12 AI Internships for High School Students in Illinois
If you’re a high school student interested in artificial intelligence, internships can be a great way to explore the field. AI internships can help you learn coding, data analysis, and research, while you work on projects under the mentorship of university faculty or industry professionals. You’ll also connect with mentors and peers who share your interests, helping you build a network that can support your future goals in the field.
Why should you attend an internship in Illinois?
Illinois is home to several universities, research centers, and innovation hubs that offer opportunities in AI and related fields. Through these programs, you can train machine learning models, develop AI-driven apps, or analyze large datasets to solve problems in healthcare, business, and science. Whether you’re a local or out-of-state student, Illinois offers a strong foundation for developing your AI skills and exploring new pathways in technology.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled 12 AI internships for high school students in Illinois.
If you are looking for internships in Illinois, check out our blog here.
1. Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM)
Location: On-site and off-site work schedule
Stipend: $500 weekly
Dates: July 13 – August 7
Application Deadline: March 1
Eligibility: High school seniors or recent graduates; must be a U.S. citizen; have proof of medical insurance; and have an Illinois high school enrollment
The Fermilab PRISM is a summer internship designed for high school seniors and recent graduates interested in exploring advanced topics in science and technology. The program offers you exposure to fields like quantum science, particle physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence. You’ll learn through themed weekly sessions combining lectures, activities, and facility tours. You’ll work closely with Fermilab researchers and STEM professionals to develop your own research abstract and poster, which you present at the end of the program. Through these experiences, you’ll gain insight into scientific careers at the intersection of AI and physics.
2. Veritas AI
Location: Virtual
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available
Dates: Multiple 12-15-week cohorts throughout the year, including spring, summer, fall, and winter
Application deadline: On a rolling basis. Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November). You can apply to the program here
Eligibility: High school students. AI Fellowship applicants should either have completed the AI Scholars program or exhibit experience with AI concepts or Python
Veritas AI, founded and run by Harvard graduate students, offers work-learn programs for high school students who are passionate about artificial intelligence. Students who are looking to get started with AI, ML, and data science would benefit from the AI Scholars program. Through this 10-session boot camp, students are introduced to the fundamentals of AI & data science and get a chance to work on real-world projects. Another option for more advanced students is the AI Fellowship with Publication & Showcase. Through this program, students get a chance to work 1:1 with mentors from top universities on a unique, individual project. A bonus of this program is that students have access to the in-house publication team to help them secure publications in high school research journals.
3. DSI Summer Lab
Location: John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, Hyde Park campus, IL
Stipend: $5,600
Dates: June 15 – August 7
Application Deadline: January 12
Eligibility: High school students (freshmen through seniors) who live/attend school in the Chicago area, can commute to UChicago Hyde Park, are familiar with at least one programming language (Python, Java, C++, etc.), and have completed the relevant coursework
The DSI Summer Lab is an eight-week, paid research internship at the University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute. Here, you’ll work on applied, interdisciplinary research projects that use data science and AI to address real problems. You’ll be paired with a faculty or graduate mentor, collect and analyse data, and apply AI tools and techniques. Weekly seminars feature speakers who share their career pathways. At the end of the internship, you’ll present your findings at a symposium modelled after a professional research conference. You might have the option to continue working with your mentors beyond the summer.
4. Ladder Internship Program: AI Track
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world
Cost: Varies depending on program type. Full financial aid available.
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: 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.
5. UChicago Youth Internship Program
Location: The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: A stipend is offered
Dates: June 23 – July 31(based on previous year)
Application Deadline: April 24
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program and authorised to work in the United States; residents of the city of Chicago; who attend a Chicago public high school, including charter schools
The University of Chicago Youth Internship Program is a two-summer internship opportunity for Chicago public high school students to explore STEM fields while getting early work experience. In the first year, you’ll take part in workshops, college visits, and talks from STEM professionals that help you understand different career paths and build practical skills. Those who complete the first summer can return for a second year, interning in areas like computer science, health sciences, or IT services at the university. You’ll work on projects, summarising research, shadowing professionals, helping with data or scheduling, and contributing to team goals. Finally, you’ll create and deliver a formal presentation about the internship that you can use for future jobs and college applications.
6. After School Matters Internships
Location: Sites across Chicago, IL
Cost/Stipend: A Stipend is offered
Dates: Varies based on cohort; multiple cohorts run through the year
Application Deadline: Varies based on cohort
Eligibility: High school students, Chicago residents, who attend a Chicago High School
After School Matters offers hundreds of paid internships and apprenticeship programs across Chicago, including STEM-focused options that let you explore fields like technology, engineering, and AI. You will be placed at community-based organizations such as Code Your Dreams or Project SYNCERE, where you may learn coding, data analysis, and applied computing through team-based projects. Each internship emphasises professional experience, leadership, and collaboration, while helping you strengthen problem-solving and communication skills. With over 100 programs available, you can apply to six at a time, making ASM a flexible way to gain real-world experience while earning a stipend.
7. Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Programs
Location: University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Cost/Stipend: No cost/Students accepted into this program will receive a fellowship payment for committing themselves to full participation and effort to learn and try new things
Dates: TBA for this session, typically June-August
Application Deadline: Applications open in February
Eligibility: Rising 10th - 12th graders from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, and Wisconsin
The Young Scholars Summer STEMM Research Programs at the University of Illinois give you the chance to spend six weeks doing real research alongside university scientists and engineers. Depending on your placement in research groups, you could work on AI, quantum physics, cancer immunology, bioengineering, etc. You’ll spend about 30–35 hours a week in the lab, attend weekly seminars on college prep and scientific communication, and end the summer by presenting your findings at a research symposium. The program prioritises inclusion, with a strong focus on supporting students from groups underrepresented in STEM.
8. Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Location: Remote options available
Cost: Free except for a $25 application fee, which can be waived for eligible students
Dates: June 18 – August 12
Application deadline: February 15
Eligibility: Interns for remote internships must be 15 years or older
The Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program is an eight-week research opportunity for high school students interested in pursuing advanced research in STEM. Here, you’ll work one-on-one with faculty researchers in disciplines like computational, mathematical, computer, and data sciences. Apart from research, you’ll learn scientific writing and strengthen your communication skills. Past ASSIP work has included a project on Learning Agent-Based Modelling Through Virtual Reality-Based Simulations at the College of Science: Department of Computational and Data Sciences.
9. Colorado School of Mines: CS@Mines Internship
Location: Remote options available
Stipend: Not offered
Dates: ~June 1st and end ~August 6th (10 weeks)
Application Deadline: April 18
Eligibility: High school students
The CS@Mines Summer Internship gives high school students a chance to work alongside Mines faculty on real computing projects. Depending on your interests, you could join a research team in AI or cybersecurity, help run virtual coding camps for younger students, or contribute to a Computing for Good project. Most interns spend 5–20 hours a week over 10 weeks, between June and August, building both technical and collaborative skills. The internship is designed as a true work experience, not volunteer work, and it connects you directly with the university’s computing community.
10. AI Explorers
Location: Remote. Illinois students can apply
Cost: $300
Dates: June 15 – 19
Application Deadline: Not specified
Eligibility: High school students
The AI Explorers program is a virtual, one-week program designed to give high school students a practical introduction to how today’s AI systems actually work. As a participant, you will explore the core concepts that shape modern machine learning and see how they impact industries in real time. The curriculum includes lessons with applied exercises to help you understand how models might learn patterns, make predictions, and tackle complicated tasks. The program is designed as a work-and-learn experience to provide you with an overview of what AI can do, and what it can’t, before you take on more advanced projects in the field.
11. MIT FutureMakers
Location: Virtual. Illinois students can apply
Cost: Free
Dates: July 1 – August 9 (tentative, based on previous years)
Application deadline: Typically April
Eligibility: High school students in the U.S. and Puerto Rico; experience of 1 year in Python for the deep learning track required
MIT FutureMakers is a free, six-week summer program that offers high school students an opportunity to apply AI to real challenges. Though not a traditional internship, it follows a work-learn model that mirrors professional experience. The program begins with four weeks of cohort-based training, where you will choose one of four tracks: conversational AI app development, applied deep learning, data activism, or mobile app development (meant for younger students). This is followed by a two-week “Create-a-thon,” where you’ll design AI-driven solutions. The program concludes with a pitch competition judged by experts, where top-performing teams earn the chance to present their projects at the ASU-GSV Summit in San Diego.
12. The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) - Summer Research Internship
Location: Virtual. Illinois students can apply
Cost: $850 + $40 application fee; need-based fee waivers available
Dates: June 16 – 27
Application Deadline: February 28 (tentative, based on previous years)
Eligibility: High school students; students with programming/math skills or experience in a healthcare project encouraged
The Stanford Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine and Imaging (AIMI) offers the virtual, two-week project-based Summer Research Internship for high school students interested in exploring the intersection of AI and healthcare. If selected, you will work on a group project under the guidance of Stanford Student Leads and researchers, and attend lectures on the fundamentals of AI in medicine. As part of the project, you’ll design a solution for a real problem in the AI and medicine field. You’ll receive a Certificate of Completion after you complete the project. You may also be invited to continue with an extended independent internship afterwards.
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