12 Writing Internships for High School Students in New York City (NYC)
If you are a high school student in NYC interested in journalism, writing, editing, or content creation, writing internships in the city can be a good (and accessible) way to get some hands-on experience.
These programs can offer structured learning experiences, early exposure to industry standards, and opportunities to build a portfolio. Here, you get to learn from professional writers, editors, and other experts and engage in tasks that can boost your writing skills.
Writing internships can also offer networking opportunities, mentorships, and stipends, making them a productive way to spend your school break. New York City is home to many media houses and universities that offer such rewarding writing-based internships to high school students.
To help you get started, we have come up with 12 writing internships for high school students in NYC:
1. MET’s High School Internships
Location: Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Summer internships—June 21: Intern reception + July 2: bootcamp + July 7 – August 8: internship placements | School-year internships—January 11: Intern reception + January 18: bootcamp + February 10 – June 13: internships
Application deadline: March 7 (Summer internships); October 28 (School-year internships)
Cost/Stipend: No cost. A stipend of $1,100 is offered.
Eligibility: High school students in grades 10 and 11 residing in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut
The Met’s Summer High School Internships are meant for students interested in art and related fields. Here, you will get to explore museum-based professional roles and the behind-the-scenes operations required to run a museum. During your internship, you will get opportunities to develop professional skills, get hands-on work experience, and interact with museum staff across departments like editorial, marketing, social media, education, conservation, and scientific research. Workshops, group sessions, and one-on-one mentorships are also parts of the experience. This experience can help you get insights into the arts, museums, and creative careers.
2. CondéFuture
Location: Condé Nast offices at One World Trade Center, New York, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 12 students accepted each year
Cost/Stipend: Stipends are awarded after every four months of internships
Dates: The two-year program runs from October of the first year to June of the third year; participants meet on Wednesdays from October to June each year.
Application deadline: Early September
Eligibility: High school juniors who live in NYC
Condé Nast’s CondéFuture is a career exploration program for 12 NYC students interested in learning about the media industry. Here, you will learn about various roles within the creative industry, from photography and video to social media, fashion, and design. You will also get the chance to meet and learn from professionals in the industry while working on creative projects that help kickstart your career or studies in media. Over the two-year commitment, you will also get access to summer engagement opportunities and the chance to travel to Los Angeles. During the program, you will also get to build a digital media portfolio, as well as develop technical production and presentation skills.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 70 students accepted out of 700 applicants
Cost: Starting at $2,490 | Financial aid is available.
Dates: Multiple cohorts run throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the selected program format and cohort
Eligibility: High school students, undergrads, and gap year students who can work for 10 to 20 hours/week for 8 to 12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a selective program where high school students get to work with fast-growing start-ups across fields like tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Most of these start-ups have raised over a million dollars. Here, you will engage in real projects while working closely with both a company mentor and a Ladder Coach. At the end of the internship, you will present your work to the company. You can find out more about the available formats and subject areas on the internship application form.
4. Project Write Now Teen Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 8–10 participants required for each position
Stipend: This is an unpaid internship, but you will earn community service hours.
Application deadline: Rolling, as and when positions are vacant
Dates: June – August
Eligibility: High school students who are 15 – 18 years old
Project Write Now (PWN) is a nonprofit that offers an annual teen internship program to high schoolers interested in getting some hands-on experience in journalism, education, and publishing. The program starts with two or three days of virtual training, followed by internships in one of three roles. If you are selected for the Editorial Assistant role, you will create marketing content (flyers and social media posts) and material for the PWN blog. Here, you will also help in managing the online YA literary magazine called Bridge Ink. On the other hand, the Interview Project internship focuses on looking for stories, conducting interviews, and writing compelling narratives. Finally, the Teaching Assistant position will also allow you to conduct writing classes for children in PWN’s in-person summer programs. You can keep checking here to find open positions.
5. City Limits Accountability Reporting Initiative for Youth (CLARIFY)
Location: Brooklyn, NY / Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size:
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Stipends of $2,000 for summer interns and $500 for fall interns
Application deadline: TBA
Dates: TBA. Six weeks in Summer and two weeks in Fall
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who attend public or charter schools in NYC
City Limits is a nonprofit investigative news agency in NYC. Its CLARIFY internship program is a paid opportunity for high school students to engage in public service journalism. As an intern, you will get to engage in activities like research, interviewing, investigative techniques, media ethics, photojournalism, reporting, and story structure. You will work alongside City Limits journalists to produce local news stories that will be published online. Through internship tasks, you will get to work on your critical thinking, research writing, communication, and problem-solving skills. You will also get firsthand insights into civic engagement.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cost/Stipend: Free
Application deadline: None. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Dates: Flexible start and end dates
Eligibility: Students interested in writing, politics, and reporting
Pasquines is a non-profit news organization that covers policy-related developments and politics. It offers flexible virtual internships to students interested in writing, reporting, politics-based journalism, and public affairs. Some commonly available positions include political affairs correspondent, editing, and federal affairs correspondent. As an intern, you will work on assignments on topics like federal affairs, local issues, economic issues, science, environmental affairs, and court matters. You will also have the opportunity to network with peers and journalists inside and outside the organization.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Flexible | Half-time format: 2–8 weeks in summer (~20 hrs/week) | Quarter-time internships: 1–9 months, year-round (~8 hrs/week)
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Cost/Stipend: Free to participate; unpaid internship
Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have completed an honours science or English course and have a GPA of 3.25+
EnergyMag is a blog covering energy usage and storage. It offers a virtual internship for high school students focused on research, writing, and analysis in renewable energy storage. As an intern, you will work on a real-world project, such as researching a company, market trend, or energy technology from a business perspective. The work primarily includes research, conversations with company stakeholders, and report writing under the supervision and guidance of a mentor. Once you complete your report, it may be published on EnergyMag’s site, and you will receive a letter of accomplishment.
8. Penguin Random House Summer Remote Internship
Location: Remote
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cost/Stipend: No cost | Paid internship offering $21/hour
Dates: TBA, but Fall/Spring and Summer sessions last 10 weeks
Application deadline: October 13
Eligibility: High school seniors who are at least 18 years old
Penguin Random House offers remote summer internships across areas like editorial, subsidiary rights, operations, and marketing. As an intern at a publication house, you will get some insights into how book rights are licensed for translations, magazine excerpts, audio editions, and book clubs. The work includes elements of publicity, marketing, and sales, all of which rely on strong writing skills to communicate clearly with partners and promote books effectively. You will also work with licensing experts to support authors and help expand publishing opportunities. You will attend panels, networking events, and employee speaker sessions to get a well-rounded view of the publishing process.
Location: Virtual
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cost/Stipend: None
Application deadline: None. Applications can be submitted throughout the year.
Dates: Flexible start and end dates
Eligibility: High school students
Interns 4-Good offers high school students opportunities to work at other nonprofits. Here, you will get to serve the community and gain hands-on work experience. At any point, you can find opportunities in a various fields, from social media management to research blogging, that help you work on your writing sills. If you choose a social media or marketing opportunity, you may get to work on developing content for publications, flyers, and other promotional materials for the nonprofit. A key highlight of the program is that you get to choose internships according to your schedule and time constraints.
10. Library of Congress High School Summer Internship
Location: Virtual internships available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cost/Stipend: None, but you may be able to get Library of Congress’s internal discounts as a benefit
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16
Application deadline: TBA, but applications typically close in March
Dates: June 23 – July 17
The Library of Congress (LOC), a research arm of the U.S. Congress, offers virtual and in-person internships to high schoolers with strong research and writing skills and an interest in exhibition development, outreach, public speaking, and public programming. Its four-week internship can be an opportunity to learn about the LOC. As an intern, you will help create content to support family and youth engagement for a new exhibition space at the LOC. You will also study LOC collection materials, displayed items in the exhibit, and collection materials, and present it to library visitors in a verbal or written format. In the process, you will learn about the careers and resources at the Library and hone your writing skills. Virtual training sessions, workshops, and peer working groups are also part of the experience.
Location: Vogue College, New York, NY
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Cost: TBA
Application deadline: Rolling
Dates: Term 1: June 8 – 20 | Term 2: June 22 – July 4 | Term 3: July 6 – 18 | Term 4: July 20 – August 1
Eligibility: High school students who are 15 – 18 years old
Vogue College of Fashion’s Summer School is a pre-college experience for high school students interested in getting some exposure to the fashion industry. Here, you will learn about various aspects of the industry through specialized courses in fashion business, styling, and media. The courses will be conducted by Vogue and Condé Nast journalists. You will also explore the daily operations of fashion, media, and lifestyle organizations. During the program, you will be guided by Vogue experts and get to connect with professionals and like-minded peers from around the world.