8 Online Business Internships for High School Students
If you’re an ambitious high school student, you’re probably looking for ways to stand out in the college admissions process. As you work toward strong academic performance and extracurriculars, finding meaningful ways to build your skills is essential. Internships are one of the most effective ways to do this. Internships for high schoolers offer structured learning, project-based work, and insight into different career fields.
Remote internships give you access to organizations and mentors around the world, flexible scheduling, and a wider range of project types. They provide a way to build experience, strengthen college applications, and engage with your areas of interest without the constraints of geography. For students interested in business and entrepreneurship, we’ve put together 8 online business internships for high schoolers!
1. Ladder Internship Program
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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!
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. 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.
2. Smithsonian Science Education Center Internships (Communications & Marketing Intern)
Cost: Students are offered an unspecified stipend amount.
Application Deadline: End of March.
Program Dates: The program runs for 10 weeks between May and August.
Eligibility: Open to high school students aged 16 and up.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is dedicated to enhancing K-12 education globally through collaborative efforts with communities. SSEC develops STEM curricula and digital resources, provides professional development for STEM educators, and nurtures STEM education leadership among educational and community leaders. As an intern with SSEC, you will collaborate with the team to craft communications and marketing materials, assist in disseminating communications, devise strategies, and manage assets. Additionally, you will gain insights into the daily operations of a communications team and learn how to leverage developed marketing materials to strengthen the SSEC brand. Other opportunities include Administrative and Financial Internships available within the Office of Sponsored Projects and the Office of Advancement Internship Program.
3. Young Founders Lab
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
Location: This program is 100% virtual, with live, interactive workshops
Eligibility: The program is currently open to all high school students
Program Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring
Application Deadline: Varies according to cohort. You can access the application link here!
The Young Founder’s Lab is a start-up boot camp founded and run by Harvard entrepreneurs. In this program, you will work towards building a revenue-generating start-up that addresses a complex problem. You will also have the opportunity to be mentored by established entrepreneurs and professionals from Google, Microsoft, and X.
Apart from building the start-up itself, you will also participate in interactive classes on business fundamentals and business ideations, workshops and skill-building sessions, case studies, panel discussions, and more. The program is an excellent opportunity to delve into the world of business in high school and have a space to explore multiple theoretical as well as practical frameworks that lead to a successful business. You can check out the brochure for the program here.
4. Interns4-Good
Cost: No cost, but internships are unpaid.
Application Deadline: Open continuously for the whole year.
Program Dates: Dependent on the internship.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Interns4Good is a remote organization dedicated to providing internship opportunities to high school students within various nonprofit organizations. Continuously updating its roster of available opportunities, the program encompasses internships spanning diverse fields. Notably, there are many roles in marketing and outreach, both within the organization itself and through collaborative efforts with partner organizations. Interns4Good offers a blend of online and in-person internship options, catering to the preferences and circumstances of participants.
5. Pentacle High School Internship Program
Location: To receive a remote internship, applicants must indicate this on their application.
Stipend: $1,000
Application Deadline: TBD; check their newsletter, blog, and social media.
Program Dates: 8-week-long internship.
Eligibility: Open to all high school students.
Pentacle, a nonprofit management support organization, serves the performing arts community nationwide. Through its high school internship program, Pentacle pairs students with small businesses, encompassing both for-profit and nonprofit entities, aligning with their interests. This initiative enables students to glean insights from industry experts and mentors, collaborate with peers, and cultivate their hard skills. Interns participate in weekly professional development seminars and undergo a structured career development curriculum, augmenting their learning experience. Throughout the program, students work on tasks such as data collection, analysis, management duties, and acquiring knowledge of economic governance. Additionally, interns attend virtual development seminars, further enriching their skill sets and professional growth.
6. Forage
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Job simulations are open all the time.
Program Dates: Job simulations are open for students all year!
Eligibility: Open to all high schoolers.
Forage allows students to train themselves with virtual work experience programs created by Fortune 500 companies. Students can learn and grow their skills with major businesses. These programs range from 5 to 6 hours. With this opportunity, students will be able to build their resume and work in a competitive environment with other talented interns.
7. YouUnited
Cost: Free
Application Deadline: Signups are always open for students to apply.
Program Dates: Depends on matched experience.
Eligibility: Open to all high schoolers.
When students sign up at YouUnited, they have access to many opportunities, including but not limited to internships, scholarships, competitions, and study resources. This is a student-led nonprofit organization that provides students with virtual opportunities around the globe. With 15+ partnering organizations, there are plenty of opportunities for business career paths.
8. PHC Group’s Mary Miller Summer Program
Cost/Stipend: Paid, but the amount is not specified.
Application Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Program Dates: Summer
Eligibility: Rising or current high school seniors with work authorization
In the Mary Miller Summer Program, you can develop your leadership, teamwork, and communication. You will participate in team projects and activities with senior leadership while working on independent projects. As an intern, you will work under the Public Health Director and help the team with social media projects, online community interactions, and technical support. Tasks include attending and planning meetings, conducting social media research, developing creative posts, and implementing feedback from team members and clients.
Image Source - Smithsonian Science Education Center Logo