13 Internships for High School Students in Memphis, TN

Internships can be a useful way to explore your interests and gain experience while still in high school. They offer a chance to apply what you’ve learned in school, develop practical skills, and learn more about different career paths.

If you’re based in Memphis, Tennessee, local internships also come with the added benefit of connecting you with professionals and organizations in your own community. Whether you’re considering healthcare, law, technology, or the arts, Memphis has a range of institutions—such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, local law firms, museums, and nonprofits—that offer structured opportunities for high school students. Participating in a local internship means you can build relationships close to home and start becoming familiar with the industries that are important in your region.

To help you explore your options, we’ve put together a list of 13 internships for high school students in Memphis, TN across a range of fields.

1. MPLOY Youth Summer Experience

Location: Various locations in Memphis, TN
Stipend: Compensation will be provided
Acceptance Rate: Low selectivity
Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Varies by internship
Eligibility: Applicants must be 16-22 years old

Through the MPLOY Youth Summer Experience, you’ll gain a real sense of what it’s like to work in a professional environment across industries like healthcare, banking, communications, and the arts. This program places you in paid positions where you can explore different career paths while developing transferable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, and time management. In addition to job training, MPLOY includes a structured professional development component covering career planning, resume writing, and financial literacy. You’ll also receive mentorship from supervisors and industry professionals, giving you a clearer view of the expectations in different fields.

2. Ladder Internships

Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program type
Acceptance Rate: Highly selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort
Eligibility: High school students 

Ladder Internships offers high school students the opportunity to contribute to real projects at high-growth startups, working directly with founders and CEOs from companies backed by major accelerators or top tech firms. Over eight weeks, you'll collaborate with a small team to define, build, and present deliverables that reflect real startup needs, ranging from product development to marketing or research. The structure emphasizes responsibility and communication, with weekly check-ins to guide progress and refine your work. At the end of the program, you’ll have tangible project work, startup experience, and a letter of completion to add to your portfolio.

3. Bank of America Student Leaders Program

Location: Several locations, including Shelby, TN, with the final summit in Washington, D.C.
Stipend: $10-$20/hour
Acceptance Rate: ~4–8%
Dates: Dates vary by market. The leadership summit: July 21 – 26
Application Deadline: October 14 – January 15
Eligibility: High school juniors or seniors with good academic standing who can work for 35 hours a week for 8 weeks; More info here

If you’re serious about community involvement and leadership, then the Bank of America Student Leaders Program is for you. Over the span of eight weeks, you’ll intern with a local nonprofit, where you’ll gain hands-on experience tackling real social issues. The work focuses on service, but you'll also develop key workplace and leadership skills that translate across careers. An important aspect of this program is the Student Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., where you'll explore how the public, private, and nonprofit sectors intersect to address community needs. 

4. Memphis Bar Association Summer Law Internship Program

Location: Various locations in Shelby County, TN
Stipend: $500
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 2 – 27
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good academic standing; Must live in or attend high school in Shelby County 

If you're curious about a future in law but haven’t had much exposure to the field, the Summer Law Intern Program gives you the chance to step into real legal workplaces. You’ll be placed in environments like law firms, corporate legal departments, or government agencies, where you can observe how attorneys, paralegals, and legal teams operate day to day. The program aims to foster interest in legal careers, particularly among students who may be the first in their families to consider college or law school. Over the summer, you’re expected to complete 60 hours of work, gaining insight into legal processes while also strengthening professional habits like communication and time management. You’ll also develop presentation and writing skills as part of the application and internship experience.

5. County Commissioners’ Summer Youth Program

Location: Various locations in Shelby County, TN
Stipend: $10/hour (ages 14-15); $15/hour (ages 16+)
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: June 2 and/or June 9 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in school (including trade schools, college, homeschool, public, and private schools) and live in Shelby County

The County Commissioners’ Summer Youth Internship Program offers a behind-the-scenes look at how local government and public service operate. Whether you're placed in a county department, a nonprofit, or a corporate sponsor site, you’ll build practical job skills while contributing to real-world projects. As an intern, you’ll be expected to support administrative tasks while gaining insight into areas like public policy, community engagement, and civic operations. This program is especially valuable if you're interested in government, social impact, or public-facing careers. Beyond the technical skills, you’ll practice your communication and teamwork abilities by working with professionals from across Shelby County.

6. Futures in Health Sciences Summer Internship

Location: Meharry Medical College, Memphis, TN
Cost/Stipend: Information not available
Cohort Size: The previous cohort had 9 students
Dates: 4 weeks starting June 11
Application Deadline: March 28
Eligibility: Rising 10th to 12th graders; Students from underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply

The Futures in Health Sciences Summer Internship is an internship for high school students in Memphis, TN, that provides a practical look into careers in medicine, research, and health technology. You’ll get hands-on exposure to fields like dentistry, data science, and clinical medicine, among others. The program incorporates career shadowing and field trips, giving you a realistic look at day-to-day work in health-related professions. You’ll also take part in workshops designed to build foundational knowledge and introduce new tools. One unique feature is the teaching kitchen, where science and nutrition intersect in a more interactive setting.

7. St. Jude High School Research Immersion Program

Location: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Stipend: $4,800
Cohort Size: The previous cohort had 50 students
Dates: June 2 – July 25
Application Deadline: January 31
Eligibility: High school juniors who are at least 16 years old, attend a high school in the Memphis-Shelby County and immediate surrounding areas, and have a minimum 3.0 GPA

This is a program that provides high school students in Memphis, TN, the chance to participate in collaborative, mentor-guided research across fields like lab science, psychology, epidemiology, clinical studies, and data science. You'll work in a pair with a research mentor, contributing to a real project while learning the methods and mindset behind scientific inquiry. The experience also includes guided reflection with a science educator to help you think critically about identity in science: who contributes, whose voices are heard, and where you see yourself in that landscape. By the end of the program, you’ll have created a scientific poster summarizing your findings and will present your work at a community exhibition.

8. Governor’s School for International Studies (GSIS)

Location: University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
Cost/Stipend: None
Cohort Size: 60 students per year
Dates: June 7 – 28
Application Deadline: December 6
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors

The Governor's School for International Studies (GSIS), hosted at the University of Memphis, provides a rigorous and immersive introduction to global affairs. While not an internship, the program still offers hands-on learning and college-level experience that’s valuable for building your academic and career foundation. Over three weeks, you'll earn college credit through an international studies course while also engaging in a wide range of seminars and discussions on topics like global health, diplomacy, immigration, and human rights. The program includes exposure to world languages, international policy simulations, and guest speakers from fields such as national security and international business. You'll live on campus with fellow students, many of whom share an interest in global cultures and future careers in international relations or public service.

9. Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Youth Council

Location: Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Memphis, TN
Stipend: Students with active participation will receive a stipend
Acceptance Rate: Not very selective
Dates: September – May
Application Deadline: July 5
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores and juniors

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Youth Council provides a valuable, interactive experience that fosters leadership, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills. As part of a small student cohort, you’ll help shape museum programming for teens, curate an exhibition of student work, and get exclusive access to the museum’s collections and staff. You’ll also meet professionals from different departments, like curatorial, education, and design, while learning what it takes to run a cultural institution. The work is student-driven, giving you real input into projects and events.

10. CRASH Course Summer Camp

Location: Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women, Memphis, TN
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Low to mid selectivity
Dates: July 14 – 16
Application Deadline: May 3
Eligibility: Students who have completed their freshman, sophomore, and junior years and have an interest in pursuing a healthcare career 

CRASH Course Camp provides high school students in Memphis, TN, with an opportunity to explore healthcare careers, emphasizing nursing and patient care. Throughout the program, you’ll shadow healthcare professionals across various departments, observe procedures, and get hands-on exposure to the basics of clinical work. You'll also spend time in both classroom and clinical settings, learning how different hospital roles, from pharmacy to radiology to lab work, fit together in real-world care. You’ll also get to interact with professionals to learn about their specialties and what drew them to the field.

11. NASA Office of STEM Engagement (OSTEM) Internships

Location: Virtual/NASA centers across the country
Stipend: Paid and unpaid opportunities
Acceptance Rate: Competitive
Dates: Fall: Late August – Mid-December; Spring: Mid-January – Early May; Summer: Late May – August
Application Deadline: Fall: May 16; Spring: September 12; Summer: February 27
Eligibility: Students should be at least 16 years old at the time of application and have a cumulative 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)

NASA’s OSTEM Internship Program gives high school students in Memphis, TN, a chance to contribute directly to projects shaping the future of space exploration, science, and technology. You’ll work alongside NASA professionals in roles in engineering, finance, business, communications, IT, and project management. Whether you're placed on-site at a NASA field center or working remotely, you'll be paired with mentors who guide you through meaningful tasks tied to real agency goals. You’ll get to participate in research, data analysis, project coordination, or strategic planning, depending on your field of interest. The program emphasizes career readiness through hands-on learning, professional development, and exposure to world-class teams.

12. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) Internships

Location: Virtual/various labs across the country
Stipend: Stipend varies by internship location and program duration
Acceptance Rate: Less than 15%; Competitive
Dates: Typically during the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens or legal residents. There may be additional requirements depending on the location

AEOP internships give high school students the chance to dive into real-world STEM research alongside professional scientists and engineers in university and U.S. Army research labs. These are hands-on, in-person experiences where you’ll work full-time on cutting-edge projects that contribute to national-level challenges. You’ll use advanced equipment, learn lab protocols, and build your understanding of how scientific research happens. A key feature of the program is mentorship, with support from experienced researchers who help guide your STEM goals and professional development. AEOP also connects interns to a broader national network of peers and offers training on college and career readiness through its Learning Hub.

13. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS): Virtual Experience

Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: 5 weeks in June – August
Application Deadline: December 1 – March 1
Eligibility: U.S. or Canadian high school juniors and seniors with good academic standing who are interested in behavioural or brain health sciences

The Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) is a virtual, research-based program that introduces high school students to careers in neuroscience and related fields. Over five weeks, you’ll engage in a structured experience that includes educational sessions, lab technique training, and professional development workshops. The program is built around mentorship, giving you the chance to connect with researchers and clinician scientists who guide your learning and growth. You won’t just observe science from the sidelines; you’ll be actively involved in learning how real research is conducted, including the methods, mindset, and collaboration involved.

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