14 Internships for High School Students in Kentucky
If you're a high school student looking to explore career paths and build skills before college, internships offer a structured way to gain exposure to fields like medicine, engineering, finance, public health, and technology. Beyond classroom learning, these programs give you project experience, mentorship from working professionals, and connections that can strengthen your college applications and set you on a clear career path. Whether you're drawn to laboratory research, clinical healthcare, state government, environmental science, or business, there are programs at established institutions that can give you a meaningful head start.
Why should you intern in Kentucky?
Kentucky is home to several research universities, healthcare systems, and state agencies that offer internships for high school students year-round, including programs at the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Kentucky State University. These programs let you explore any topic based on your goals and interests, from cancer biology and pharmaceutical research to civil engineering, agricultural technology, government administration, and zoo conservation. These opportunities are open to both in-state and out-of-state students who want to explore opportunities at Kentucky-based institutions.
We've curated 14 internships for high school students in Kentucky across healthcare, STEM, government, and more to help you find a program that matches your interests and goals.
If you’re looking for online summer programs, check out our blog here.
Key takeaways
These internships span cancer research, biomedical science, clinical healthcare, government, zoo conservation, agricultural technology, electrical trades, logistics, and AI, so students with a wide range of interests can find a relevant paid opportunity in Kentucky.
Several programs offer strong stipends or hourly wages, including Brown Cancer Center ($3,500), Louisville Science Pathways ($15/hour), UK MIMG Fellowship ($2,500), and Lexington Summer Youth Job Training ($15/hour), while others, such as Ladder Internships and Louisville Zoo, are unpaid but provide structured professional experience.
Programs vary in format from year-long academic placements (St. Elizabeth Healthcare, UK CHIP) to summer intensives (Brown Cancer Center, Louisville Science Pathways), so students can choose based on their availability and depth of interest.
Application deadlines range from February (St. Elizabeth Healthcare) to rolling admissions, with several programs, such as Ladder Internships, Kentucky State Parks, and Louisville Zoo, accepting applications throughout the year.
1. Brown Cancer Center High School Summer Research Program
Location: Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Stipend: $3,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; ~20 students
Dates: June 1 – July 31 (9 weeks)
Application Deadline: April 5
Eligibility: High school students who are at least 16 years of age by June 1; have taken at least one advanced science course
This program opens with a two-week, hands-on wet lab experience led by the Drug Discovery Platform Core, during which you work directly on a faculty-led drug discovery project before transitioning to a seven-week mentored lab placement with a Brown Cancer Center faculty member. Your day-to-day supervisor will be a graduate student, post-doctoral fellow, or research scientist who guides your work and helps you build technical proficiency in the methods used by that lab. The program closes with a research poster presentation and showcase. Students are encouraged to read the assigned background materials to prepare for their individual lab placement.
2. Ladder Internships
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Cost varies depending on the program type; financial aid is available / No stipend
Acceptance rate/cohort size: 10–25%; 70–100 students per cohort
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring
Application Deadline: Multiple deadlines throughout the year; varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students who can commit 10-20 hours per week for 8–12 weeks
Ladder Internships is a virtual program that places high school students with startups and nonprofits across industries, including technology, business, healthcare, sustainability, and the arts. Each intern works directly on a project for their host organization and receives guidance from both a company-side mentor and a dedicated Ladder Coach throughout the placement. Group professional development sessions covering communication, time management, and workplace skills are built into the program structure alongside the project work. Because the program is fully remote and runs cohorts year-round, it is one of the most accessible structured options among internships for high school students in Kentucky, regardless of location. Apply now!
3. Louisville Science Pathways
Location: University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited placements
Dates: June 15 – July 24
Application Deadline: April 1
Eligibility: Jefferson County resident high school students entering sophomore, junior, or senior years; aged 16+
This internship places you in working science labs across the Belknap and Health Sciences Campuses. Research areas span neurobiology, anatomy, psychology, computer science, chemistry, physiology, biochemistry, cancer immunology, spinal cord research, pharmacology, biological engineering, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, and bacteriology, giving you a broad set of potential placement fields. Each intern is matched with a faculty scientist who provides mentorship throughout the placement while you contribute directly to an ongoing research project. If you're interested in biomedical or engineering fields, you'll find the range of available lab placements particularly useful for identifying which disciplines interest you most before committing to a college major.
4. UK MIMG High School Summer Research Fellowship
Location: University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY
Stipend: $2,500
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective; at least 6 students per year
Dates: 8 weeks during the summer; exact start date announced with acceptance
Application Deadline: April 5
Eligibility: At least 16 years of age by June 15; taken advanced coursework in both Biology and Chemistry
In this fellowship, you are placed in active university research labs throughout the summer. You will work 20-25 hours per week under the direct supervision of a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or research scientist and receive training in the specific experimental techniques used in their assigned lab. By the end of the program, most fellows can perform at least some independent experiments. The fellowship concludes with an oral presentation to department members, a concrete research communication deliverable that translates directly into college applications and future academic work. Some past participants have continued their projects as independent studies for high school credit.
5. Norton Healthcare High School Academy
Location: Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY (multiple sites)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Fall and spring semesters of the school year
Application Deadline: Likely around April
Eligibility: High school seniors who are at least 17 years old
The Norton Healthcare High School Academy Program places eligible students in paid roles as patient care associates, Norton Medical Group staff members, or pharmacy technicians. After completing system orientation and role-specific training, interns move into their assigned area and begin taking on responsibilities alongside full-time staff. You’ll gain hands-on experience with electronic medical records charting, direct patient care assistance, and professional interactions with healthcare teams, patients, and families. Alongside the clinical or administrative work, Norton Healthcare's workforce development team provides individualized career coaching and professional mentorship throughout the placement.
6. Kentucky Department of Parks (Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet) – Kentucky State Parks Co-op/Intern Program
Location: Kentucky State Parks locations statewide, with program coordination based in Frankfort, Kentucky
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; placements vary by individual park and staffing needs
Dates: Ongoing, interim assignments lasting less than nine months each
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Enrolled full-time as an 11th or 12th grade high school student in a certified structured training or tech program (or full-time at an accredited Kentucky post-secondary institution); minimum 2.5 GPA in good standing at hire and throughout employment
In this program, you gain paid, hands-on employment experience inside a working state park while earning academic credit. You participate directly in Kentucky State Parks operations, meet and work with specialists and experts in your field of study, and build professional connections with state government employees, mentors, and other interns. You choose a park or region where you'd like to work, then contact that park's business office in person or by phone to express interest. You complete an online application in the state recruitment system and submit an unofficial transcript to the Co-op/Intern Program Coordinator. The program pairs real state-government employment with school-sponsored academic credit, making it a structured bridge between classroom learning and public-sector work.
7. High School Service Internship Program at St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Location: St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Erlanger, KY (various Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati locations)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; limited positions
Dates: Academic year program; orientation on August 6, runs throughout the school year
Application Deadline: February 28
Eligibility: High school seniors (juniors at the time of application)
This program offers five distinct tracks: Patient Care, Engineering/Facilities, Information Technology, Business, and Culinary, each providing structured exposure to a different functional area of the organization. Depending on your track, you may spend time with medical staff in care settings, supporting IT infrastructure, working in administrative operations, contributing to facilities management, or working alongside hospital food service professionals. This multi-track structure makes the program one of the broader year-long internships for high school students in Kentucky, accommodating students whose interests extend beyond direct patient care into healthcare operations, technology, and infrastructure.
8. Lexington Summer Youth Job Training Program
Location: Partners for Youth, Lexington, KY (placements at various Lexington businesses and community organizations)
Stipend: $15/hour
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Competitive; 300 students
Dates: June 15 – July 25
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Rising 10-12 grade high school students in Lexington
This program connects high school students with paid positions at local businesses and community organizations. Partners for Youth, a city-affiliated department, manages all placements and coordinates the Skills Session series that participants complete before their work period starts. Skills Sessions cover financial literacy, money management, workplace etiquette, critical thinking, and public transportation, giving participants structured preparation before entering a professional setting. Because the city government covers all participant wages directly, the program does not require employer sponsorship, making it one of the more accessible paid internships for high school students in Kentucky. The program also includes a Career Fair, Youth Worker Orientation, Parent Orientation, and a formal banquet marking the end of the placement.
9. UK Careers in Health Care Internship Program (UK CHIP)
Location: University of Kentucky Department of Anesthesiology, Lexington, KY (rotations at UK HealthCare facilities)
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; limited cohort sizes
Dates: August – May
Application Deadline: Varies by partner school and year
Eligibility: High school students; currently partners with Bryan Station, Frederick Douglass, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and Woodford County High Schools in Lexington, KY
UK CHIP is a year-long, structured internship for high school students, sponsored by the Department of Anesthesiology at the UK College of Medicine. Participants rotate through clinical and educational settings across disciplines, including nursing, medicine, radiology, pharmacy, and physical therapy, during the academic year. Rotations run at UK HealthCare facilities, with sessions led by faculty, physicians, and advanced practice providers throughout the placement. The program blends clinical rotations, faculty-led sessions, and structured mentorship, offering depth that distinguishes it from shorter or observation-only healthcare experiences for high school students in Kentucky. UK CHIP aims to strengthen the state's healthcare workforce by connecting motivated students with Kentucky's academic medical community before college.
10. Kentuckiana Works – SummerWorks Program
Location: Placements at various Louisville/Jefferson County employers, Louisville, KY
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Non-selective; roughly 1,000+ direct placements annually
Dates: Early June to mid-August (typically lasting 6–7 weeks)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: Louisville/Jefferson County youth ages 16-21 as of June 1; priority for low-income applicants or those facing other barriers to employment
This program matches youth with paid summer jobs with local employers. Participating organizations span industries including manufacturing, healthcare, technology, logistics, and the skilled trades, with named employers in past cohorts including LG&E, Humana, Kroger, Norton Healthcare, and Louisville Metro agencies. Before placement, all participants receive free career preparation support covering resume writing, interview skills, and workplace readiness workshops, making this one of the more scaffolded entry-level internships for high school students in Kentucky. Once placed, you work as a paid employee at your assigned organization for the summer, building direct professional experience in a field aligned with your stated interests.
11. Gaylor Electric High School Summer Internship
Location: Gaylor Electric, Louisville, KY (placements at local sites)
Stipend: Paid hourly, rate not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; 130 students
Dates: Early June through late July; 8–10 weeks
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students interested in the electrical trades and construction
Gaylor Electric's High School Summer Internship places students in entry-level electrician roles on active construction sites or at the company's Production and Innovation Centers. The program begins with a full week of orientation and training at your local Gaylor Electric office before site placement starts. You are assigned to a site within approximately 30 miles of your home address, working standard construction hours alongside experienced Gaylor team members. Beyond site work, the program includes resume coaching, interview preparation, and career development sessions focused on opportunities within the electrical trades industry. Completing the internship can lead to a formal apprenticeship or a full-time position at Gaylor Electric upon high school graduation.
12. Louisville Zoo Intern Program
Location: Louisville Zoo, Louisville, KY
Stipend: None
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not specified
Dates: Year–round
Application Deadline: Rolling basis
Eligibility: High school students who are 13+
The Louisville Zoo offers volunteer placements for high school students through two distinct pathways: the Zoo Teen Program for students ages 13-18 who want to explore career opportunities in zoo operations, and the Intern Program, which accepts high school students in a limited capacity alongside students pursuing degrees. Assignments vary by department and availability, and can include work in animal care support, horticulture, public education, special events, and conservation programming. Gaining placement within an AZA-accredited institution recognized for its work in wildlife management, conservation research, and education programming gives you professional exposure to applied zoological science that is difficult to access through coursework alone.
13. Wright Implement Intern Program
Location: Wright Implement, multiple locations across Kentucky
Stipend: Paid; wage varies by department and position
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open, application-based hiring; cohort size varies by location and department
Dates: Not publicly available; the company asks interested students to request further information directly
Application Deadline: Applications/inquiries are made through Wright Implement's request-more-information form
Eligibility: High school students interested in diesel technology or the setup shop; at least 16 years of age
This program places you in working departments across the company's agricultural equipment dealership operations in Kentucky. You can apply to departments covering sales, parts, service, administration, or diesel technology, each providing exposure to a different aspect of the agricultural machinery industry. You work alongside experienced professionals in their assigned department and receive hands-on mentorship from staff who work in the field daily. This program is one of the few structured, paid internship options for high school students in Kentucky, specifically focused on agricultural business, machinery, and rural industries. The program is part of a broader effort to develop a skilled next generation of agricultural workers in Kentucky through early career experience.
14. UPS Worldport + Jefferson County Public Schools – School to Work
Location: Louisville, KY (UPS Worldport hub; classes at the UPS Education and Technical Center)
Stipend: Paid, amount not disclosed
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; approximately 400 students each year
Dates: Summer before senior year through high school graduation
Application Deadline: No fixed public deadline
Eligibility: High school seniors (applying as juniors) enrolled at participating Kentucky high schools such as Jefferson County Public Schools; 2.0 cumulative GPA across freshman, sophomore, and junior years; roughly 90% high school attendance
In this program, you split your senior year between morning classes at your high school, a paid afternoon shift at UPS, and evening college coursework. You work three to four hours a day as a package handler at Worldport, the world's largest UPS hub, handling real logistics operations in a Fortune 50 workplace. You can earn up to six college credit hours through JCTC hybrid classes, such as English 101, College Algebra, Public Speaking, or Introduction to Business, taught on site at UPSTEC with UPS-paid tuition and textbooks. A dedicated STW mentor visits you at work and before class to support all three parts of the program.
If you're looking to build a project/research paper in the field of AI & ML, consider applying to Veritas AI!
With Veritas AI, which was founded by Harvard graduate students, you can work 1-on-1 with mentors from universities like Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and more to create unique, personalized projects. In the past year, we have had over 1000 students learn AI & ML with us. Check out a past student's experience in the program here. You can apply here!
Frequently asked questions
1. What internships are available for high school students in Kentucky?
Options include biomedical and cancer research internships, such as Brown Cancer Center, Louisville Science Pathways, and UK MIMG Fellowship, clinical healthcare programs, such as Norton Healthcare Academy, UK CHIP, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare, workforce and employment programs, such as Lexington Summer Youth Job Training, Kentuckiana Works SummerWorks, and UPS School to Work, trades and industry programs, such as Gaylor Electric and Wright Implement, and virtual programs, such as Ladder Internships.
2. Which Kentucky internships offer the best stipends or pay for high school students?
Brown Cancer Center offers the largest stipend at $3,500, followed by UK MIMG Fellowship ($2,500). Louisville Science Pathways and Lexington Summer Youth Job Training both pay $15 per hour. Several other programs, such as Norton Healthcare Academy, Gaylor Electric, and UPS School to Work, are paid but do not publicly disclose their wage amounts.
3. Which Kentucky internships are best for students interested in healthcare or medicine?
Students interested in healthcare might consider Brown Cancer Center for mentored cancer biology research, Louisville Science Pathways for placements across biomedical and engineering labs, UK MIMG Fellowship for university research in microbiology and immunology, Norton Healthcare Academy for paid roles as patient care associates or pharmacy technicians, UK CHIP for year-long clinical rotations across nursing, radiology, and pharmacy, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare for multi-track exposure across patient care, IT, and engineering.
4. When should I apply to internships for high school students in Kentucky?
The earliest deadline is St. Elizabeth Healthcare (February 28), followed by Louisville Science Pathways (April 1) and Brown Cancer Center and UK MIMG Fellowship (April 5). Several programs, such as Ladder Internships, Kentucky State Parks, Louisville Zoo, and Kentuckiana Works, accept rolling applications throughout the year, so students should begin researching options in the fall semester.