12 Internships for High School Students in Louisiana
Let’s face it—landing that dream job isn’t just about getting good grades anymore. Whether it’s college applications or stepping into your first career, competition is fierce. High school students in Louisiana are no strangers to this, and the secret weapon to stand out? Internships.
Internships aren’t just about filling up a resume; they’re about gaining real-world experience, building connections, and testing out different career paths.
From shadowing professionals in the field to gaining hands-on skills, high schoolers can unlock opportunities that set them apart from the crowd.
Ready to level up your future? Let’s dive into the top 12 internships available for high school students in Louisiana
1. LSU Health Summer Internship
Location: Louisiana
Cost: No cost; a stipend of $2,645.00 will be provided to the interns in three installments
Application Deadline: First week of March
Internship Dates: June-July
Eligibility: High school junior or senior
LSU’s School of Medicine offers a summer research internship that aims to cultivate students’ interest in pursuing medical, research, or public health careers. In this 8-week internship, students team up with mentors at places like LSU Health Sciences Center, University Medical Center, or Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Through this program, students are expected to receive hands-on lab or clinical experience, learn research techniques, and take part in career prep through weekly seminars. Interns also receive training on how to present at scientific meetings, and by the end of the program, they will showcase their research in a poster session or an oral presentation.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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!
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. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup on real-world projects and present their work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
3. Student Internship Program
Location: East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Internship Dates: Varies
Eligibility: Students need to be at least 16 years old
This internship allows high school and college students in Baton Rouge to work with City-Parish departments, learn about the Civil Service System, and gain practical experience. It's a great way to build your resume. To join, you need to be at least 16, enrolled in grades 10 through 12 at a school in East Baton Rouge Parish, and have a recommendation from your school counselor. If you're 18 or older, you'll need to pass a background check and drug screening. This internship is great for careers in public administration, government, and civil service. It gives you hands-on experience with how city departments operate and helps you build valuable skills for the future.
4. Bayou Summer Program
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Cost: No cost; a stipend is provided to the interns
Application Deadline: Typically by the end of May
Internship Dates: No information available
Eligibility: High school seniors who finished the 11th grade with at least a 2.5 GPA.
This program is for rising high school seniors and incoming college freshmen interested in exploring career opportunities in fields like agriculture, family and consumer sciences, business, or natural sciences. Participants will gain valuable exposure through campus and departmental tours, visits to industry sites, engagement in college-level classes, and hands-on involvement in a brief research project. This experience is especially beneficial for students considering a future in agricultural sciences, as it offers a well-rounded view of the field, including both lab work and industry insights, helping them make more informed career choices.
5. LSU College of Engineering Research Program
Location: Louisiana
Cost: No cost; a stipend is provided to the interns
Application Deadline: Typically by the start of February
Internship Dates: October-January
Eligibility: Be a 9th, 10th, or 11th grader with a GPA of at least 3.5.
LSU’s College of Engineering’s high school summer research (HSSR) program gives high schoolers a chance to conduct research in engineering, computer science, and construction management. Interns get to work with university research teams, learning what drives these experts and how to keep pursuing engineering-related fields in college and beyond. Aside from working on research projects, interns attend workshops on safety, research skills, ethics, and communication. The program wraps up with a poster presentation where interns showcase their work—an essential part of completing the internship.
6. AMRI High School Summer Research Program
Location: Greater New Orleans, Louisiana
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: Typically by mid-March
Internship Dates: No information available
Eligibility: High school students
This 8-week summer program lets students work in research labs alongside internationally recognized scientists on projects in fields ranging from chemistry and physics to materials science, engineering, psychology, and math. Students either run their own research projects or join a larger team working on major goals within the host research group. Not only do students spend their days in the lab, but they also attend weekly seminars and tutorials on topics like lab safety, career paths in materials science, ethics, and skills like effective management. They’ll even explore cool stuff like nanomaterials, electron microscopy, and computational methods.
7. Robotics Summer Residential Program
Location: Louisiana
Cost: $1,250
Application Deadline: Typically by mid-June
Internship Dates: July 15-26
Eligibility: 9th-12th graders
While not an internship, we added this LSU residential course because it offers a great introduction to robotics, where you'll build and program robots to tackle various challenges. Working in teams, you'll handle everything from designing and constructing robots to coding their functions. This hands-on experience is not just about making robots move; it's about understanding the science behind it, including motor speed, gear ratios, torque, and sensors. The course is designed to enhance your problem-solving skills and teamwork. You'll learn how to optimize performance with programming loops and make data-driven decisions through project documentation. This experience is super beneficial because it not only sharpens your technical skills but also prepares you for future STEM projects, boosts your resume, and helps you understand real-world applications of robotics and engineering principles.
8. Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging Summer Research Internship
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost
Application Deadline: Typically at the end of March
Internship Dates: Typically in June
Eligibility: High school students in the US who are 14 or older are eligible to apply.
Stanford’s AIMI Summer Research Internship focuses on the role of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Each summer, about 20 high school interns join the program. Over two weeks, the virtual internship provides a blend of introductory and advanced lectures on AI in medicine, along with mentorship from Stanford students and researchers. Here, students will engage in group research projects, join virtual social events, and attend career sessions featuring guest speakers from academia, industry, non-profits, and government. This program is especially beneficial if students want to deepen their understanding of AI applications in healthcare, gain hands-on research experience, and connect with professionals across various sectors.
9. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) by George Mason University
Location: Remote
Cost: There is a $25 application fee, which can be waived if financial need is demonstrated. Please note, this is an unpaid internship.
Application Deadline: Typically closes at the start of February.
Internship Dates: Typically between June and August (8 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students in the US who are 14 or older are eligible to apply.
George Mason University’s ASSIP offers remote internships that enable students to work with faculty researchers at the university and its partner institutions. Interns have access to cutting-edge technology and software to support their research projects. The program also focuses on developing scientific writing and communication skills while helping students explore different career options. This internship is particularly beneficial for those aiming to pursue careers in various scientific fields like molecular medicine, biochemistry, drug discovery, neuroscience, biology, disease diagnostics, women’s health, and more.
10. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS): Virtual Experience
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost; $500 stipend
Application Deadline: Closes by March
Internship Dates: July-August (5 weeks)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors from underrepresented populations across the United States
The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) offers a prestigious opportunity for high school students to learn about the neurological sciences. In addition to its in-person internship, the program provides a fully virtual option for those interested. The program aims to include interns from underrepresented communities. In the virtual internship, students can engage in activities such as educational presentations, basic lab experiments and techniques, mentorship training, professional development, and networking opportunities. It provides hands-on experience, professional development, and networking opportunities that can help build a solid foundation for future academic and career pursuits.
11. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost; it’s a paid internship
Application Deadline: Varies based on internship
Internship Dates: January-May (up to 16 weeks) | May/June-August (10 weeks) | August/September-December (up to 16 weeks)
Eligibility: High school students with a minimum GPA of 3.0
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) offers several paid online internships for high school students that provide the opportunity to work on NASA with guidance from professional mentors. As an intern, you’ll be involved in various activities depending on your role and project. Current opportunities include areas such as conservation, using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for air traffic management data, atmospheric science, social media marketing, deep learning, and polarimetry, among others. This internship is ideal for those who are passionate about space exploration, technology, and science and want to gain valuable experience while contributing to cutting-edge research.
12. American Psychological Association (APA) Internships
Location: Remote
Cost: No cost; it’s a paid internship
Application Deadline: Varies based on internship
Internship Dates: Year-round offers
Eligibility: High school students with U.S work eligibility
The American Psychological Association (APA) offers remote internships in certain states that help high schoolers explore career paths in psychology. Here, interns get to work on real projects, see how different departments like research, policy, and communications operate, and even tackle tasks in financial services and operations. Students will be applying what they learn to actual projects, handling daily tasks, and attending meetings with mentors and supervisors. Plus, they will be joining in on workshops, discussions, and group projects. The program also helps with research, networking, college applications, federal advocacy, and crafting your resume and cover letter.
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