15 Internships for High School Students in Durham, NC
Doing an internship while you’re still in high school can give you a significant advantage in the future. You’ll build your resume, show colleges you’re motivated, and learn skills that make you more employable. Whether you want to explore a future career, figure out what you enjoy, or just get practical experience outside the classroom, internships help you stand out.
Internships for high school students in Durham, North Carolina, can also connect you with mentors and professionals who can guide you along the way. From research at Duke University to hands-on roles in local government and community organizations, there’s something here for every interest. You’ll find programs that are paid, volunteer-based, in-person, or virtual, so you can pick what fits your goals and schedule best.
To make things easier, we’ve narrowed this guide down to 15 of the best internships for high school students in Durham, NC, so you don’t have to spend hours searching on your own. Please note that some of the programs listed below are not traditional internships but rather academic programs. They have been included for the valuable practical experiences they provide!
15 Internships for High School Students in Durham, North Carolina
1. NCDOT: High School Internship Program
Location: Raleigh/Triangle area offices in North Carolina, including Durham
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Stipend: Varies
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: NC high school students (16+, min. GPA 2.3)
During this internship, you’ll work with NCDOT engineers and planners on transportation projects like highway planning, traffic analysis, and bridge/road inspections. You’ll also get to apply your math and science skills on the job. The program is highly structured yet flexible; you’ll attend meetings and site tours, complete project assignments, and get mentorship from state DOT professionals. Along the way, you’ll gain engineering experience and a broader perspective on public service careers. It’s one of the few paid STEM internships for high school students in Durham, NC, connecting classroom learning to real-world skills.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Cost: Varies depending on program type (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple 8-week cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Multiple rolling deadlines that vary by cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Ladder Internships is an internship program for ambitious high school students where you can choose a field you like (healthcare, tech, business, etc.) and work on real projects with a startup. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies, on average, raising over $1 million and offering internships across a variety of industries, including tech, deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder pairs each student with a company mentor and a Ladder Coach who provides one-on-one training. As an intern, you’ll work on a variety of tasks to gain experience and present your results to the team and your company mentor by the end of the internship.
3. VetCAMP at NC State University
Location: NC State University, Raleigh, NC + Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Highly selective; 40 students (in-person) & 250 students (virtual)
Cost: $750 per week (day camp rate) + $250 for overnight lodging; $28 application fee
Dates: July 6 – 10 and July 13 – 17
Application Deadline: January 30 – April 6
Eligibility: U.S. rising high school sophomores, juniors, or seniors, 15+
VetCAMP is a five-day summer camp that focuses on veterinary science. As a participant, you will tour the NC State vet school, learn small-animal clinic basics, and work hands-on with animals like horses, sheep, and pigs. In lab sessions, you’ll practice suturing and dissection techniques, building practical veterinary and scientific skills. You’ll develop professional skills in veterinary care and learn about the vet field as you work alongside vet students and faculty.
4. City of Durham: YouthWorks Summer Internship
Location: Durham, NC (various city/partner sites); Virtual options available too
Acceptance Rate: Low selectivity
Stipend: Up to $880+ for completing parts 1 and 2 of the program
Dates: Typically, 6-8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Durham City/County resident, ages 14-24 by June 30
Durham’s YouthWorks is a city-sponsored summer job internship program. As a participant, you will intern with local businesses and non-profits while gaining on-the-job skills. Placements vary widely, ranging from IT, construction, arts, and office support, depending on the needs of the community partner. During the internship, you will work on both online learning modules and in-person work experience. This is a solid option if you need a structured job with local supervision, regular feedback, and certification of completion.
5. Duke Clinical Research Institute: STAR Program
Location: Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Stipend: $2,600
Dates: June 23 – July 25
Application Deadline: November 18 – January 3
Eligibility: U.S. rising high school juniors/seniors, with a preference for rising seniors
The DCRI STAR (Summer Training in Academic Research) Program is a research internship where you’ll work on medical or statistical research projects alongside Duke faculty and graduate mentors. During this 6-week program, you’ll be part of a small team tackling a real research question (for example, analyzing medical records or designing a clinical study). You’ll learn research methodology and scientific writing, and the program culminates in a final paper or poster on your project. This hands-on environment is great for sharpening analytical and teamwork skills.
6. ISHTaR Program
Location: UNC Medical Campus, NC (hybrid)
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Stipend: Varies (hourly wage, 20 hrs/week)
Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: January 6 – February 24
Eligibility: North Carolina 10th to 12th graders, ages 16+; GPA of 2.75 or more is recommended
The ISHTaR internship program introduces high schoolers to medical and public health research at UNC. Over the summer, you’ll do supervised research on emergency medicine topics (infectious disease, injury prevention, etc.). This hybrid program combines in-lab work and online training, equipping you with practical skills in data collection and analysis. Mentors (med school faculty and grad students) will guide you in tasks like literature reviews and experiments. You’ll gain practical experience in science and valuable insights into healthcare careers. It’s a solid opportunity to explore science in a medical setting where you graduate with stronger research abilities, medical knowledge, and professional mentorship.
7. UNC Nutrition Research Institute: Virtual Internship
Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Moderately selective (54 students as of 2025)
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June 3 – June 26
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school freshmen to rising college freshmen
In this four-week internship, you’ll be placed in small teams to work on a nutrition research project, such as analyzing dietary data or designing a health study. The internship includes online lectures by scientists and collaborative lab-style projects. In past sessions, students have conducted experiments such as testing vitamin levels or surveying nutrition habits. You will conclude the program with a project presentation and receive a certificate. This is one of those internships for high school students in Durham, NC, that’ll give you research experience in biology or health sciences, build skills in critical thinking and science communication, all from the comfort of your home.
8. Teen Arts Council at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA)
Location: NC Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: September 18 – June 4 of next year
Application Deadline: September 1
Eligibility: North Carolina students aged 13-18
As one of the few internships for high school students in Durham, NC, focusing on the arts, the NCMA Teen Arts Council offers you the opportunity to serve as a teen ambassador, helping shape the museum’s programs. You will help design and run creative teen events (like gallery takeovers and student art exhibitions) in collaboration with museum staff. This experience will help you develop event-planning and leadership skills while providing you with behind-the-scenes access to exhibitions, workshops, and mentorship from NCMA educators. You’ll also meet regularly with other creative teens and contribute to community art programs, gaining insight into arts careers.
9. Durham Sports Commission: HS Internship
Location: Durham Sports Commission office, Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: Exact dates vary
Application Deadline: Fall: July 21; Spring: November 15; Summer: March 15
Eligibility: High school seniors from Durham
In this internship, you’ll help plan and run major sporting events for the city. The Durham Sports Commission organizes things like college basketball tournaments and youth leagues, and as an intern, you’ll work alongside staff on marketing, logistics, or community outreach. You’ll also learn about sponsorships, scheduling, and on-site operations skills that are valuable in business and sports careers. The workload is generally part-time, and interns often receive high school or college credit for their work. This is one of the few internships for high school students in Durham, NC, that offers professional experience in sports administration.
10. Durham County LEEP (Launching Emerging Employees Program)
Location: Durham County Government offices, Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: Low selectivity
Stipend: $15/hour
Dates: 6-8 weeks, June to August
Application Deadline: May 9
Eligibility: Ages 15-19; Durham County resident, DPS student, or child of a county employee
LEEP is a summer internship with the Durham County government. You’ll work in entry-level positions across various county departments, such as Planning, Social Services, or Parks. Every week also includes a career development workshop, where you’ll learn skills such as resume writing and interview practice. As an intern, you might assist with office projects, public events, or research. It’s a great option if you're looking for a traditional paid job in government and want to learn about public service careers.
11. Red Hat: High School Internship Program
Location: Red Hat headquarters, Cary, NC
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Stipend: $18/hour
Dates: Two 2-week sessions: July 7 – 18 or July 21 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 10 – 28
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors/seniors, 16+, min. GPA of 2.0
Red Hat’s program is a two-week tech internship at a software company where you’ll work on projects in areas like software development, IT infrastructure, or tech marketing, under the guidance of Red Hat engineers. You could be coding in Python or Java, creating documentation, or assisting with open-source projects. In addition to technical work, you will tour the campus and attend seminars, such as career panels and company culture talks. This is a great option if you want to test-drive a career at a tech company.
12. Kids Voting Durham: Civic Leadership Program
Location: Durham, NC (various civic venues, hybrid options available)
Acceptance Rate: Moderately selective
Cost/Stipend: None
Dates: June – August (specific dates vary by position)
Application Deadline: Varies by position
Eligibility: Durham-area youth, 14-24
This program offers intern-like roles in election education and community engagement. As a Youth Civic Leader intern, you may help design voter education campaigns, run mock elections in schools, or assist with local nonprofit events. Through this internship, you can develop leadership, event planning, and public speaking skills by engaging your community in democratic processes. Past interns have helped organize high school voter registration drives and civic workshops. You’ll also attend training sessions and work directly with city officials and educators.
13. Duke Research in Engineering Program (DukeREP)
Location: Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, Durham, NC
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 16 – August 1
Application Deadline: December – February 16
Eligibility: North Carolina rising high school juniors/seniors, 16+; Durham Public School students prioritised
DukeREP is a seven-week summer engineering research internship. As an intern, you will be matched with Duke Engineering professors to work on projects in fields like robotics, renewable energy, or biomedical devices. You’ll work in teams, performing lab experiments or computer modeling under the guidance of faculty mentorship. The program also includes weekly professional development, such as lab safety and career workshops. Ultimately, each team presents its project to its peers and faculty.
14. North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences: Junior Interpreters Program
Location: Museum of Natural Sciences, Downtown Raleigh, NC
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Cost: $75 fee
Dates: June 16 – August 21
Application Deadline: Mid-January – March 24
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors/seniors (grades 9-12)
As a Junior Interpreter, you’ll serve as a museum ambassador by sharing science with visitors and honing your communication skills. You’ll interact directly with guests on the museum floor, using real specimens to explain exhibits and engage the public. By participating, you’ll gain hands-on science communication experience that strengthens your resume and college applications. Interns in the program will have the opportunity to develop valuable speaking and customer service skills while building a strong foundation in natural science topics and sharing that knowledge with all types of Museum visitors.
15. Veritas AI Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Cost: Varies depending on program (financial aid available)
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application Deadline: Rolling; Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), Winter (November)
Eligibility: High school students with experience in AI/ML
Veritas AI offers an intensive 8-week virtual AI internship where you’ll work remotely on machine learning projects with startup companies under expert guidance. Past interns have collaborated on projects for VC-backed startups, undertaking tasks such as building AI models and data pipelines. Each student is paired with a mentor (often a Ph.D. or industry expert) to guide their project and get a chance to network with industry professionals. You will work closely with company leadership and receive a letter of completion by the end of the internship.
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