13 Summer Internships for High School Students in Maine
If you are a high school student, internships can be a worthwhile way to explore fields that interest you. Summer internships for high school students offer an opportunity to gain practical experience that strengthens your college applications. By working in professional environments, you can explore your interests, learn about workplace expectations, and develop essential skills such as communication, time management, and collaboration. Participating in internships also helps you identify which academic and career paths are worth pursuing.
What summer internships are available for high school students in Maine?
Maine has academic institutions, research centers, and local organizations that offer internships with mentorship, giving high school students meaningful responsibility rather than observational roles. Each program offers structured exposure to fields such as research, government, healthcare, engineering, or the arts, with clear expectations and defined timelines. The state has a strong focus on sustainability, which allows high school students to work on projects related to wildlife research and climate awareness.
To help you get started, we’ve put together 13 summer internships for high school students in Maine.
1. Summer Student Program – The Jackson Laboratory
Location: Bar Harbor, ME or Farmington, CT
Cost/Stipend: Paid; $7,000 stipend plus room, board, and travel
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Late May - early August (10 - 10.5 weeks)
Application Deadline: January
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors and undergraduates
You participate in a full-time summer research placement in an active genetics or genomics laboratory. Under faculty mentorship, you contribute to an ongoing research project and gradually take on more independent responsibilities. The program combines mentored lab research with structured training in scientific communication and data analysis. Weekly activities include journal clubs, professional development sessions, and discussions with researchers in different scientific roles. You conclude the internship by presenting your work to peers and program staff. The internship focuses on laboratory-based research and collaborative scientific work.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Remote (work from anywhere in the world)
Cost/Stipend: Varies according to program (financial aid available)
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
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: High school students, undergraduates, and gap year students who can work for 8 - 12 weeks, devoting 10 - 20 hours/week
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students. In the program, you work directly with a high-growth start-up that offers internships across a variety of industries, including tech/deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average, raising over a million dollars. In the program, interns work closely with their managers and a ladder coach on real-world projects and present their work to the company. Here is the application form.
3. Maine Government Summer Internship Program
Location: University of Maine, with various locations across Maine; onboarding in Augusta, ME
Cost/Stipend: Paid; exact stipend not specified
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: May 26 - August 14
Application Deadline: To be announced
Eligibility: High school and college students
You work full-time for 12 weeks in a Maine state agency or a municipal or county government office. The program begins with a two-day onboarding workshop in Augusta that introduces workplace expectations and public-sector operations. During the internship, you complete assigned tasks related to policy research, public administration, data analysis, or community-focused projects under the supervision of government staff. The program places you within government offices rather than a classroom environment. You gain direct exposure to state and local government operations while building professional relationships with supervisors and peers. The program is administered by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and focuses on public service and government operations.
4. Maine Research Internships for Teachers and Students (MERITS)
Location: Host institutions across Maine
Cost/Stipend: Paid stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Six-week summer program
Application Deadline: February 13
Eligibility: U.S. citizens who are Maine residents and current high school juniors enrolled in a Maine school
You will participate in a six-week summer research internship at a host institution within Maine. The program places you in a research or technology-focused environment, being part of a working research team where you contribute to ongoing STEM projects rather than being a short-term observer. Depending on the host site, your work may involve laboratory research, data collection, or applied technology development. Interns are expected to consistently engage throughout the program and complete a final report based on their work. The program focuses on applied STEM research in professional research environments.
5. Summer Undergraduate Research Program – MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR)
Location: Portland area and Scarborough, ME
Cost/Stipend: Paid at $17.34 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: June 1 - August 7 (10 weeks)
Application Deadline: January
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors (18+ years at program start) through graduating college seniors, post-baccalaureate students, or community college students
During this full-time summer program, you work 40 hours per week on a biomedical research project at a MaineHealth research location in the Portland area. Research placements are within MHIR centers focused on molecular medicine, clinical and translational science, population and health research, or applied science and technology. You receive training to complete a defined research project while participating in weekly research lectures and professional development activities. The program combines independent lab work with a structured educational curriculum led by MaineHealth faculty and clinicians. Interns are responsible for their own housing and transportation, with guidance provided for housing options. The program concludes with final presentations and a poster session, focusing on biomedical research practice and career pathways.
6. Youth Council Internship
Location: Maine; remote and in-person options
Cost/Stipend: Paid; $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Summer; dates not specified
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: High school students in Maine
You work part-time for five hours per week on civic engagement projects during the summer. The internship allows you to define your focus area, which may include community organizing, youth education, or communications projects such as newsletters and public service announcements. Interns shape project directions based on their interests while working within a nonpartisan framework. You collaborate with staff members and other interns across the state and take part in an interview-based selection process. Typically, three to four high school students are selected per term. The work centers on voter education, youth participation, and public-facing outreach.
7. Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
Location: Maine research sites; placements near the student’s home
Cost/Stipend: Paid; $3,000 stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: June - August (8 weeks)
Application Deadline: January
Eligibility: Rising high school seniors
You will complete an eight-week summer internship one-on-one with a professional fisheries scientist working near your home. Daily responsibilities include assisting with field-based research such as fish population surveys, habitat assessments, and data collection. The internship schedule, exact start and end dates are determined jointly by you and your mentor. Work takes place in active research environments rather than classrooms. The experience emphasizes hands-on experience in fisheries biology and aquatic field research.
8. Acadia Youth Conservation Corps
Location: Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, ME
Cost/Stipend: Paid; $15 per hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: Eight weeks, typically late June to mid-August
Application Deadline: March
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 - 18; U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents
This is an eight-week, paid, full-time summer job where you work alongside Acadia National Park staff and teen crew members. Your schedule runs Monday through Friday during standard daytime hours, with daily outdoor work on park maintenance and conservation projects. Daily tasks may include trail repair, erosion control, invasive species removal, and maintenance of carriage roads and signage. The program combines paid employment with conservation work across multiple park divisions. You also take part in formal and informal learning sessions with park staff covering conservation practices, tool use, and national park service careers. The program is physically demanding and team-based, with most of the work performed outdoors in varying conditions. The focus is on conservation, land stewardship, and teamwork within a national park environment.
9. Upward Bound Summer Program
Location: Bowdoin College campus, ME
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: Summer on-campus residential experience
Application Deadline: December
Eligibility: Rising high school sophomores and juniors who attend one of the 14 participating Maine high schoolsThis is a residential summer academic program hosted on Bowdoin College’s campus. You enroll in structured courses in subjects such as art, French culture, immigration, and earth science, along with a required STEM course such as chemistry or physics. The schedule also includes elective workshops and supervised access to college-level laboratories. You will receive guided college preparation support covering applications, financial aid, and interview preparation. Outside the classroom, the program includes planned enrichment trips to colleges, cultural performances, and local destinations. The program focuses on academic coursework, skill-building, and college readiness.
10. Chip Moody Consider Engineering Program
Location: University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, Orono, ME
Cost/Stipend: Free; housing and meals provided, transportation not included
Acceptance rate/cohort size: About 50 percent
Dates: July 12 - 15, July 19 - 22, or July 26 - 29
Application Deadline: April 15
Eligibility: Current high school juniorsThis is a four-day overnight summer program that introduces you to engineering through hands-on activities and campus-based learning at the University of Maine. You stay on campus and participate in engineering experiments, structured problem-solving challenges, and collaborative group projects led by faculty and practicing engineers. The program runs three separate sessions in July, each limited to 44 students selected through a competitive application process. The short residential format provides exposure to college life while allowing you to explore multiple engineering disciplines. You interact with peers from Maine and other states and take part in discussions focused on academic preparation and professional pathways. The program focuses on exploring engineering and applied problem-solving.
11. Bethel College Summer Science Institute
Location: Bethel College, North Newton, KS (in-person and online options)
Cost/Stipend: $60 registration fee; room and board included for in-person students
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: July 13 - 18
Application Deadline: May
Eligibility: Students entering grades 10 - 12
This is a one-week summer research institute where you participate in guided scientific investigations led by Bethel College faculty. You are assigned to two research groups – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – based on your interests and availability. Research areas include biology, chemistry, psychology, engineering, mathematics, health science, and software-related fields, with an emphasis on hands-on inquiry. The structure focuses on learning how research is conducted through faculty mentorship and small-group work. Daily activities include laboratory sessions, field work, discussions, and student presentations at the end of the week. In-person students live in campus residence halls with student counselors and follow a scheduled meal schedule and evening sessions. The program focuses on scientific research methods and interdisciplinary exploration in science and mathematics.
12. Foreign Policy Research Institute Internship Opportunities
Location: Philadelphia, PA, and remote
Cost/Stipend: Some paid stipends are available based on financial need
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: June - August (summer term)
Application Deadline: March 6
Eligibility: Students; specific grade level not specified
The Foreign Policy Research Institute offers internships during the summer, fall, and spring, with the summer term running from June through August. You apply to a specific track, such as research, operations, development, events, communications, or administration, depending on the type of experience you want. Interns are paired with FPRI staff members or scholars and complete assigned projects related to foreign policy research, events, communications, or organizational operations. Summer interns attend weekly foreign policy and career-focused seminars with invited speakers. Interns also have access to FPRI events and may work on a research paper for possible publication in the intern corner. Positions are available in person in Philadelphia or remotely, depending on the role, and focus on foreign policy, national security, and related fields.
13. SHTEM Summer Internship Program
Location: Stanford, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; limited commuting support may be available; $95 nonrefundable application fee with fee waivers available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Details not provided
Dates: June 22 - August 14
Application Deadline: Details not provided
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors (11th or 12th grade during the upcoming school year); must be at least 14 years old by June 21; U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
The SHTEM Summer Internship Program is an eight-week, in-person research experience hosted by the Stanford Compression Forum. You work in small groups on interdisciplinary research projects that combine fields such as engineering, computer science, humanities, neuroscience, linguistics, design, and philosophy. Projects are mentored by Stanford faculty, graduate students, and staff, with expectations of full participation throughout the program. The program emphasizes collaborative research across traditional academic boundaries. You spend most of your time (typically 20 to 30 hours/week) conducting research with schedules set in accordance with your mentor. Housing is not provided, and you are responsible for arranging accommodation and daily transportation.
Image source - The Jackson Laboratory logo