6 Online Art and Design Internships for High School Students

Apr 14

If you are a high school student interested in art and design, internships are an effective way to gain experience that goes beyond grades. Art and design internships let you work on creative projects, build skills, and gain exposure to the tools used by professionals. Just as importantly, they offer a chance to explore specific creative fields such as graphic design and animation, before committing to a long-term path.

If you’re interested in learning about the online programs in other subjects, check out some science internships here & find economic internships here.

Why should you do an Online Art & Design Internship in High School?

An art and design internship can strengthen your college applications with portfolio pieces, which is especially useful if you’re applying to art undergraduate programs. Online internships make these opportunities more accessible, allowing you to learn and create from anywhere. With so many options available, choosing the right program can feel overwhelming.

To help you get started, we’ve curated a list of the best 15 online art and design internships for high school students, each offering guided learning and creative experience.

1. Remote Graphic Design & Marketing Internship: Hosted out of Greece

Location: Virtual
Cost: $1,099 - $1,799
Dates: Available year-round, you can start when you like
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High School Students aged 16+ may be accepted, depending on the strength of their application.

This remote graphic design and marketing internship is hosted by an environmental NGO based in Greece and focuses on environmental research and conservation. As an intern, you contribute to the organization’s communication efforts by creating visual and written content used to engage local communities. Your work may include designing infographics, posters, animations, scientific illustrations, and other awareness-building materials. In addition to design tasks, you may assist with social media management, media outreach, and article writing related to conservation topics. Throughout the internship, you work under the guidance of an experienced supervisor while contributing to public campaigns and communication initiatives. The program provides exposure to design, marketing, and public relations within an environmental setting.

2. Remote Journalism & Media Internships: Hosted out of Tanzania

This virtual journalism and media internship connects high school students to media organizations in Tanzania that produce English-language content for local and international audiences. Your responsibilities may include writing articles on topics such as politics, business, lifestyle, sports, and youth culture. You may also assist with preparing news content for TV talk shows and supporting production tasks. The internship provides firsthand exposure to journalism practices in East Africa.

3. Building-U Internship

Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Dates: 3 months or longer, opportunities are available year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Students in grades 9-12

The Building-U Internship Program offers high school students the opportunity to work in teams addressing real operational challenges across technology, media, and education. As an intern, you collaborate on business problems directly connected to Building-U’s ongoing work. One track focuses on social media content and analytics, where you help create digital content for platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. This team works closely with research, marketing, and business development teams to understand how content supports broader organizational goals. Another track focuses on animation, where you join a team developing a branding animation through story development, storyboarding, and animatics. Across all tracks, the program places an emphasis on team-based problem solving and applied project work.

4. Project Write Now Teen Internship Program

Location: Primarily in New Jersey ; Editorial and Interview Project roles can be virtual.
Cost: Free
Dates: Internships run in the Summer
Application Deadline: Positions are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Eligibility: 15-18 year olds

The Project Write Now Teen Internship Program allows high school students to explore writing-related roles you may want to pursue after high school. The program is unpaid, but you earn community service hours and can list the internship on college applications and resumes. No prior experience is required, and all interns complete mandatory one- or two-day virtual training before beginning the placement. Internship options include Teaching Assistant, Editorial Assistant, and The Interview Project. Teaching Assistants work in person with children enrolled in youth writing programs under instructor supervision and are limited to local students in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Editorial Assistant and iInterview Project roles focus on content creation, publishing, and storytelling for teen audiences.

5. The Intern Project Summer Program

Location: Los Angeles, CA | Virtual
Stipend: Paid, amount is not disclosed
Dates: June 17 - August 9
Application Deadline: March 15
Eligibility: 10th-12th grade students within LA County

The Intern Project Summer Program is an eight-week paid experience for high school students in Los Angeles that focuses on career exploration and skill development across fields such as Arts, Media & Entertainment.. You participate in activities such as informational interviews, skill-building workshops, and short project-based assignments. The workshop topics include communication, introductory software tools, and project planning, helping students to develop workplace readiness and professional competencies. A key component of the program is its internship experience, which provides hands-on work experience with partner organizations. In addition to real-world experience, you receive a paid stipend, college credit, and professional certification.

6. Smithsonian Science Education Center Internships

Location: Virtual and or hybrid at the center in Washington, DC
Stipend: Paid, amount is not disclosed
Dates: 25 to 40-hour work week in spring/summer
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students

The Smithsonian Science Education Center Internships offer opportunities for high school students to support research, content creation, and communication-related tasks within a nationally recognized education organization. Your work may include brainstorming social media campaigns, creating graphic design, producing short videos, and contributing to the broader content strategy efforts. You also assist with developing and distributing content across social media platforms, as well as managing digital assets and helping with communication outreach. The working hours, format of the internship, and specific duties vary depending on the role you apply for. Internship options may be offered in online or hybrid formats.

Image source - Intern Abroad HQ logo

Dhruva Bhat

Dhruva Bhat is one of the co-founders of Ladder, and a Harvard College graduate. Dhruva founded Ladder Internships as a DPhil candidate and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, with a vision to bridge the gap between ambitious students and real-world startup experiences.