15 Internships for High School Students in Oakland
Internships are great (and accessible!) ways for high school students to gain early exposure to the professional side of a subject they’re interested in. Whether it’s learning new skills, understanding how organizations operate, or building a stronger resume for college and future job applications, internships can provide meaningful experience. They also help you explore potential career paths, giving you the chance to figure out what you enjoy before making major academic or professional decisions.
If you’re in Oakland, internships for high school students in Oakland span a wide range of fields, from environmental conservation and media production to government programs and healthcare. Some of these are rooted in local organizations and institutions, while others offer virtual flexibility with nationwide reach. Whether you're looking for in-person or virtual programs, there's something here for everyone.
In this list, we have compiled 15 internships for high school students in Oakland that you can explore.
15 Internships for High School Students in Oakland
1. Oakland Zoo: ZooCamp Teen Internships
Location: Oakland Zoo, Knowland Park, Oakland, CA
Stipend: Varies by role
Dates: Multiple 1-week sessions from June 2 – August 8 (no camp from July 1 – 5)
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12 l
Oakland Zoo offers multiple summer roles for high school students as part of its ZooCamp program. These include unpaid Teen Assistant positions and paid Teacher or Administrative Internships. Teen Assistants help facilitate activities for campers, support instructors, and participate in daily operations. Teacher Interns take on peer mentorship responsibilities and assist with educational delivery, while Administrative Interns contribute to behind-the-scenes tasks such as program logistics and media content creation. All roles offer experience in teamwork, communication, youth engagement, and time management. Interns and assistants are expected to attend training sessions and work full-day shifts Monday through Friday during their assigned weeks.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; Financial aid available
Dates: Multiple 8-12 week cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students able to work 10-20 hours per week
Ladder Internships connects motivated high school students with remote positions at fast-growing startups across diverse industries, including technology, healthcare, marketing, and consulting. As an intern, you’ll be matched with a company and work directly under a startup manager while also receiving mentorship from a dedicated Ladder Coach. You’ll gain exposure to real projects—ranging from research and product testing to content strategy or market analysis—and present your contributions to the company team. The internships typically run for eight weeks and are designed to build workplace readiness through guided collaboration, feedback, and regular check-ins.
3. EBMUD High School Summer Internship (HSSI)
Location: East Bay Municipal Utility District facilities in Oakland
Stipend: Paid
Dates: June 23 – August 1
Application Deadline: March 21
Eligibility: High school sophomores to seniors (age 16+) living within the EBMUD service area
EBMUD’s HSSI places you in one of the region’s foundational public service roles: managing water and wastewater operations, engaging in field and lab work, and supporting community outreach. As an intern, you may assist with engineering tasks, conduct water quality testing, engage in GIS mapping, or aid in communications and customer service, depending on your interests and location. The program includes weekly career development workshops, safety training, and exposure across departments, making it an entry into environmental science, public utilities, and STEM fields. Regular supervision and mentorship foster both technical skills and workplace readiness.
4. East Bay Regional Park District: High School Summer Internship
Location: East Bay Regional Parks across Oakland and the surrounding areas
Stipend: Paid (competitive hourly rate)
Dates: Multiple cohorts in a year
Application Deadline: Varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students enrolled in a school or program within the East Bay area
The East Bay Regional Park District offers a structured, paid internship program during the summer for high school students interested in conservation, environmental science, public administration, and park services. As an intern, you will be placed across a variety of divisions and projects, gaining exposure to areas like wildlife monitoring, waste and recycling strategy, water safety outreach, and more. The program includes mentorship, professional development, and the potential for academic credit. You will be able to work flexible schedules to support your assigned project while learning practical skills in public service, field research, or communications.
5. Youth Beat After-School & Summer Media Internship
Location: KDOL-TV Studio, Oakland, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free & paid (select advanced cohorts offer stipends)
Dates:
After-School Program: Starts September
Summer Internship: Typically June 9 – July 17
Application Deadline:
After-School: Rolling
Summer: May 30 (waitlist by mid-April)
Eligibility: High school students in the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD)
Youth Beat offers high school students the chance to explore filmmaking, animation, and digital media in an immersive, hands-on environment. The year-round program includes accredited media arts courses taught by professionals. You’ll also be able to earn elective credits through OUSD. As an intern, you’ll gain experience in video production, storytelling, editing software (like Adobe After Effects), and animation techniques. During the summer session, you will join focused cohorts, like Future Filmmakers or Animators, and may qualify for stipends through the ECCCO Internship Program. Programs culminate in a showcase event where participants present their work to the community.
6. Rock Paper Scissors Collective: Internship
Location: Rock Paper Scissors Collective (RPSC), Oakland, CA
Stipend: Unpaid (may qualify for academic credit)
Dates: 6-8 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: Varies
Eligibility: Oakland-area youth; Ages 15-25
This customizable arts internship gives students hands-on exposure to community-centered media and creative projects. Guided by a mentor from RPSC, you will develop a self-directed project while learning organizational, curatorial, and entrepreneurial skills. Past collaborations have included work with the Oakland Public Library and local arts organizations, with projects ranging from zines and installations to workshops and storytelling exhibitions. The experience emphasizes creative independence, peer collaboration, and real-world exposure to grassroots arts organizing. Internship hours may often be applied toward academic credit.
7. Oakland Summer Youth Employment Program (Northeastern University – C2C)
Location: Northeastern University, Oakland Campus, Oakland, CA
Stipend: $17/hour
Dates: June 16 – July 18
Application Deadline: Priority deadline in March; final deadline in April
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors from the East Bay area
This five-week summer program provides high school students with practical work experience across various Northeastern University departments, such as Sustainability, Financial Services, and Housing. As a participant, you will work approximately 25 hours per week, with one day allocated to paid workshops covering career and college preparation, including sessions on resume building, interview techniques, and financial literacy. The program includes on-the-job mentorship and skill-building, culminating in a presentation at a formal closing ceremony. A new addition is the Bridge to AI initiative, which offers workshops on artificial intelligence foundations and tools. You may also be eligible to apply for a full-ride Northeastern scholarship following program completion.
8. Mentoring in Medicine & Science (MIMS): Summer Internship Program
Location: Oakland, CA (various clinical sites)
Stipend: Paid (based on financial need)
Dates: June 23 – July 25
Application Deadline: December 2 – February 5
Eligibility: High school students (10th grade or higher), undergraduates, post-baccalaureates, or recent grads from groups underrepresented in healthcare, with interest in health careers
This immersive five-week summer internship offers hands-on clinical training and mentorship in patient care settings such as emergency medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, public health, and more. As a participant, you will gain practical experience in splinting, suturing, phlebotomy, and EKG administration. You’ll also get to earn certifications in CPR/AED, First Aid, Mental Health First Aid, Stop the Bleed, and Bloodborne Pathogens. The program includes professional development workshops (networking, resume writing), one-on-one career advising, team-building, life coaching, community service, and near-peer mentorship.
9. Experiences in Research (EinR): Berkeley Lab Summer Internship
Location: Berkeley Lab, Berkeley, CA (hybrid/virtual options available)
Stipend: $500/week
Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: March 23
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10-12 (11th-12th graders preferred) living in Northern California (20-mile radius preferred); Must have a 3.0+ GPA and be 16+; OUSD students need the ECCCO common application
This six-week program places you on professional STEM teams at Berkeley Lab, working under expert mentors on cutting-edge projects in areas like experimental research, data science, science communication, and lab administration. During the internship, you will spend 30-35 hours weekly developing skills in collaboration, coding, data analysis, and presentation. The hybrid model allows for both in-person and virtual work depending on project needs. Participation helps build professional connections, strengthens scientific skills, and enhances college readiness. Berkeley Lab’s summer internship is a paid program offering high school students the opportunity to engage in authentic research experiences.
10. Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS) – Virtual Track
Location: Remote
Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: 5 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: December 1 – March 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors or seniors in the U.S. or Canada
The JHIBS program is a five-week virtual internship hosted by the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurology and the National Institute of Mental Health. It provides high school students with early exposure to neuroscience and mental health careers. As a participant, you will attend scientific lectures, receive mentorship from researchers, and gain insights into brain science through structured learning sessions. The curriculum includes training in lab fundamentals, professional development workshops, and potential research demonstrations. Once you complete the program, you will earn a certificate. The experience is designed to encourage long-term interest in neuroscience and health research.
11. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $850 program fee + $40 application fee; Financial aid available
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: December 9 – February 28
Eligibility: High school students in grades 9-12; 14+ by program start; U.S. citizens or permanent residents; Strong preference for students with strong math, computer programming skills, or healthcare project experience
With this virtual internship, you will gain valuable experience in a field at the intersection of artificial intelligence, medicine, and health disparities. You will get to collaborate with Stanford researchers and faculty on research projects involving data science, healthcare, and machine learning. In addition to technical skill-building, you will attend weekly seminars, professional development workshops, and community-building sessions. The program concludes with a formal research presentation and places a particular emphasis on supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM and healthcare.
12. Girls Who Code Summer Programs
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: Free; $300 need-based grant available (for SIP)
Dates: Summer Immersion Program: July 7 – 18 or July 28 – August 8; Pathways Program: June 30 – August 8
Application Deadlines: Early: February 28; Final: April 16
Eligibility: U.S.-based girls and nonbinary students aged 14-18; SIP: For students currently in grades 9-11; Pathways: For students in grades 9-12
Girls Who Code offers two virtual programs each summer for high school students interested in technology and coding. The Summer Immersion Program (SIP) is a two-week course focused on game design using p5.js, featuring coding challenges and encouraging collaboration on team-based projects. The Pathways Program is a flexible six-week option that allows you to explore topics such as web development, data science and AI, or cybersecurity at your own pace, with content ranging from beginner to advanced. Both programs include support sessions and virtual events hosted by partner companies, culminating in a final showcase to present your work.
13. Oakland City Councilmember Rowena Brown Summer Internship
Location: Oakland City Hall, 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA
Stipend: Unpaid (may offer academic credit)
Dates: July 14 – August 30(flexible based on availability)
Application Deadline: July 6; Rolling
Eligibility: High school and college students interested in public service
This in-person internship provides students with hands-on experience in local government through the Office of Oakland City Councilmember Rowena Brown. Throughout the internship, you will contribute to community outreach, support constituent services, assist with special events, and engage in legislative work. You will gain valuable insights into city governance, develop research and communication skills, and build connections with elected officials, staff, and community leaders. As an intern, you will be mentored closely by office staff and may be eligible for letters of recommendation or academic credit based on institutional policies.
14. Lawrence Hall of Science Teen Internship Program
Location: Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley (about 15 minutes from Oakland, CA)
Stipend: $3,500 stipend for full summer participation (deductions of $72 for missed days)
Dates: June 2 – August 15
Application Deadline: December 17 – January 15
Eligibility: Students entering 11th or 12th grade who can commit to full-time work and pre-summer workshops
If you’re passionate about science and enjoy working with youth, this internship lets you support summer science camps at one of the Bay Area’s most well-known science centers. You’ll co-lead hands-on science activities with camp staff, guide students through experiments, and help foster curiosity and discovery in young learners. Along the way, you’ll gain mentorship, develop teaching and communication skills, and build experience for future roles in education or science outreach. You’re expected to attend all pre-summer training workshops in May and commit to at least one full session of camp. The program provides structured support, daily mentoring, and opportunities for reflection and feedback.
15. OCIC Leadership Accelerator: Summer Internship
Location: Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Oakland, CA
Stipend:$250 – $500
Dates: June 2 – 13
Application Deadline: April 15 – May 22
Eligibility: High school students; No specific school or grade restrictions mentioned
If you're a high school student eager to explore leadership and entrepreneurship, the OCIC Summer Internship is an opportunity to build your skills right in the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown. Over two weeks, you'll participate in hands-on leadership rotations, meet with city and county officials, and collaborate with other students to develop a mock business plan. This internship is fully in-person and ends with a stipend and certificate for students who complete the program.