15 Business Internships for High School Students in South Carolina
If you are a high school student interested in business, an internship can be a worthwhile way to explore this field in great detail. High school internships are one of the most effective ways to connect classroom learning with real-world application. By working as an intern in a business environment, you can gain practical skills such as professional communication, project management, teamwork, financial literacy, and problem-solving that are highly valuable in both future workplaces and professional settings. These experiences strengthen your resume, clarify your career interests, and enhance your employability by demonstrating initiative and workplace readiness.You can check out other business internships available for high-school students here.
Why should I do a Business Internship in South Carolina?
Business internships for high school students in South Carolina provide insight into how companies make decisions, analyze data, attract customers, manage finances, and build effective teams. The relationships you build with supervisors and colleagues can develop into long-term mentorships, references, or future opportunities, including college recommendation letters. Internship responsibilities include hands-on project work such as social media and content creation, marketing campaign support, financial tracking, customer research, event planning, data entry and analysis, process improvement initiatives, business development, and leadership experiences. Many programs offer structured mentorship, professional development workshops, networking with industry partners, and opportunities to present your work to organizational leadership.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 15 business internships for high school students in South Carolina.
Quick Look
15 business programs total spanning entrepreneurship, small business consulting, chamber of commerce operations, and state government economic development, hosted by organizations including the SC Department of Commerce, Bank of America, and regional chambers of commerce
Most programs are tied directly to South Carolina institutions and local economic development efforts, including the SC SBDC Intern Program, SC State Fair, and Regional Economic Development Internship in the Upstate region
The SC Governor's School for Entrepreneurship is the most academically intensive option, a competitive three-week residential program limited to South Carolina 10th graders
Bank of America's Student Leaders Internship is the only program on this list with a national profile, combining local nonprofit placement with a summit in Washington, D.C.
Ladder Internships and Young Founders Lab are the only fully remote, statewide-accessible options, both letting students build business skills without needing to be near a specific South Carolina city
1. SC Governor’s School for Entrepreneurship – Business Internship Track
Location: Greenville, SC
Cost/Stipend: Scholarship available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive | maintains a maximum capacity of approximately 288 to 290 students
Dates: Summer residential (3 weeks)
Application Deadline: 15 February
Eligibility: Open to 10th-grade South Carolina residents
This intensive residential program allows students to focus on entrepreneurial thinking and business fundamentals. Through workshops and team-based projects, you can learn business planning, marketing strategies, financial modeling, and pitching techniques. Faculty members and local business mentors will provide guidance as you work on real ventures and simulations. Interns also engage in networking with peers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. There are group projects that emphasize creative problem-solving and critical thinking. By the end of this program, you will strengthen your skills in entrepreneurship while improving college readiness for business-related fields.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type | financial aid is available | no stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Between 10 - 25% | 70 - 100 students
Dates: Multiple cohorts available throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Varies as per cohort – spring (January), summer (May), fall (September), and winter (November)
Eligibility: High school, undergraduate, and gap year students who can work for 8 - 12 weeks, devoting 10 - 20 hours/weekLadder Internships offers remote, project-based business internships for high school students seeking real-world professional experience. This program is well-suited for students seeking flexibility and skill-based learning. Participants are matched with startups or organizations to work on structured business projects in areas such as market research, strategy, operations, and marketing. You receive mentorship from industry professionals and participate in regular check-ins to track progress. The program emphasizes independent work, accountability, and professional communication. By the end of the program, you will complete a final deliverable or presentation summarizing your work.
3. South Carolina Youth Business Leadership Institute (YBLI)
Location: Statewide (hosted regionally)
Cost/Stipend: Free or scholarship assistance
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Summer leadership sessions
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 - 12
In this leadership-focused program, students will engage in business immersion experiences focused on business strategy, leadership development, and community engagement. Sessions include guest talks from industry experts, strategic planning exercises, and organizational communication projects. You complete team projects that reflect real business consulting or entrepreneurial planning. Mentors help you reflect on career pathways in business and leadership. Collaborative activities build presentation and teamwork skills, promoting readiness for business coursework and future internships.
4. SC Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Intern Program
Location: Regional SBDC offices throughout SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid or unpaid internship (varies)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Depending on the office application
Dates: Summer or academic year options
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the office
Eligibility: High school students (typically 16+ years old)
This internship places students with experienced business advisors supporting small business owners. Intern responsibilities include research assistance, social media content development, economic data collection, client intake assistance, and preparation of resource materials. Interns often contribute to support tools and business educational materials. You will gain insight into consulting functions, business planning, and economic support services. Mentors provide guidance on professional communication and analytical thinking. Participation in this internship helps you build both practical business skills and community-focused economic understanding.
5. Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Business Internship
Location: Charleston, SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid or unpaid, depending on the posting
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Application required
Dates: Summer or academic year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the posting
Eligibility: High school students (often 15+ years old)
Students in this internship assist with outreach, event coordination, communications, and business support initiatives that strengthen the regional economy. Intern tasks may include preparing marketing materials, supporting member services, and community engagement. You gain exposure to how local businesses collaborate with civic and economic partners. Mentors guide you through workplace expectations, helping you gain professional skills such as customer service, project tracking, and community analytics. You will connect with business leaders and stakeholders across diverse industries. Participation in this internship helps you to develop key insights into business ecosystems and organizational teamwork.
6. Greenville Chamber Youth Business Internship Program
Location: Greenville, SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid or unpaid (depends on host posting)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Application required
Dates: Summer or part-time school year
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students interested in business exposure
This internship supports the chamber-led efforts by assisting with event planning, member engagement, data updates, and marketing activities. Business tasks include compiling economic reports, assisting with outreach strategy work, and contributing to digital communications. Interns learn about regional business climates and economic priorities while the mentors help you build networking and professional communication skills. Participation in this internship helps you connect with local industry leaders and community events. Once you complete the internship, you will gain an understanding of business operations and civic engagement.
7. South Carolina Department of Commerce – Youth Business Associate
Location: Columbia, SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students (16+ years old)
In this internship, students contribute to economic development projects such as small business support programs, data dashboards, and statewide business communications. Intern responsibilities include research, report preparation, internal communications, and community outreach. This internship offers exposure to government relations and business support in economic ecosystems. Mentors from the department help you understand economic strategies, workforce development, and industry trends. You develop analytical, communication, and organizational skills as you support real public-facing projects. You also access networking opportunities with professionals in public policy and economic planning domains.
8. Bank of America Student Leaders Internship
Location: South Carolina (statewide placements)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship (stipend provided)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly competitive nationally
Dates: Summer (8 - 10 weeks)
Application Deadline: Typically early spring
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
In this internship, you spend the summer working with a local nonprofit or community partner while also participating in professional development experiences. Intern responsibilities vary depending on the placement but include community engagement, event coordination, marketing support, and project management. You will learn workplace expectations, communication skills, and organizational strategy. You also attend a national summit in Washington, D.C., and participate in career development workshops. This experience integrates business skills with civic leadership and community service. Interns build professional networks and experience, which adds great value to the resume.
9. South Carolina State Fair Youth Internship – Business Operations
Location: Columbia, SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid or volunteer internship options
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Application required
Dates: Spring/Summer leading up to the annual fair
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: High school students (15+ years old)
In this internship, you support business operations for one of the state’s largest annual events. Intern responsibilities include sponsorship tracking, vendor relations coordination, ticketing support operations, and promotional coordination, where they work closely with marketing and operations teams. You gain exposure to event business planning, logistics, and customer service. Mentors help you understand revenue generation, business partnerships, and stakeholder communication. The completion of the program helps you build project management and professional collaboration skills.
10. South Carolina State Library – Youth Marketing & Communications Internship
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Summer or school year
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students interested in marketing or communications
In this internship, students support public engagement campaigns and communications projects that promote library services and events. Intern responsibilities may include social media posting, graphic design support, event outreach, and analytics reporting. Mentors help you strengthen professional writing, content planning, and digital strategy skills while collaborating with cross-departmental teams to build cohesive campaigns. The experience builds practical marketing and organizational skills. The completion of the program enhances your portfolio-ready communications work.
11. South Carolina Technology Council – Youth Business & Tech Internship
Location: Statewide (Charleston/Columbia hubs)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Summer or part-time year-round
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students
This internship allows students to gain exposure to business development within technology ecosystems, including support for startup growth, ecosystem data tracking, and event coordination. Intern responsibilities may include research on industry trends, strategic planning support, and communications. Mentors help you understand how business strategy intersects with technical innovation. Interns collaborate with community partners and business leaders, supporting analytical reasoning and professional communication. The completion of this program builds confidence in cross-disciplinary business environments.
12. Regional Economic Development Internship (Upstate SC)
Location: Upstate region (Greenville, Spartanburg area)
Cost/Stipend: Paid internship
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Application required
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students (16+ years old)
In this internship, students support economic development councils through research on business attraction, workforce data, and regional industry positioning. Intern tasks may include data visualization, report preparation, public communications, and stakeholder outreach. Mentors guide interns through analytical tasks with real business impact. Participation in this program builds understanding of economic strategies, market analysis, and business support systems. You gain exposure to community partnerships and development initiatives and strengthen research and professional skills relevant to business planning.
13. Palmetto Youth Business Internship Placement (Local Employers)
Location: Throughout South Carolina (hosted by participating local businesses)
Cost/Stipend: Paid or unpaid internships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Depends on the employer
Dates: Summer or school year
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: High school students
This internship places students directly with local small businesses or entrepreneurial ventures to support daily operations. Intern responsibilities may include customer relations, social media support, inventory tracking, financial record assistance, and marketing projects. Mentors provide hands-on feedback and skill development, helping interns understand how small business teams operate and respond to real business challenges. The experience builds adaptability, ownership, collaboration skills, and applied business knowledge.
14. South Carolina Retail & Business Operations Internship (Various Hosts)
Location: Retail and corporate locations across SC
Cost/Stipend: Paid internships
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Based on employer posting
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High school students (15+ years old)
In this internship, students support retail business teams with merchandising tasks, sales analytics, customer service, and operational support. Interns learn business fundamentals such as inventory control, point-of-sale systems, customer engagement, and reporting. Mentors assist with professional communication and task planning. Participation in this program builds practical understanding of business operations and consumer-facing roles, preparing them for future work and professional pathways in business or management.
15. Young Founders Lab (YFL)
Location: Virtual, open to students statewide
Cost/Stipend: Varies depending on the program | need-based financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year (summer, fall, winter, spring)
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: Open to all high school students
The Young Founders Lab (YFL) is a virtual startup incubator that allows high school students the opportunity to build and launch real businesses. Participants collaborate working in teams to develop revenue-generating ventures while receiving mentorship from entrepreneurs and professionals affiliated with companies such as Google and Microsoft. Over approximately 30 hours of live, interactive programming, students develop skills in business strategy, product development, marketing, and leadership. Learning is delivered through case study analysis, founder panels, and hands-on project work that reflects real startup challenges. The experience concludes in a demo day, where teams pitch their ventures to industry professionals and receive structured feedback. This program is well suited for high school students interested in entrepreneurship, innovation, and gaining practical business experience in a collaborative virtual environment.
Questions Students Often Ask About These Programs
Several of these programs are tied to local chambers of commerce, like Charleston and Greenville. How do those differ from each other?
Both give you exposure to how local business ecosystems operate, but the specific tasks vary by chamber and by posting. Charleston Metro Chamber's internship leans toward outreach, event coordination, and member services, while Greenville Chamber's program emphasizes data updates, digital communications, and networking with regional business leaders. Since availability depends on host postings, it's worth checking both regularly rather than assuming one is consistently more available than the other.
I'm interested in entrepreneurship specifically rather than general business operations. Which programs are the strongest fit?
The SC Governor's School for Entrepreneurship is the most intensive option, combining business planning, financial modeling, and pitching in a competitive residential format. Young Founders Lab is the best remote alternative, having you build and pitch an actual venture over roughly 30 hours of live programming. The SC Youth Business Leadership Institute also touches on entrepreneurial planning within its broader leadership curriculum.
A few programs, like the SC State Fair and SC State Library internships, don't sound like traditional business roles. Are they still valuable for a business-focused resume?
Yes. Both give you real exposure to core business functions, just within a specific organizational context. The State Fair internship involves sponsorship tracking, vendor relations, and promotional coordination, which are genuine business development and operations tasks. The State Library internship focuses on marketing and communications work, building skills in content strategy and analytics that transfer directly to business and marketing roles elsewhere.