10 Data Science Internships for High School Students in California
If you're an ambitious high school student considering a trajectory in data science, you may want to consider data science internships before applying to college. An internship showcases your passion and determination to go beyond your classroom curriculum, and learn and engage with the subject.
In this blog, we have compiled a comprehensive list of 10 data science internships in California for high school students. While some of these programs are not internships, we chose to include them as these programs are an opportunity to gain real-world experience in data science and data science research. Moreover, these programs are a mix of virtual and in-person opportunities!
Cost: $1990 (Financial Aid Available)
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application Deadline: Upcoming summer cohort - May 12, 2024
Program Dates: 8 weeks, June to August, cohorts run year round
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 Internship is a selective program for high school students to work with start-ups on data science related topics. The program is run by Harvard alumni and you get a chance to work with companies from places like the YCombinator and Stanford.
Ladder Startups work in fields including machine learning and AI, technology, finance, environmental science and sustainability, business and marketing, healthcare and medicine, media and journalism, and more. You can explore all the options here on their application form.
As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project and present their work at the end of their internship. Throughout the duration of the program, you will receive guidance and support from your managers who will either work with you 1-on-1 or in a group (depending on a project). They’ll help you navigate the ins and outs of your internship!
Note that as a Ladder Intern, you will engage in a coaching and work-based model - a component that sets it apart from most internships in this list. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long. To know more about Ladder Internships and whether it’s a good fit for you, check out this blog post!
2. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging’s Summer Research Internship
Cost: No Cost
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
Program Dates: June 17 - June 28, 2024
Eligibility:
Summer Research interns must be high school students over the age of 14 by the start of the program.
Student leads must also be students over the age of 14 and may also be undergraduate students with a computer science background.
Student leads must be California residents. Student interns must reside in the U.S.
This 2-week virtual internship by the Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging is a solid opportunity if you’re interested in exploring the technical and clinical aspect of AI in healthcare.
The program is a combination of lectures on AI in healthcare fundamentals, hands-on research projects and mentoring activities with Stanford researchers. If you’re interested, you can even opt for an extended independent research internship opportunity.
While you can apply as a regular intern, you can additionally apply for the ’Student Lead’ role where you can also assist with project leadership along with an AIMI mentor!
3. Air Force Research Laboratory Scholars Program (AFRL)
Cost: No Cost. Stipend is provided ($468.80/week)
Location: Varies based on program (but there are locations in California).
Application Deadline: January 10, 2024
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts -
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility:
Upper High School Student (Over 16 years old)
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
Must be available full-time (40 hours a week) and work in their physical offices over the summer.
The AFRL program is a paid-internship opportunity for upper-level high school students who are interested in aerospace engineering.
Post-selection, you will receive guidance from full-time AFRL scientists and engineers, touring AFRL laboratories and working on cutting-edge research and technology. Each mentor in the program is highly knowledgeable and you can find a list of mentors here.
While AFRL research topics are mainly centered around aerospace engineering, research projects such as the ‘Electrical Engineer’ offer an element of data analysis where you will have to process and control data to design, develop and operate a system that uses electrical waveforms.
Cost: No cost; stipend provided
Location: Varies, different for each internship offered
Application Deadline: Varies from internship to internship
Program Dates: Varies from internship to internship, but should be in one of these three cohorts -
Fall - from late August/early September to mid-December (16 weeks)
Spring - from mid-January to early May (16 weeks)
Summer - from late May/early June to August (10 weeks)
Eligibility:
High School Students
Must be a U.S. Citizen
Have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
NASA’s Office of STEM Engagements provides internship opportunities at all their locations around America. If you’re located near a NASA facility, you can opt for an internship in a research facility near you. However, if you live away from one, NASA now conducts virtual internships as well! You can filter through their database for opportunities open to high school students.
If you’re looking for an internship in California, you can opt for an internship in their Ames Research Center, located in the heart of the silicon valley!
5. Building-U High School Internship
Cost: Free
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Rolling deadlines, it is recommended that you apply as soon as possible.
Program Dates: Usually 3 months from June to August. If the intern is keen, the internship can be extended!
Eligibility: All high school students can apply.
The Building-U High School Internship is oriented around its mission to compile a comprehensive database of opportunities including internships, scholarships, contests, and educational programs specifically tailored for high school students. The organization is looking for interns to assist in the administrative/business aspect of the organization.
Once selected as an intern, you join one of their teams – these include R&D roles, student ambassador roles, Business Development roles, and others that you can read about here. These teams might concentrate on areas like digital marketing, content writing, web development, or data analytics. This structure not only allows interns to work in areas that align with their interests and skills but also promotes teamwork, leadership, and project management skills.
6. Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) - Department of Navy
Cost: No Cost + stipend of $4,000 (new participants) or $4,500 (for returning participants)
Location: Varies depending on lab choice.
Application Deadline: 1st August 2024 (tentatively, based on previous year’s dates)
Program Dates: Varies from lab to lab (expect it to be conducted in the summer months).
Eligibility:
Open to rising Juniors and Seniors (at the time of the program).
Must have turned 16 years old by the start date of the program.
Must be a U.S. Citizen
The SEAP Program by the Department of Navy (DoN) allows high school students to conduct Naval research and technology while simultaneously being mentored by scientists and engineers who currently conduct research at DoN.
Prospective students can choose between the 30 labs spread out over the country. Lab choices are based on interest (e.g., very few labs offer Marine Biology as a topic of interest, while Statistics and Engineering are more common among the labs). While they do not have data science as an individual subject, you can expect elements of data science to be present in labs which have statistics, and engineering as topics.
Some topics of research that have been covered at the SEAP program are:
Submarine Life Support
Development of Ansys Fluent Workflow for Axial Fan Simulation and Flow Around Objects
Catalytic Oxidation of Li-Ion Electrolyte
Analysis of CSS Georgia bones and Various Consolidants
Design and development of AM Prints for Educational Purposes
Get a more detailed understanding of their contributions here!
Note: Eligibility changes based on lab to lab (with some labs changing the grade and age minimum and others opening the program for permanent residents and dual citizens).
7. Veritas AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase
Cost: $4,900
Location: Virtual
Application Deadline: Upcoming summer cohort - May 19, 2024
Program Dates: Summer cohort start date - June 3, 2024
Eligibility: All high school students are eligible. Students must have completed the Veritas AI Scholars program or have prior Python knowledge.
The Veritas AI Fellowship, while not an internship, is a great opportunity for you if you are enthusiastic about exploring the fields of machine learning, data science, and artificial intelligence. This program, designed and run by Harvard graduate students and alumni, provides a stimulating environment for students through project development, and personalized 1-on-1 mentorship.
Over 12–15 weeks, students enrolled in the AI Fellowship engage in an independent AI research project, combining AI with a field of their choice. The program is structured in phases to optimize learning and project development. Students work intensively on their projects, utilizing one-on-one mentorship to address challenges in coding and further develop their ideas.
8. California Academy of Sciences - Careers in Science (CiS) Intern Program
Cost: No Cost, Stipend provided
Location: California Academy of Sciences
Application Deadline: April 3 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: Multi-year, year-round participation
Eligibility:
Open to freshman or sophomores enrolled in SFUSD schools
Maintain a GPA of 2.5 (Grade of C or higher in science and math)
The CiS Intern Program invites applications from San Francisco students from underrepresented communities in the field of STEM to learn about science and sustainability. Moreover, each student receives mentorships, gains the opportunity to build their professional skills and gains guidance with the college admission process.
Previously, topics covered in the program include Python for scientific programming, data science, astronomy, science communication, biomimicry, environmental justice, and California conservation.
We reached out to the CiS team regarding the subject tracks they offer, and here’s the answer we received- students are allocated to roles and departments in a museum setting based on their interests and opportunities they have available in the museum at the time.
Cost: $4,750 for tuition (there are additional costs for dorming or commuting).
Location: University of California, Santa Cruz
Application Deadline: March 31 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 23 - August 10, 2024
Eligibility:
Be at least 14 years of age.
Currently enrolled in high school.
The Science Internship Program is an internship wherein you can work alongside UCSC researchers to work on an open-ended research project in science, engineering, social sciences, humanities and art!
This program is a 9-week program where the first 2 weeks are online prep, and the latter 7 weeks are in-person active research. As SIP gives you the flexibility to choose your own research topic, you can definitely opt to conduct research within the field of data science. Past research projects include analyzing the neural network architecture UNet and GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks) in Medical Images, and analyzing a Game Simulation Engine for Evolutionary Game Theory Research.
Cost: No cost
Location: Johns Hopkins University Campus, Baltimore, MD/ Virtually
Application Deadline: February 15 (tentatively, based on previous years)
Program Dates: June 27th to August 18th, 2024
Eligibility:
High-school juniors and seniors residing in the Washington-Baltimore Metro area.
A minimum GPA of 2.8 is required.
Must be 15 years by June 15th, 2024 (For Summer 2024 session)
Only U.S. Citizens are eligible to apply.
The ASPIRE program by Johns Hopkins is an internship that allows high school juniors and seniors to experience STEM Careers in a supportive and holistic environment. Each intern is paired with APL staff and participates in workshops, problem-solving in groups, mentorship sessions with top faculty, and hands-on projects.
We recommend that data science enthusiasts apply for the Mathematics & Data Analysis area of placement. Although the in-person internship is held in Baltimore, you can also opt to complete the internship virtually!
Image Source - Ladder Internships Logo