10 Media Internships for High School Students in Nevada
If you are a high school student interested in media, participating in an internship can be an effective way to explore the field beyond the classroom. Media internships often combine project work with mentorship from industry professionals, allowing you to develop practical skills in areas such as journalism, digital content creation, video production, social media, marketing, and communications. As a participant, you may contribute to campaigns, assist with creative projects, learn how media teams operate under deadlines, and build a portfolio that reflects your interests and abilities.
Why choose a media internship in Nevada?
Nevada offers media internships through its entertainment industry, news organizations, technology startups, tourism sector, and creative agencies. From Las Vegas to Reno, you can find opportunities across broadcasting, film, advertising, public relations, and digital media. With access to experienced professionals, Nevada provides an ideal environment to explore media careers, strengthen your communication skills, and begin building professional networks early.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 10 media internships for high school students in Nevada.
1. KUNR Youth Media
Location: Reno, NV
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: January – May
Application Deadline: Varies by semester
Eligibility: 11th and 12th graders
The KUNR Youth Media Program is a semester-long journalism and public media internship that trains you in audio storytelling, reporting, and broadcast production. Through practical instruction and mentorship from professional journalists, you will learn to research stories, conduct interviews, record and edit audio, and produce original content aired on KUNR Public Radio and published online. The program emphasizes real-world media experience, helping you build communication skills, creative confidence, and a portfolio of published work while amplifying youth voices in local community reporting.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies by program; Financial aid offered
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Ladder Internships is a competitive program that connects motivated high school students with internships at fast-growing start-ups. You’ll work with companies across fields such as tech and AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and other industries. Most partner start-ups are well-funded, typically having raised over a million dollars, giving you exposure to dynamic, professional environments. Throughout the internship, you’ll collaborate directly with a startup manager, receive guidance from a dedicated Ladder Coach, and contribute to real projects. The experience concludes with a presentation where you showcase your work to the company. Here is the application form.
3. PBS Reno Media Content Internship
Location: PBS Reno, Reno, NV
Cost/Stipend: None (students earn academic credit)
Acceptance Rate/Cohort Size: Not specified
Dates: Semester-long internship
Application Deadline: April 15 (fall)
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors
The PBS Reno Media Content Internship gives you hands-on experience in digital media production and public broadcasting workflows. You will work with PBS Reno staff to create and manage digital content, including editing media in Adobe tools. You will also prepare metadata for distribution, upload videos to YouTube, and assist with social media posts alongside the digital marketing team. You may also operate video and audio production equipment, gaining practical exposure to professional media environments.
4. Bishop Gorman Summer Internship Program
Location: Bishop Gorman High School partner organizations, Las Vegas, NV
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: May 28 – July 4
Application Deadline: January 14 – March 30
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
The Bishop Gorman Summer Internship Program allows you to explore potential career paths through short-term professional placements with local organizations. Internships are offered across a range of industries, including law, banking, medicine, marketing, engineering, journalism, and nonprofit work. This allows you to gain firsthand exposure to workplace environments before beginning your senior year. The internship is relatively selective, with acceptance based on your GPA, interview, and written application.
5. Nevada County Media Internships
Location: Nevada County Media, Grass Valley, CA
Cost: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Year-round internships available
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students (14+) who live in Nevada County
The Nevada County Media Internship Program is a hands-on creative media experience where you’ll get to learn digital storytelling, production, and collaboration through real projects at a community media studio. You can choose from multiple focus areas like audio production, social media marketing, filmmaking, journalism, acting, photography, set design, and media technology. You’ll also get to work with mentors from the creative industry. The program combines workshops, guided projects, and studio responsibilities, allowing you to build practical skills in editing, writing, teamwork, and content creation while contributing to community media initiatives.
6. Nevada County “Achieve More” Internship Program
Location: Nevada City, CA
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Flexible; Part-time or full-time placements available year-round
Application Deadline: December 31
Eligibility: High school students
The Nevada County “Achieve More” Internship Program provides students and early-career participants with hands-on experience working in local government departments and community-focused initiatives. You will be placed in areas such as human services, emergency services, community development, the district attorney’s office, public health, and administrative departments. As a participant, you will assist with projects and learn how county government operates.
7. Interns4-Good
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Not specified
Dates: Year-round opportunities
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students
Interns 4-Good is a nonprofit platform that connects you with remote, skills-based internship opportunities at mission-driven organizations and charities. You will work virtually on projects in marketing and communications, social media management, graphic design, research writing, outreach coordination, or other nonprofit support tasks. As a participant, you will get to contribute meaningfully to causes like education, youth development, environmental conservation, and community outreach. Placements are flexible and can accommodate your schedule, offering structured assignments, regular check-ins with nonprofit supervisors, and verified experience hours useful for college applications or resumes.
8. Smithsonian Internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Location: Virtual
Stipend: Paid
Cohort Size: 100+ interns
Dates: Year-round internships
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school students (14+)
The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage internships connect you with meaningful projects in cultural research, digital media, communications, arts administration, museum studies, and public outreach, with remote and hybrid options available. As an intern, you’ll work under the guidance of professional Smithsonian staff on research, documentation, social media content, web production, archival work, and program planning tied to activities like the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and cultural heritage initiatives. As a virtual intern, you’ll collaborate with teams across departments using digital tools, contribute to publication and outreach efforts, and gain exposure to museum-level research and programming. You’ll also get to build practical skills in storytelling, cultural analysis, and project coordination.
9. Project Write Now Teen Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: None
Acceptance Rate: Selective
Dates: Offered year-round
Application Deadline: Applications open in February
Eligibility: High school students ages 15-18
The Project Write Now Teen Internship Program gives you experience in publishing, media production, and creative writing while contributing to a vibrant writing community. You can choose from tracks such as Editorial Assistant, where you will help create original content, social media posts, and manage parts of the Bridge Ink online teen literary magazine. You might also get to contribute to The Interview Project, which is focused on conducting interviews and producing compelling narratives inspired by real-world stories. Some internship roles may involve assisting with teaching writing workshops under supervision during summer programs, while others are fully virtual and center on editorial and storytelling tasks.
10. University of Nevada: Smallwood Multimedia Boot Camp
Location: University of Nevada, Reno, NV
Cost: Refundable $100 security deposit
Cohort Size: 15 participants
Dates: July 14 – 18
Application Deadline: June 6
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors from Northern Nevada with a minimum 3.0 GPA
The Smallwood Multimedia Boot Camp gives motivated high school students an immersive week of concentrated instruction in video production, audio techniques, editing skills, and digital media creation within a professional multimedia environment. You will learn core media concepts like cinematography, sound design, special effects, 2D graphics, and 3D asset creation, and then apply these skills to projects. You’ll also get exposure to the broader university’s media spaces and mentorship from award-winning faculty, enhancing both technical skills and creative confidence in media production.
Image Source - KUNR Youth Media logo