15 Summer Internships for High School Students in Pasadena, CA

Are you a high schooler looking for a way to spend your summer in Pasadena? Internships offer an accessible way to explore fields like science, public health, media, and business, so you can discover what interests you most before college. Through an internship, you’ll gain experience, learn from professionals, and develop skills—without spending years figuring it out later. Whether you're interested in health, environmental science, journalism, or entrepreneurship, there's an opportunity for you. Below are 15 summer internships—some local, some virtual—for high school students in Pasadena, California.

1. Pasadena Unified School District - Internship Program

Location: Pasadena Unified School District offices
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies yearly (typically 20–30 students)
Dates: Summer (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: April
Eligibility: Rising 10th–12th graders living in PUSD
Stipend: Paid or volunteer, depending on placement

In this program, you’ll work closely with district staff in areas like communications, event planning, or IT, gaining insight into how public education operates. You’ll learn about project scheduling, collaboration, and administrative support, like helping run school events or community workshops. Throughout, you’ll receive mentorship and attend professional development workshops. By the end, you'll complete a portfolio of work and present your experiences to district leadership. It’s a great way to explore public service while building practical skills.

2. Ladder Internship Program

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 projects and present your work to the company. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.

3. NASA High School Internship Program

Location: Various NASA centers
Cohort Size: Hundreds nationally
Dates: Summer session (typically 8 weeks)
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: U.S. citizens aged 16–18 residing within 50 miles of a NASA center
Stipend: Paid federal internship

NASA gives you the chance to explore  STEM through a wide variety of paid internships offered in the summer, spring, and fall. With one base application, you can apply to up to 15 internship opportunities each cycle, across different disciplines and NASA research centers throughout the country. As a high school intern, you’ll work directly on NASA missions under the guidance of expert mentors. You’ll gain technical skills, career experience, and insight into how major space and science projects are executed. 

4. Student Public Health Ambassador Program, LA County Department of Public Health (Virtual)

Location: Virtual
Dates: 1-2 training sessions a month
Application Deadline: Not applicable
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18 interested in public health
Stipend: Unpaid; earn a participation certificate  

In this internship program for high schoolers, training is provided each month. Depending on the topic, two sets of training may be available. In the first part, you will learn how the topic impacts your community, what you can do to gain information to support your health and that of your community, and you'll learn about local resources. In the second part, you will gain public health skills, learn how to use DPH resources and opportunities that will support your capacity to create a meaningful impact in your community. The program connects you with LA County health professionals, giving you a behind-the-scenes look at public health initiatives.

5. Bank of America Student Leaders Program

Location: Pasadena-area nonprofits
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–15 students per organization
Dates: June - July (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: The second week of January
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in Pasadena
Cost/Stipend: Free; $11/hour, along with a fully-funded trip to the Leadership Summit in D.C.

You’ll team up with local nonprofits on community projects—working in fields ranging  from marketing, fundraising, and event coordination to outreach. You’ll take part in planning meetings, execute parts of a nonprofit campaign, and present outcomes during a closing showcase, gaining leadership experience and project management insight. Engaging with peers and professionals, you’ll grow your teamwork and public speaking skills.

6. Summer Programming San Francisco Unified School District

Location: Virtual (SFUSD)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 25–30 students
Dates: June 10 - July 19
Application Deadline: February 29
Eligibility: SFUSD high school students
Cost: Free

In this internship, you'll learn programming basics—from JavaScript to HTML/CSS—through project-based lessons led by educators. You'll build and present a portfolio site or simple app by the end of the session, learning coding, debugging, and teamwork along the way. This is ideal for students wanting experience in web development.

7. iCLEM Student Intern, Berkeley Lab

Location: Virtual (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: June 14 - July 26
Application Deadline: March 17
Eligibility: Applicants must be 15 years or older by December 31; be enrolled in a high school in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco Counties; be a US citizen/permanent resident/DACA recipient; have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have passed Algebra 1 and Biology; see income details here
Stipend: $3000
 
In this virtual internship, you’ll collaborate with Berkeley Lab scientists on energy or environmental science projects. You’ll learn about research methods, data analysis, and scientific communication. You will complete a research project in a laboratory mentored by JBEI researchers and UC undergrads. At the end, you'll present findings to mentors. This program is a great fit if you're curious about science and want to help tackle climate issues.

8. High School Program Kaiser Permanente

Location: Pasadena Medical Center
Acceptance rate/cohort size: ~15 students
Dates: Summer (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: Pasadena-area high school students interested in healthcare careers
Stipend: Unpaid

In this internship, you’ll rotate through departments like patient care, IT, and community outreach while shadowing healthcare staff. You will help create a mini-health education project and present it to hospital staff, gaining insight into hospital operations and patient support. If you're interested in a medical or healthcare environment, this internship offers solid exposure.

9. California State Parks Student Employment Program California State Parks

Location: Local State Parks near Pasadena
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Varies by location
Dates: Summer (3–4 months)
Application Deadline: Early spring
Eligibility: Teens 15+ interested in outdoor work and conservation
Stipend: Paid

You'll assist park staff with maintenance, educational programs, and visitor services, learning about environmental stewardship and management. You’ll lead public presentations, like nature walks or talks, to build your communication skills. It’s a great way to combine the outdoors, education, and public service.

10. The Summer Research Connection (SRC)

Location: University of Southern California (SoCal) labs
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective (~30 interns)
Dates: 8 weeks in summer
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: Pasadena/Southern California high school students interested in research 
Cost: Free 

At USC, you’ll work one-on-one with researchers on biomedical, engineering, or computer science projects, learning lab techniques, data analysis, and academic writing. Interns participate in weekly seminars and ethics discussions. Seminar presentations given by high school research interns at the end of the six-week research program are featured on their YouTube channel. 

11. Baseball Operations Intern - Arroyo Seco Saints

Location: Pasadena (home stadium)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 5–10 interns
Dates: June–August
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High school students interested in sports management
Stipend: Volunteer; eligible as a college credit internship 

You’ll gain exposure to minor-league baseball operations—ticketing, promotions, and game-day coordination. The Saints' college summer season runs from June to early August. Games will be played approximately five days a week. As an intern, you will be required to participate (in-person or by conference call) in an introductory meeting in mid-May. The internship ends shortly after the conclusion of the season. By season-end, you'll contribute to a game-day improvement presentation on promotions or fan experience. It's a fast-paced introduction to the sports business.

12. Graphic Design Fellowship - Arroyo Seco Saints 

Location: Pasadena
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 4–6
Dates: June - Early August
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High school students with design interest and skills
Stipend: Volunteer; possible college credit internship

The Arroyo Seco Saints is a certified non-profit organization for anyone seeking to gain experience in the sports industry in the greater Los Angeles area for June and July. As a graphic design intern, you will be a key player in advancing their mission. You will spend the summer gaining experience in the sports industry, building your resume and career portfolio, and learning through mentoring, networking, and training. You'll help develop promotional art, social media graphics, and game-day materials. By the end, you'll present your work as a digital portfolio to team management, preparing a creative portfolio. 

13. Baseball Student Manager - Arroyo Seco Saints 

Location: Pasadena
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Very limited (2–3)
Dates: Summer
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High schoolers interested in sports administration
Stipend: Eligible for a $1,000 award

You will work closely with the General Manager on a particular day, then the Head Coach on another day, and the Team President on another day. You will be the go-between for the functional areas. Some days you'll be part of the Front Office staff, other days you'll act as an assistant coach. This is a great opportunity to explore multiple functional areas of a baseball franchise and prepare for a job in baseball.

14. Intern Pasadena - Pasadena City College

Location: Pasadena City College campus
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 15–20
Dates: June 23 - August 15
Application Deadline: May 19
Eligibility: Pasadena-area high school students 
Stipend: $22/hour

Through PCC departments like admissions, IT, arts, or career services, you’ll support daily tasks, projects, and outreach initiatives, gaining insight into higher-education administration. Interns attend workshops on college readiness and career planning. You’ll complete a short presentation on your PCC experience—a helpful addition to college applications.

15. Youth Ambassadors Program

Location: Pasadena Central Library
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–12
Dates: Summer (6 weeks)
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High school students aged 14–18
Stipend: Volunteer; some expense coverage

The Youth Ambassador Program is managed by the City of Pasadena North West Programs Division. The program provides opportunities for each Ambassador to gain experience as City employees who work as docents, crew members, event planners, and spokespeople for the program. You’ll lead or assist with library events, teen programs, and community outreach, developing skills in communication, event planning, and leadership. Mentors guide you through project design and execution.