastructure management. You will collaborate with engineers, technicians, and supervisors, and learn about how large utility systems are planned and maintained. The program includes job shadowing, required safety training, and opportunities to attend public meetings. You may also receive optional resume feedback and interview preparation.
8. North Kansas City Schools: Professional Internship Program
Location: Kansas City, MO (placements vary by host site)
Cost/Stipend: Not specified
Dates: January – May
Application Deadline: October – March
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors enrolled in the North Kansas City Schools
This program blends classroom learning with real workplace experience over the school year. In the fall, you’ll explore different careers through job shadowing while building resumes and practicing interviews. During the spring semester, you’ll spend most of the week interning at a local organization and return to class one day each week to reflect and build professional skills. You’ll work with a mentor and complete projects that connect to the host site’s day-to-day work. The experience ends with a capstone presentation where you share what you worked on and learned.
9. Great Bend Economic Development: Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
Location: Great Bend Economic Development, Great Bend, KS
Cost/Stipend: Free; Prize money awarded to top finishers
Dates: March 4
Application Deadline: February 27 (tentative)
Eligibility: Students in grades 7-12 attending school in Barton County
The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is a one-day business competition where you’ll develop and present a new or existing business idea. You will create a tradeshow-style display and deliver a four-minute pitch to a panel of local business judges. The program emphasizes business planning, financial thinking, marketing strategy, and public speaking. You’ll also receive direct feedback from entrepreneurs and community professionals during the judging process. Aside from this, you’ll also engage with the public during the event and may advance to a statewide competition if selected.
10. Kansas State University College of Business Administration: Women in Business Initiative
Location: Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
Cost/Stipend: Details not provided
Dates: Year-round programming; event-based
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: High school students, college students, alumni, and working professionals
The Women in Business Initiative offers learning and career exploration opportunities that introduce you to business fields and leadership pathways. As a high school participant, you can attend select events, including career summits, finance-focused days, and mentoring sessions, hosted by the College of Business. Programming includes talks with professionals, skill-building workshops, and opportunities to connect with students, alumni, and corporate partners. You’ll interact directly with business leaders and peers while learning how careers in business take shape. Activities are designed as short-form experiences rather than long-term internships and often center on discussion, networking, and exposure to academic programs.
11. Wharton Global Youth Program: Online Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; Financial aid may be available
Dates: Multiple sessions in June and July (varies by program)
Application Deadline: Priority Deadline: January 28 (rolling after priority deadline)
Eligibility: High school students (specific requirements vary by program)
In this online course, you will work through the foundations of finance by exploring how companies raise money, evaluate investments, and make financial decisions. Lessons are delivered through live instruction and structured assignments, with time spent analyzing case studies and discussing real business scenarios with classmates. You will spend much of the program learning how financial concepts like risk, return, and valuation work in companies and markets. Along the way, you’ll collaborate with other high school students on discussions and short projects that require you to interpret data and defend your conclusions. These courses are designed to mirror the pace of an introductory college business class, so you’ll be expected to keep up with readings, assignments, and active participation online.
12. Babson Summer Study
Location: Virtual
Cost: $6,295 + $95 application fee; Limited need-based financial assistance available
Program Dates: July 8 – 28
Application Deadline: December 1 – March 13
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors (15+)
This three-week academic program allows you to enroll in Babson College’s introductory entrepreneurship course. As a participant, you’ll examine social, economic, and environmental challenges through the lens of entrepreneurship and the United Nations Global Goals. Coursework covers topics such as leadership, finance, marketing, and business communication. You can also earn four transferable college credits upon successful completion.
Image source - Spirit AeroSystems logo