14 Summer Animation Internships for High School Students
If you’re a high school student interested in animation, participating in a summer internship or a program can be a practical way to build skills beyond classroom projects.
Why should you consider a summer animation internship?
Summer internships offer a longer period of time to focus on creative production, giving you space to explore areas such as 2D or 3D animation, storyboarding, character design, visual development, editing, and sound. Most of these internship programs emphasize learning through practice, allowing you to work on animated shorts, collaborative studio projects, or portfolio pieces that demonstrate technical and creative growth. You may also gain experience using industry tools such as Pencil2D and Toon Boom Harmony. A summer animation internship can make your college applications stand out, especially if you’re applying to competitive design schools.
To help you explore your options, here are 14 summer animation internships for high school students. Some programs included in this list are traditional internships, while others are academic programs or competitions that offer comparable practical experience and exposure. All the programs in this list emphasize creative work, mentorship or professional guidance, and clear outcomes such as completed animation projects, public screenings of your work, certificates, or college credit.
1. The Met High School Internship Program
Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Cost | Stipend: Free | $1,100
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Varies by department
Program Dates: 10 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: March 7 (tentative; based on previous years)
Eligibility: Current grade 10 or 11 students from New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut | Must be able to provide working papers and either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) | Must not have completed another internship at The Met
The Met High School Internship Program offers a paid summer internship for high school students who live and attend school in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. As an intern, you may be placed in Met departments such as Imaging, Digital, Design, or Education. Your animation-related responsibilities may include creating time-lapse videos or simple animations, producing digital visual content, or assisting with imaging and design projects used in public-facing publications and online resources. Along the way, you will build professional skills through hands-on projects, collaboration with museum professionals, and participation in Career Labs and interactive workshops. By the end of the internship, you will gain practical experience working under the mentorship of Met staff and firsthand insight into the behind-the-scenes operations of a large-scale art museum.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Around 10%
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November).
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, media, 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. Marwen’s Art@Work Summer Internship
Location: Interns split their time between Marwen, Chicago, IL, and an art-related organization in the city, based on their placement
Cost | Stipend: Free | $1,174.50
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 20 interns
Program Dates: 5 weeks in July – August
Application Deadline: May 5
Eligibility: Chicago residents aged 16–18 who have taken at least one Marwen course
Marwen’s Art@Work Summer Internship offers Chicago high school students a paid, five-week internship at arts-related organizations and businesses across the city. You will be matched with a host organization aligned with your interests, which may include animation, film, art + technology, or digital media, and spend most of your time contributing to real creative projects. You will work approximately 14.5 hours per week, with time divided between your internship site and Marwen. You will also participate in professional development workshops that focus on communication, resume and interview skills, time management, and artistic identity. The internship emphasizes exposure to creative career pathways through hands-on work, professional mentorship at host sites, and engagement with Chicago’s broader arts community.
4. Immerse Education’s Film and Animation Track
Location: London, New York, San Francisco, and Tokyo
Cost: Varies according to program. Financial aid available
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 4–10 students per class
Program Dates: 2 weeks during the summer
Application Deadline: Multiple summer cohorts with rolling admissions
Eligibility: High school students aged 15–18
The Career Insights Program lets high school students explore careers in major global industry hubs. The film and animation track is designed to immerse students in the world of animation at Immerse Education’s Film & Animation summer school in Tokyo. You will learn about animation concepts like storytelling, 3D animation techniques, and film production while networking with industry professionals, academics, and peers who share your love for the field. Participants engage in project-based learning with established companies, attend interactive workshops, and visit offices, factories, and headquarters. The program also includes in-person weekly 1:1 career coaching sessions and sessions where you will receive personalized feedback on your resume and overall profile. You’ll also present your findings to industry experts at the end of the program. You can find more details about the application here!
5. Film Consortium San Diego Volunteers
Location: Film Consortium, San Diego, CA
Cost | Stipend: Not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Volunteer opportunities are available year-round, including in the summer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Open to high school students
Film Consortium San Diego offers high school and college students a chance to volunteer at film events and festivals in the San Diego area. As a volunteer, you may assist in areas such as animation, editing, color grading, sound design, or A/V support, depending on your skills and the needs of each event. Volunteering opportunities are tied to real public events like the San Diego Film Week and the San Diego Film Awards, where volunteers contribute to event operations while working alongside students and film professionals. Through hands-on involvement, you’ll have the opportunity to build practical skills in event management, communication, and collaboration. Volunteers often engage with the local film community, providing opportunities to observe industry practices and connect with industry veterans and peers who share similar creative interests.
6. Arts for Learning (A4L)’s ArtWorks Summer Internship
Location: Miami-Dade College Koubek Memorial Center, Miami, FL
Cost | Stipend: Free | $13.00/hour
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 16 – July 25
Application Deadline: April 16
Eligibility: High school students aged 14 and above | Must be Florida residents and meet all the necessary eligibility requirements
A4L’s ArtWorks Summer Internship is a six-week paid arts internship for high school students that runs from mid-June through late July at the Miami-Dade College Koubek Memorial Center. If you apply to the Animation co-op, you’ll work under the mentorship of a professional Master Teaching Artist and A4L staff to help create original animation projects while learning how a collaborative arts workplace functions. The internship combines hands-on creative production with structured workforce development sessions and college advisement workshops that help build skills like time management, teamwork, and goal setting. The program also brings together students from multiple artistic disciplines, creating opportunities to observe and collaborate across fields such as film, music production, and visual art. No prior animation experience is required, making the internship accessible to students who have a strong interest in animation and are looking for guided, professional mentorship at a real arts organization.
7. The Intern Project (TIP)
Location: Mostly virtual, with in-person sessions at various organizations across LA County, depending on your placement
Cost | Stipend: This is a paid internship
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 17 – August 9
Application Deadline: January 26 – March 15
Eligibility: LA County High School students who are completing their sophomore, junior, or senior year
TIP connects high school students across Los Angeles County with paid, eight-week summer internships at partner organizations in fields such as arts, media and entertainment, engineering, business, and government. If you are interested in animation or media, you can be placed with entertainment or digital media companies, where you may assist with creative or production-related work, depending on the organization’s focus. In addition to your internship, TIP also offers structured activities such as informational interviews, skill-building workshops, and small project-based assignments that introduce you to professional tools and workflows. You will receive ongoing guidance from mentors and coaches while building practical skills in communication, project planning, and collaboration. Students also earn a stipend and receive one free college credit upon completing the program.
8. BRIC’s Concrete Stories Youth Media Film Festival
Location: BRIC House, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: Free
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Competitive
Program Dates: May 16 – August 3
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: Open to all teen filmmakers
BRIC’s Concrete Stories Youth Media Film Festival is a teen-run film festival that accepts both animated films and live-action projects as submissions from aspiring teen animators and filmmakers. As a participant, you will submit an original animated short, music video, or other moving-image works, gaining experience in executing a project from concept to completion. Selected films are exhibited at BRIC House from May to August, giving you public exposure in a professional arts space alongside other youth exhibitions. The festival is curated by BRIC’s Youth Media Fellows, offering a peer-led platform that emphasizes community, creative voice, and collaboration among young filmmakers. Awards are presented across multiple categories, providing formal recognition for selected animation and media projects. While this is not a traditional internship, this opportunity provided you with a fun, project-based experience where you build animation and storytelling skills, meet other youth creators, and present your work to a public audience.
9. San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Summer Internships with Industry Partners
Location: Various locations across San Francisco, depending on internship placement
Cost | Stipend: Free | Paid, but the exact amount is not specified
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: 6 weeks in the summer
Application Deadline: TBA
Eligibility: Current high school sophomores and juniors (priority is given to current juniors)
The SFUSD Summer Internships with Industry Partners program offers paid, six-week internships for high school sophomores and juniors. If you are interested in animation, you may be placed within the Marketing, Media Arts, or Social Media sectors, where you may support visual content creation, digital media projects, or creative communication work, depending on your host organization. You will work a minimum of 20 hours per week alongside industry mentors, gaining exposure to professional expectations and workflows. The program also includes a weekly Work-Based Learning seminar led by an SFUSD supervisor or mentor, which focuses on career readiness and reflection. Through hands-on work and mentorship, you may build transferable skills such as communication, collaboration, and project management while exploring how creative media roles function in real-world settings.
10. Interns4Good
Location: Virtual
Cost | Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: Internships are available throughout the year, including summer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
Interns4Good offers fully virtual, service-oriented internships with nonprofit organizations, making it an accessible option for high school students interested in animation and digital media. The internship opportunities may span areas such as graphic design, video editing, and digital media, where you may work on creating animated characters, visual assets, or other social media-based content to support nonprofit initiatives. The placements are skill-based and flexible, allowing you to contribute remotely while managing your own schedule and availability. Throughout the internship, you can log your hours and receive verified volunteer service hours, which can be reported to schools or community organizations.
11. UCLA Film and Television Summer Institute – Traditional Animation
Location: Virtual
Cost: Around $6,434 (financial aid available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 22 – July 31
Application Deadline: June 12
Eligibility: Open to current high school students aged 15 and above
UCLA Film and Television Summer Institute’s Traditional Animation program is a summer intensive that gives high school students experience creating an animated film. You will work through the full animation process, from writing and storyboarding to producing a hand-drawn animated short using industry tools such as Pencil2D and Adobe Premiere Pro. The program is taught online by UCLA Film, Television, and Digital Media faculty and includes synchronous classes, practical exercises, and structured feedback on your work. Throughout the course, you will learn both the history of animation and contemporary industry practices while interacting with guest speakers from major animation studios. The experience concludes with a final project screening, allowing you to showcase your completed animation to an audience.
12. California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) Animation Program
Location: California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA
Cost: $5,174 + $155 transaction fee for CA residents and $10,475 + $313 transaction fee for out-of-state students | Additional $20 application fee | Fee waivers and financial aid available for CA residents | Other optional costs for field trips, transport, and college credit (check here for more information)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: 40% acceptance rate
Program Dates: July 4 – August 1
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: Students currently enrolled in grades 8–12
The CSSSA Animation Program gives high school students an immersive summer experience focused on understanding how animated works are developed from concept to completion. You will spend most of the program in intensive classes and workshops covering animation, storyboarding, life drawing, digital animation, and experimental techniques while studying the history and global traditions of animation. Throughout the program, you will complete multiple animation projects using traditional cutout and digital methods, gaining experience in various production workflows. You will get instruction from professional animation artists and guest artists who share industry perspectives and guide you through assignments and critiques. You may also get the chance to participate in field trips to museums or animation studios, where observation and drawing from life are emphasized. By the end of the program, you will have hands-on production experience and up to 5 completed animation projects you can add to your portfolio.
13. National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) High School Summer Program – Animation Track
Location: University of California, Los Angeles, CA
Cost: $4,495 (scholarship available)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Program Dates: June 23 – July 1 or July 5 – 13
Application Deadline: Rolling, until there is no space in the program
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors aged 14–18
NSLC High School Summer Program’s Animation track introduces you to the creative and production processes behind animated film and media through a structured project-based experience. You will take part in interactive workshops that focus on character design, visual development, storyboarding, and 2D animation, using industry-standard software to understand how animated scenes are built frame by frame. A key component of the program is a collaborative studio simulation where you’ll work in a team to develop and pitch an original animated project, mirroring how professional studios organize creative roles and workflows. The program also includes guest speakers from the animation field who share insights into career paths, production pipelines, and the business side of animation. You may have the chance to participate in field trips or behind-the-scenes tours that provide context on how animation studios and creative teams operate.
14. Pratt Summer PreCollege Intensive – Animation Tracks
Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY
Cost: $8,192 (Residential) | $5,452 (Commuter) | Application fee is $65 | Scholarships available | There might be additional costs for course supplies
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Limited number of seats; admission is on a first-come, first-served basis
Program Dates: July 6 – 31
Application Deadline: May 1
Eligibility: High school students aged 16–10 who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or international students with a valid U.S. F1 visa
Pratt Summer PreCollege Intensive offers a four-week program that introduces you to college-level animation through studio courses. You can choose between Digital Arts: 2D Animation, which focuses on motion principles, storyboarding, character design, and producing a short animated film using tools like Toon Boom Harmony & Adobe Premiere, or Digital Arts: 3D Animation, where you learn modeling, realistic animation, lighting, and rendering with Maya and Unreal Engine to create a portfolio-ready animated scene. You will also participate in required studio hours, where you work on assignments alongside peers and receive guidance from trained undergraduate mentors. By the end of the program, you will have gained intensive, project-based animation experience, created new work for your portfolio, and earned college credits.
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