13 Technology Internships for High School Students in Washington
Participating in an internship as a high schooler is a valuable way to start building experience in a field that interests you. Internships help you strengthen your resume, explore potential career paths, and gain early exposure to how professional environments work. If you’re interested in technology, many tech internships offer a chance to develop skills like coding, data analysis, and more.
What technology internships are available for high school students in Washington?
Most technology internships for high school students in Washington can be found at universities, research labs, nonprofits, and local companies. These opportunities often include project-based work, mentorship, and guided learning in areas such as software development and research. Overall, these internships give you a clearer picture of what working in technology looks like and help you build skills that can boost your college applications.
To make your search easier, we’ve narrowed things down to 13 technology internships for high school students in Washington state, focusing on programs that offer structured learning and practical experience.
1. Microsoft Discovery Program
Location: Microsoft, Redmond, WA, USA, or Atlanta, GA, USA
Stipend: $20/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Redmond: July 13–August 7; Atlanta: July 6–31
Application deadline: Rolling; opens in February
Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors interested in technology who live within 50 miles of Redmond, WA, or Atlanta, GA
The Microsoft Discovery Program is a four-week paid opportunity that gives you practical experience working on product development in collaborative team environments. As a participant, you’ll explore various technology careers, including software development, user experience design, and product strategy, while receiving guidance from Microsoft professionals. The program features coding workshops and skill-building sessions focused on programming and analytical thinking. You’ll also gain exposure to emerging technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence. Career development sessions complete the experience by giving you some insights into the tech industry.
2. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies; financial aid available
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application deadline: Varies depending on the cohort
Eligibility: High school students
Ladder Internships is a selective startup internship program for ambitious high school students. In the program, you'll spend around eight weeks working with fast-growing startups that usually raise over a million dollars. The startups offering internships come from all sorts of industries, like tech, deep tech, AI/ML, health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. During the internship, you'll work together with your manager and a Ladder Coach on real projects, before eventually presenting your work to the company. Here’s the application form.
3. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: High School Internship Program
Location: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA
Stipend: Paid, amount not specified
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Program dates: Academic year, August to May, or summer, June to August
Application deadline: Summer, March; Academic year, June
Eligibility: High school students; must be at least 18 years old to work in laboratory spaces or some field settings
The PNNL High School Internship Program places you in a part-time or full-time internship at a national laboratory where you’ll support either business operations or scientific research, depending on your interests. During the academic year, you’ll typically work up to four hours per day, while summer interns can work full-time. You’ll work alongside PNNL scientists, engineers, or business professionals and receive mentorship from staff members. Beyond day-to-day work, the program includes leadership development sessions, lab tours, and workshops focused on communication and career awareness. You may also be able to earn elective credit through school-based work-learning programs.
4. ISB’s High School Summer Internship
Location: Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA
Stipend: Paid and unpaid positions available
Cohort size: 4–10 interns
Program dates: June 29 – August 21
Application deadline: March 11
Eligibility: Current 11th graders
Institute for Systems Biology’s High School Summer Internship is an eight-week, in-person research internship where you’ll spend about 40 hours per week working on an active systems biology project at ISB. You’ll be matched to a mentor and contribute to research areas like computational biology, microbiology, cancer, the microbiome, infectious disease, or engineering systems. All projects are tied to ongoing ISB research, so you’ll get to work on questions rather than standalone student exercises. Alongside lab work, you’ll interview ISB professionals about different career paths, build a website documenting your project and experience, and, in some cases, help with curriculum development for schools. The program also includes structured STEM leadership components and regular interaction with researchers across disciplines.
5. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP)
Location: 30+ U.S. Naval Research Laboratory labs across the U.S., including WA
Stipend: $4,000 (new) or $4,500 (returning)
Acceptance rate: Competitive
Dates: 8 weeks in the summer (varies by lab)
Application deadline: August 1 – November 1
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens (16+)
SEAP allows you to conduct research alongside Navy scientists and engineers in fields like mechanical, electrical, and materials engineering. You might contribute to projects modeling fluid dynamics, analyzing submarine systems, or evaluating energy technologies. As a participant, you’ll also receive guidance from a professional mentor supporting both technical skills and career development. The experience combines hands-on laboratory work with practical science applications. Returning participants receive increased stipends, making this ideal for students considering government or defense research pathways.
6. ISB’s DREAM-High Collaborative Summer Experience
Location: Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA (virtual options available)
Stipend: $500 stipend available on a need basis
Cohort size: 12 students
Program dates: July – August (tentatively)
Application deadline: March 11
Eligibility: Current 11th graders (rising seniors)
DREAM-High is a six-week collaborative research experience focused on cancer systems biology and data science. You’ll learn how to use R and Python to analyze and visualize genomics, clinical, and physical data from cancer cells, then apply those skills to structured challenge projects. Weekly sessions are led by cancer systems biology researchers from ISB, Columbia, and Stanford, giving you exposure to how this work is done at the research level. You’ll also collaborate with students from across the country and share your work online as part of the program.
7. Seattle City Light: High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Seattle, WA
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Mid-June or early July – August
Application deadline: April
Eligibility: High school students (16+) with a minimum 2.0 GPA who are authorized to work in the U.S.
The Seattle City Light’s High School Summer Internship Program is an eight-week summer internship that introduces you to the business side of energy production and electric utility operations. Depending on the department, your schedule may be part-time or full-time, and your work will focus on administrative tasks and project support rather than laboratory research. You’ll work with managers and mentors, participate in professional development workshops, and have opportunities to see how a public utility operates through field visits. You’ll also take part in conversations with executive leaders and trainings that explore equity and social justice in the workplace. At the end of the program, you’ll prepare and present a summary of what you worked on and learned. This internship is a good fit if you’re interested in public service, energy systems, or learning how a large municipal utility functions from the inside.
8. SPARK Summer Internship Program (SparkSIP)
Location: Various organizations in the Greater Seattle area; Virtual options offered
Stipend: $500
Acceptance Rate: Under 5%
Dates: 6-8 weeks (June - August)
Application Deadline: April (tentative)
Eligibility: U.S. high school students (16+) able to commit 40 hours/week
SPARK connects you with research mentors in fields including machine learning, bioengineering, and computer vision. As a participant, you will select projects matched to your skills and career interests. University professors and industry professionals serve as mentors, guiding technical development throughout the internship period. Previous assignments have covered early disease detection, DNA sequencing, and neural network architecture. This program provides an ideal blend of challenge and mentorship for students interested in combining programming with biomedical or engineering applications.
9. Port of Seattle: High School Summer Internship Program
Location: Seattle, WA (including SEA Airport and Seattle waterfront sites)
Stipend: Paid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: Summer (dates not specified)
Application deadline: May
Eligibility: High school students (16+) who are currently enrolled in high school, have recently graduated within the past 12 months, or are enrolled in a GED program
The Port of Seattle’s High School Summer Internship Program places you in a professional setting where you’ll work on real projects that support the Port’s aviation, maritime, governance, community engagement, or environmental work. Your role may vary by department, but you’ll typically support ongoing projects, learn workplace tools and communication systems, and interact regularly with mentors and teammates. The program is designed to build practical skills like project management, public speaking, networking, and professional communication. You’ll also take part in structured career exposure activities such as facility tours, mentorship meetings, LinkedIn workshops, and resume sessions. As an intern, you will be expected to contribute meaningfully rather than observe from the sidelines, with work that connects to the Port’s impact on the regional economy.
10. TechGirls
Location: Camp phase: Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA; Community immersion phase: Multiple cities, including Seattle, WA
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Program dates: 23 days from July to August
Application deadline: January 20
Eligibility: Female high school students (ages 15-17) with an interest in tech; More info here
TechGirls is a summer program that includes an intensive technology camp at Virginia Tech University. As a participant, you will engage in practical workshops covering web development, robotics, and mobile application design while collaborating with international peers. The curriculum emphasizes leveraging software for community benefit, requiring you to create a social impact project for implementation upon returning home. After the camp, you’ll get to travel to other cities, including Seattle, WA, where you will experience community immersion and will have the opportunity to explore careers in STEM. Beyond technical instruction, the program provides extensive networking opportunities with female technology leaders and visits to major tech hubs.
11. Changemakers in Computing
Location: University of Washington’s Allen School, Seattle, WA
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: July 6 – 30
Application deadline: March 4 – April 1
Eligibility: Rising high school juniors and seniors attending Washington State high schools
Changemakers in Computing (CiC) is a summer program that introduces you to computer science through the lens of technology, society, and justice. You’ll be placed into a small mentee group led by current University of Washington undergraduates, where you’ll work on project-based activities that focus on real-world applications of computing. The program emphasizes culturally relevant projects and explores how computing can be used to create social impact. Along the way, you’ll learn basic coding concepts, get exposure to different areas of computer science and engineering, and receive guidance on continuing your learning beyond the program. A big part of CiC is community-building, with structured time to connect with peers and mentors who share similar interests and backgrounds.
12. Girls Who Code: Pathways Program
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Program dates: June 29 – August 14
Application deadline: February 25 (early); April 10 (general)
Eligibility: Girls and non-binary students in grades 9–12, including rising 9th graders and graduating seniors
Pathways is a flexible, year-round program where you’ll work through project-based computer science courses at your own pace. As a participant, you’ll get to choose from tracks like game design, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and web development, depending on what you want to explore. The program combines technical projects with a virtual community, where you can connect with peers and advisors. Along the way, you’ll have optional chances to join career panels, workshops, and events with industry partners that focus on real tech careers.
13. Stanford AIMI Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual
Cost: $2,400 + $45 application fee; financial aid available
Program dates: Session A: June 15 – 26; Session B: July 6 – 17
Application deadline: December 15 – February 20
Eligibility: High school students (14+) with prior math or computer programming skills or experience with a healthcare project; must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
Stanford's Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging offers a two-week virtual internship for technically skilled high school students interested in applying AI to healthcare challenges. As a participant, you will explore how artificial intelligence enhances medical diagnostics, treatment approaches, and health equity through lectures, collaborative work, and independent research. You will engage in project-based learning with limited supervision while attending virtual presentations from academic and industry experts. Mentorship from Stanford researchers and students supports participant development throughout the program. The experience bridges technical AI skills with real-world medical applications.
Image Source - Ladder Internships logo