15 Internships for High School Students in Cincinnati
For high school students, internships can be a valuable way to explore possible career paths while gaining experience outside the classroom. Whether you’re interested in healthcare, scientific research, business, education, or public service, internships let you test your interests in workplace settings and learn from professionals in the field.
Cincinnati is home to major hospitals, universities, nonprofits, and businesses, making it a great location for high school internships. Local opportunities are also easier to manage logistically and can help you form connections within your own community. To help you begin your search, we’ve put together a list of 15 internships for high school students in Cincinnati. These programs offer exposure, mentorship, and a look into different industries while helping you build useful skills and explore your career goals.
1. High School Summer Internship Program
Location: UC College of Medicine & Cincinnati Children's collaboration
Cohort Size: Selective (limited slots)
Dates: 6–8 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors and above with an interest in biomedical research
Stipend: $13/hour
The High School Summer Internship Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is an eight-week program in which graduating high school seniors work 20 hours per week with a mentor in one of multiple pediatric specialties. You will join research teams working on topics like genetics, translational medicine, or pediatric biology. You will also attend seminars on scientific tools, research methods, and ethics. Each student completes a mini-research project and presents findings to faculty. Applicants must be residents of the Cincinnati metropolitan area and graduating from high school in the upcoming spring.
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September) and Winter (November).
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Cost: Varies; Financial aid available
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. You can explore all the options on their application form. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. In the program, you will work closely with your managers and a Ladder Coach on real-world projects and present your work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. CYCE High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Cleveland Clinic campuses, Northeast Ohio
Cohort Size: Moderately sized cohorts each summer
Dates: June 9 – July 29
Application Deadline: Feb 7
Eligibility: High school students (Grades 9–12) in Northeast Ohio counties
Cost/Stipend: Paid
This is a paid summer residency focused on nonclinical healthcare pathways—administration, IT, communications, and finance. As an intern, you will receive mentorship from clinic staff and attend career development sessions. You will contribute to a workplace project and present a final report, gaining healthcare system insights. The program cultivates communication, leadership, and operational knowledge.
4. University of Cincinnati – Biology Meets Engineering Summer Program
Location: University of Cincinnati, Uptown Campus
Cohort Size: ~15–20
Dates: June 2 - June 18
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students interested in STEM
Cost: Free for accepted students
As an intern, you will explore the intersection of biology and robotics through lab-based activities. You will build robotic models inspired by animal sensory systems and develop engineering prototypes. Coursework fosters interdisciplinary problem-solving and team collaboration. You get the opportunity to showcase your designs in a mini-symposium at the program’s end. This approach blends living systems and engineering in a creative, applied setting.
5. Cincinnati Children’s High School Science Symposium
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Cohort Size: Competitive cohort of local seniors
Dates: ~8 weeks (June–August)
Application Deadline: Early February
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors in the Cincinnati metro
Stipend: Paid, $13/hour
The High School Science Symposium is a one-day event for Cincinnati-area high school juniors and seniors, hosted at Cincinnati Children's. The program allows you to meet and learn about the work of doctors, scientists, and allied health professionals. You will learn about the work they are doing to find new treatments and cures for childhood diseases and improve outcomes for children. As an intern, you will spend up to 20 hours/week in pediatric research or clinical settings and present your findings and reflections at the end-of-program meeting.
6. INTERalliance INTERnship Program
Location: Greater Cincinnati
Cohort Size: Varies year to year
Dates: First week of June – Second week of August
Application Deadline: February 23
Eligibility: High school students (9th-12th)
Stipend: Paid, ~$13/hour
The INTERalliance INTERnship program is an opportunity to work for some of the leading companies in the Greater Cincinnati IT industry. This program offers you work experience and provides an opportunity to learn from executives about what it takes to become a leader in Cincinnati’s IT industry. You will intern at local tech firms, gaining experience in IT and digital business. Assignments include coding, systems analysis, and marketing support. You will also attend leadership and professional development workshops.
7. GE Next Engineers Summer Camps (by UC Pre-Collegiate)
Location: UC Clifton and Blue Ash campuses
Cohort Size: ~20–30 per week
Dates: One-week sessions in June–July
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Students entering grades 9–10 (GE camp)
Cost: Day camp is free; $450 for overnight
GE Next Engineers Summer Camps are week-long day camp experiences for students entering 9th or 10th grade in the fall from the greater Cincinnati area. These camps are a great way to learn about engineering and the engineering design process. You will participate in design challenges, get small group Q&A sessions with GE Engineers, and participate in college and career readiness activities. You can also choose a preferred week based on the type of engineering field. You will showcase completed projects during a Friday capstone event.
8. Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative
Location: Cincy STEM Lab, Blue Ash
Cohort Size: Varies per workshop
Dates: Summer camps & after-school sessions
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: All grade levels, usually 6–12
Cost/Stipend: Fee-based
The Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative (GCSC) is the region’s K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focused organization that connects partners across education, business, and community sectors on behalf of students and families in the region. The program aims to prepare you for your future through connected STEM learning pathways to make informed educational and career decisions. It offers STEM workshops in robotics, coding, and engineering. You will build projects and participate in family STEM nights. Each program includes guided exploration with mentor support. Although not a traditional internship, we’ve included this program in the list because it builds skills that can be useful in future careers.
9. TechOlympics
Location: Procter & Gamble Headquarters
Cohort Size: ~600 students
Dates: February 15 - 16
Application Deadline: Varies (Feb–Mar)
Eligibility: High school students in Greater Cincinnati
Cost: Free
TechOlympics is an IT conference with workshops, competitions, and networking opportunities for students to learn and grow their careers. Topics span across coding, cybersecurity, AI, and app design. You will engage in breakout sessions and challenge-based competitions. As a participant, you will also present your final project in showcase demo events. This opportunity offers a snapshot of tech careers and collaboration.
10. UC Camps, University of Cincinnati
Location: UC Clifton campus
Cohort Size: ~20–30 per camp
Dates: One-week sessions, June–July
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Grades 9–12
Cost: Fee-based; scholarships available
UC Summer Camps are weeklong experiences for students wanting to explore engineering. Camps combine design challenges, campus tours, small group instruction from faculty/graduate students, and mentorship and exploration from industry professionals. Programs include machine design, robotics, and engineering fundamentals. Led by faculty and graduate student mentors, you will engage in challenges. Camps end with a capstone presentation to the camp community. This program is great for those exploring engineering student pathways.
11. Medical Sciences Summer Institute at UC
Location: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH
Cost: $1,000
Dates: Four sessions — June 2–6, June 9–13, June 16–20, June 23–27
Application Deadline: Typically opens in spring
Eligibility: High school sophomores and juniors, age 16 or older, with an interest in medicine or healthcare
Hosted by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, the Medical Sciences Summer Institute is a one-week, lab-based program designed for high school students curious about biomedical research. Participants select a focus area—either molecular biology or cellular biology—and gain practical experience using advanced lab techniques such as DNA analysis and cell-based testing. All sessions take place in research laboratories, offering students an authentic look at how scientists explore the biological sciences at a molecular level. This program is ideal for teens considering careers in medicine, biomedical science, or laboratory research.
12. QCaMP: Quantum Computing Summer Camp
Location: Florida-based but open to national applicants
Cohort Size: ~20
Dates: June 30 - July 25
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: Grades 10–12
Cost/Stipend: Free
At QCaMP (Quantum Computing, Mathematics, & Physics), you will get a primer on computing fundamentals, learn about quantum physics, and apply those phenomena to solve computing problems. This camp teaches quantum information science theory and lab simulations. You will participate in daily modules spanning quantum logic and computing fundamentals. As an intern, you will complete a capstone project demonstrating learned concepts.
13. Breakthrough Collaborative (Cincinnati Teaching Internship)
Location: Cincinnati-area schools
Cohort Size: Varies by site
Dates: Summer and academic year
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: High-achieving high school students
Cost: Free
The Breakthrough Collaborative program begins in middle school and continues for 6 years. Throughout that time, you will be challenged with academically rigorous coursework. The middle school program entails six weeks of summer for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. Throughout high school, you will receive a variety of support, including tutoring, mentoring, and workshops, to ensure you have the skills to gain admission to a four-year college. Each year, Breakthrough connects 10,000 students with 1,100 college-aged Teaching Fellows in 25 cities across the country.
Location: Regional partners across Greater Cincinnati
Cohort Size: Varies
Dates: June 8-11
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: K–12 students
Cost: $200 non-refundable fee
Lindner Summer Institute (LSI) is an overnight program that introduces students to various business disciplines while providing support for the college admissions process. As part of the program, you will be housed in UC residence halls and experience life on a college campus via classroom sessions, interactions with Lindner faculty and staff, and visits to UC's recreation center and its dining halls. GCSC connects school-based STEM clubs (e.g., robotics, bike club) with mentors and project opportunities. Clubs engage in design challenges and community initiatives. Members showcase work during community STEM events supported regionally.
15. Cincinnati Children’s Volunteer Opportunities
Location: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Cohort Size: Competitive
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: High school seniors (at least 15 years old at the time of application)
Cost/Stipend: Paid
This high school program offers the opportunity to develop team-building and leadership skills while encouraging personal growth and improved self-awareness. You will be introduced to the pediatric environment as you complete tasks under the supervision of hospital staff. The program requires a weekly commitment of two to three hours. You will contribute to hospital quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. You will also assist teams in analyzing data, designing interventions, and measuring impact. As a volunteer, you will present your results to hospital leadership.