Top 8 AI Internships for High School Students in California
Internships offer high school students valuable opportunities to gain hands-on experience, build meaningful connections, and develop critical professional skills. With artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly transforming industries, early exposure to this field is increasingly beneficial. According to a United Nations Trade and Development report, the AI market is projected to hit $4.8 trillion by 2033, emerging as a dominant frontier technology.
If you are passionate about AI, internships provide an essential bridge between academic learning and practical innovation. California, a global hub of technological advancement, hosts numerous internship programs supported by leading universities, research centers, and technology companies.
We've carefully selected the top 8 AI internships for high school students in California, emphasizing mentorship, collaborative projects, and genuine professional engagement.
1. NASA High School Internship Program
Location: Various NASA centers across the United States
Dates:
Spring Session: Mid-January to Early May
Summer Session: Late May to August
Fall Session Late August to Mid-December
Application Deadline: Fall: May 16 | Spring: September 12 | Summer: February 27
Eligibility: High school students aged 16 or older with a minimum GPA of 3.0
Cost/Stipend: Some opportunities are paid
If you've ever dreamed of contributing to space exploration or cutting-edge research, the NASA High School Internship Program offers a real opportunity to make that happen. As a NASA intern, you'll work under the mentorship of top engineers and scientists on meaningful projects that could involve AI, robotics, satellite data analysis, autonomous systems, or predictive modeling. Depending on your assignment, you might help refine machine learning models that power planetary exploration rovers or analyze complex datasets collected from space missions.
You’ll also participate in technical seminars, professional development workshops, and intern showcases where you present your findings to NASA staff. Throughout the internship, you can sharpen your technical expertise and scientific communication skills, gaining insight into how research teams operate at a world-class organization.
2. Veritas AI Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Rolling, varies by cohort
Eligibility: High school students aged 15+, prior AI experience preferred
Cost/Stipend: $2,490 (financial aid available)
Veritas AI's Internship Program could be a great fit if you're looking for real-world experience working on applied AI problems. This 8-week virtual internship connects you with top researchers and industry professionals as mentors, allowing you to contribute to active machine learning, computer vision, or natural language processing projects.
You’ll start by selecting a domain that matches your interests — finance, healthcare, environmental science — and then can start developing AI models tailored to real-world datasets. Weekly mentor check-ins help you stay on track and refine your work. At the end of the internship, you'll present your final project to a panel of experts, gaining valuable feedback and presentation experience.
Veritas also offers career pathway sessions and alumni panels, giving you a clearer roadmap if you're considering AI in college or beyond. Apply for the internship here.
3. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) High School Internships
Location: Various sites across the U.S.; you can choose your preferred location. (Travel, meals, and housing are not provided.)
Dates: Summer; specific start and end dates vary by site.
Application Deadline: Rolling; check AEOP’s current openings for each site.
Eligibility: Current high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents; additional site-specific criteria may apply.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; stipends are offered and vary by location.
If you're excited about exploring real-world research alongside professional scientists and engineers, AEOP’s High School Internships open a direct path to it. You’ll be matched with a mentor from a university or a Department of Defense (DoD) laboratory, working side-by-side on ongoing research projects. Your work could help solve some of the nation’s most complex problems, from engineering challenges to cutting-edge AI applications.
If you’re interested in machine learning or coding, sites like the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (Boston or Aberdeen) offer AI-focused opportunities. You might work on autonomous systems or advanced programming using languages like Julia. You'll not only sharpen your technical skills but also experience research culture firsthand, which can be a big advantage as you plan your college path.
4. Ladder Internship Program
Location: Virtual
Dates: 8-week programs offered in multiple seasonal cohorts
Application Deadline: Various deadlines depending on cohort; upcoming Summer Cohort deadline is May 11.
Eligibility: High school students who can commit 10–20 hours/week; undergraduates and gap-year students may also apply.
Cost/Stipend: Starting at $2,490 (financial aid available)
Ladder offers a unique opportunity to step straight into the real world of innovation. As an intern, you’ll be placed remotely with a startup or nonprofit, working on a project that fits your interest, whether AI, business, sustainability, healthcare, or journalism. You’ll develop tangible deliverables during your internship and present your work at the program’s conclusion.
What makes Ladder stand out is its dual emphasis on project work and professional mentorship: you’ll receive personalized coaching from Harvard alumni and industry leaders on communication, time management, and technical skill-building. This internship gives you a glimpse into your potential career field and an authentic experience you can showcase for years.
5. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Scholars Program
Location: Various AFRL sites across the U.S.
Dates: Summer internships; dates vary by site and project.
Application Deadline: January 10
Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old, with a minimum 3.0 GPA; must be enrolled full-time before and after the internship session.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; weekly stipends provided based on education level and GS pay scale.
If aerospace technology, research, or AI excites you, the AFRL Scholars Program offers a comprehensive experience. You'll spend your summer working full-time (40 hours/week) at a research facility, guided by AFRL scientists and engineers. Expect to tour state-of-the-art labs, collaborate on projects that could involve AI, machine learning, data modeling, or aerospace systems design, and build lasting mentorship relationships.
Past research areas have included drone swarming, predictive modeling, and autonomous navigation, all blending AI and engineering. It’s an exceptional opportunity if you're aiming to launch a career in aerospace, defense innovation, or artificial intelligence.
6. Spark Summer Mentorship Program (SPARK SMP)
Location: Greater Seattle area or Virtual
Dates: Typically June–August; around 6–8 weeks.
Application Deadline: April 21
Eligibility: High school students based in the Greater Seattle area who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and can commit to 40 hours/week.
Cost/Stipend: No cost; some projects offer stipends depending on funding.
SparkSMP is your chance to dive into projects where AI, machine learning, and data science meet real-world applications. You'll get to choose projects that interest you, ranging from extreme weather modeling to quantum computing, and work under the direct mentorship of industry leaders, research scientists, and university faculty. Only 5 to 6 students are selected per project to ensure you get personalized guidance and deep engagement.
Spark also offers career workshops and post-internship opportunities, such as college essay mentoring and research publication opportunities. If you want to apply your academic skills to groundbreaking, real-world challenges, SparkSMP can be a great stepping stone.
7. Tech360
Location: America on Tech (Los Angeles, CA)
Dates:
Cycle 1: June 16 – July 3
Cycle 2: July 14 – July 31
Demo Day: August 7
Application Deadline: May 25
Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors at Los Angeles County high schools
Cost/Stipend: No cost; $500 stipend upon successful completion
If you're interested in blending web development with artificial intelligence, Tech360 offers a structured, hands-on introduction. Over three weeks, you'll work on fundamental web coding skills like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript while exploring how AI can be integrated into applications. Working in small groups, you’ll design and present your own tech solutions for real-world challenges. Through mentorship sessions, you'll meet tech professionals who’ll share insights about navigating the industry and can help you pursue more advanced AI and tech projects.
8. StandOut Connect
Location: Virtual
Dates: Multiple cohorts offered year-round
Application Deadline: Varies depending on cohort
Eligibility: High school students aged 15 years or older by program start date
Cost/Stipend: $1,950 (financial aid available)
StandOut Connect offers a direct pathway to gain serious career experience. Through interactive workshops led by alumni from top universities, you'll build essential skills like crafting a standout résumé, mastering networking strategies, and using AI tools to boost your productivity. Once equipped, you’ll be placed in a two-month remote internship at a startup or professional organization where you’ll work on real-world challenges.
You’ll collaborate closely with mentors and peers throughout the internship, tackling various projects that can develop your technical, communication, and leadership skills. To top it off, you’ll have the chance to earn recommendation letters from company founders, helping you bolster your future college or career applications.