15 Volunteer Programs for High School Students

If you are a high school student, volunteer programs are a worthwhile option because they offer practical experience and exposure to community challenges. Through these volunteer opportunities, you can explore fields such as healthcare, education, environmental work, and nonprofit operations. You’ll also develop teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. 

Many volunteer programs for high school students are hosted by reputed universities, hospitals, and community organizations, giving you the chance to work alongside professionals and observe how large-scale initiatives operate. Some programs also offer structured mentorship, site visits, or collaborative projects. If you're interested in giving back to your community, a structured volunteer program can help you identify the causes that matter the most to you and provide insight into social impact work. These volunteer programs for high school students also provide a meaningful way to build your resume and enhance your college applications.

To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 15 volunteer programs for high school students, including both in-person and virtual options.

1. UCLA Health – Volunteen Summer Program

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: Orientation in late June; service must be completed by August 31
Application Deadline: Opens in January
Eligibility: Students aged 16+ years

The UCLA Volunteen Program places students in hospital support roles where they help staff with tasks related to patient flow, wayfinding, and essential transport operations. You will learn how large clinical systems coordinate logistics and maintain patient services across fast-paced departments. Some assignments may be completed remotely, offering you experience with administrative or patient-experience projects. The structured format helps you gain familiarity with communication, teamwork, and reliability – key skills valued in many volunteer programs for high school students. This program is ideal if you want exposure to healthcare operations while contributing to meaningful service hours.

2. Ladder Internship Program—Nonprofit track 

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.

3. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles High School Summer Volunteer Program

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Only ~20 students are selected
Dates: June 17 - August 2
Application Deadline: Opens early February
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 - 17 years

At CHLA, students support high-demand hospital units by helping families navigate buildings, assisting with intake tasks, and handling administrative tasks. You’ll complete weekly shifts that help you build confidence working in a professional, patient-centered environment. The program strengthens your communication and service skills as you interact regularly with families and hospital staff. Its competitive selection process makes it a standout option among volunteer programs for high school students seeking healthcare exposure. You’ll finish the program with structured service hours and exposure to pediatric hospital operations.

4. Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center – Teen Volunteer Program

Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified; long-term
Dates: Rolling start dates
Application Deadline: Year-round; monthly interviews
Eligibility: High school students who are able to complete 100 hours

This year-long program embeds students within hospital support teams responsible for patient assistance, communication, and administrative duties. Before starting, you complete onboarding requirements such as health screenings, orientation, and background checks. Over time, you become familiar with essential workflows related to visitor support systems and patient-assistance protocols. Additional language skills are helpful due to the diverse patient population. This is a strong choice for high school students if they want sustained involvement rather than a short-term volunteer program.

5. Cedars-Sinai High School Student Volunteer Program

 Location: Los Angeles, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free; $30 uniform jacket
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive
Dates: Winter/Spring: Jan 27 - Apr 13 | Summer: Jun 16 - Jul 20 | Fall: Oct 6 - Dec 15
Application Deadline: Winter: Dec 2 - 5 | Summer: Apr 1 - 4 | Fall: Aug 4 - 7
Eligibility: High school student aged 14 - 18 years; minimum GPA of 3.2

Cedars-Sinai trains volunteers to assist with administrative operations and patient-experience tasks. You may help with record organization, phone calls, delivery workflows, or front-desk responsibilities across various departments. The structured sessions provide reliable service hours while helping participants build professionalism and accuracy in a complex healthcare environment. Although the program does not involve medical procedures, you learn how hospital teams coordinate to maintain smooth day-to-day operations. It’s a valuable option for students exploring healthcare-related volunteer opportunities.

6. Jersey City Medical Center High School Volunteer Program

Location: Jersey City, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid; certificate after 50 hours
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round; summer session
Application Deadline: April 1 (summer); rolling for the school year
Eligibility: High school student aged 16+ years; medical clearance

This program offers experience in hospital operations through tasks such as patient escorting, clerical assistance, and messenger services. You learn how departments communicate, route visitors, and maintain unit-level organization. Volunteers work flexible weekly shifts during the school year, with expanded hours available in the summer. Orientation and health clearance ensure readiness for the hospital environment. With formal documentation provided after 50 hours, it’s a reliable volunteer program for high school students needing verified service.

7. Cooper University Health Care Student Volunteer Program

Location: Camden, NJ
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive for summer
Dates: June - September
Application Deadline: Varies depending on the session
Eligibility: Age 14 - 17 years

Volunteers at Cooper University Health Care assist departments such as transport, concierge services, radiology, and patient support. You’ll gain familiarity with communication protocols and observe how hospital teams move patients, coordinate front desks, and manage services. Department supervisors provide structured assignments tied to daily operations. Summer positions fill quickly due to higher availability of shifts. This is a valuable option if you want exposure to non-clinical roles within a major healthcare environment.

8. Houston Museum of Natural Science Moran Ecoteen Program

Location: Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Summer sessions (2-week minimum)
Application Deadline: Spring
Eligibility: Rising 9th - 11th graders

The Ecoteen Program pairs students alongside museum educators to support science camps and interactive exhibits. You may assist with visitor engagement, activity setup, crowd coordination, and demonstrations in fields such as paleontology, astronomy, or chemistry. These responsibilities strengthen your communication and leadership skills in a public-facing environment. Returning volunteers sometimes take up smaller presentation responsibilities. This is an engaging volunteer program for high school students interested in STEM and informal science education.

9. League of Women Voters of Houston Youth Engagement Internship

Location: Houston, TX
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Flexible
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: High school students living in Houston

This civic-engagement internship lets you participate in voter outreach events, education booths, library sessions, and registration drives. You’ll support event logistics, guide community members to understand voting processes, and assist with public communication materials. Volunteers may also contribute to data tracking or internal program coordination. These tasks build strong communication and event-planning skills. It’s a meaningful option for high school students interested in nonprofit or civic-focused volunteer programs.

10. San Francisco Center for the Book Youth Volunteer Opportunities

Location: San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Age 14+ years

Youth volunteers support the studio’s workshops and public programs by handling materials, organizing supplies, and helping instructors with demonstrations. You’ll learn how printmaking and bookbinding equipment are used and maintained, gaining precision and craftsmanship skills. The studio environment offers regular interaction with artists and educators. This experience gives you a behind-the-scenes look at how community arts organizations run programming. It’s a unique volunteer program for high school students interested in hands-on creative work.

11. Asian Art Museum – Volunteer Program

Location: San Francisco, CA
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round (minimum one-year)
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Age 16+ years

Volunteers at the Asian Art Museum support cultural events, workshops, public programs, and educational sessions. You’ll help with event preparation, visitor engagement, and coordinating materials across museum departments. This role offers exposure to arts administration, public programming, and cultural outreach. The year-long commitment provides sustained involvement that can be valuable for building a portfolio. It's a strong fit if you want consistent volunteer service in arts and culture.

12. Projects Abroad – High School Specials

Location: Various global sites (Argentina, Ghana, Ecuador, Nepal, etc.)
Cost/Stipend: Free for sponsored participants; financial aid is possible
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June - August
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Age 15 - 18 years

This international program assigns students to community-focused projects such as conservation, youth education, or basic healthcare assistance. You participate in structured service hours, supervised activities, and cultural immersion sessions that deepen your understanding of global community needs. Tasks may include classroom support, wildlife observation, or shadowing non-clinical healthcare roles. Programs operate in cohorts, creating a supportive peer community. This is a strong international volunteer program for high school students seeking global exposure.

13. Hospital of Central Connecticut Teen Volunteer Program

Location: New Britain, CT
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: Year-round and summer
Application Deadline: Rolling
Eligibility: Age 14+ years

Volunteers support patient transport, reception workflows, and unit coordination tasks within the hospital. You gain exposure to daily hospital operational systems while interacting with patients, families, and staff. Requirements include an interview, clearance documentation, and a recommendation to ensure readiness. The program emphasizes professionalism, punctuality, and communication development. It's an ideal choice for high school students exploring healthcare-related volunteer programs.

14. Stamford Health Junior Volunteer Program

Location: Stamford, CT
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not specified
Dates: January - June | June - August | September - February
Application Deadline: Rolling; next cycle opens August 4
Eligibility: Age 16 - 17 years; 100-hour requirement

Stamford volunteers support in non-clinical areas such as the emergency department, cancer services, and patient experience teams. You may assist with reception duties, comfort services, or administrative projects, depending on your placement. Weekly shifts help you develop communication and reliability. Volunteers must complete health clearance before starting. Benefits may include access to special events and staff privileges.

15. University Hospital Junior Volunteer Program

Location: San Antonio, TX
Cost/Stipend: Unpaid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective
Dates: June 23 - July 3
Application Deadline: February 21
Eligibility: Age 15 - 17 years

This short-term volunteer program introduces students to operational, administrative, and patient-support tasks within a major hospital system. You complete structured service hours across multiple departments while shadowing trained supervisors. Orientation sessions help you understand hospital protocols and professional expectations. The schedule also includes discussions on career readiness and healthcare pathways. It’s an ideal choice if you want an intensive, structured volunteer program for high school students.

Image Source - Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Logo