10 Internships in Houston for High School Students
5 minute read
Do you dream of working for NASA? Do you spend your weekends at the Houston Museum of Natural Science? Do you want to give back to your local community? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to look into internships in Houston for high school students.
Whether you’re interested in cancer research, construction, or anything in between, Houston offers a wide-range of internships for high school students. In this article, we’ll focus on 10 of the best high school internships Houston has to offer.
Why Pursue an Internship in High School?
Pursuing an internship in high school is a great way to gain job skills and explore potential careers while gaining mentors along the way. Not only will an internship help you decide what you might want to study in college, but it will also look great on your college applications. Overall, internships help students foster valuable communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Interns are also presented with various networking opportunities.
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Learn more about what you can achieve and expect here!
Criteria for Choosing the Best Internships
The best internships should align with your personal and academic interests, so make a list of careers you’re genuinely interested in exploring. This will help guide your research efforts. For instance, you may want to mostly look into psychology internships, political internships, or medical internships. You’ll also want to prioritize internships with hands-on learning and mentorship opportunities.
Next, consider practical factors such as whether the internship is paid or unpaid, its location and accessibility, and whether it is offered in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. Additionally, review eligibility requirements carefully to ensure you qualify!
10 Best Internships in Houston for High School Students
While there’s certainly no shortage of internships in Houston for high school students, how do you go about narrowing down your search? Which internship programs provide networking and mentorship opportunities? Which are paid? Which have good reputations? If you find yourself asking these questions, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Check out these 10 best internships in Houstin for high school students listed below:
1. NASA OSTEM Internships
The NASA OSTEM Internships offer high school students the opportunity to work alongside scientists and engineers on real NASA projects. Participants gain hands-on experience in fields such as aerospace engineering, computer science, and planetary science, while developing skills in research, teamwork, and innovation. This paid internship can even lead to full-time employment opportunities with NASA upon graduating college.
Ages: 16+
Location: Multiple locations across the U.S., including Houston, TX
Timeline: Spring: Mid-January – Early May (16 weeks) | Summer: Late May/Early June – August (10 weeks) | Fall: Late August/Early September – Mid-December/January (16 weeks)
Deadline: Spring internships – August | Summer internships – October | Fall internships – January
Cost: Free (Most interns receive a stipend based on academic level and session length)
2. Houston Methodist’s Summer High School Research Internship
The Houston Methodist’s Summer High School Research Internship places high school juniors and seniors in cutting-edge biomedical research labs at Houston Methodist Hospital. Interns work alongside undergraduate research assistants, contributing to real medical research projects and learning laboratory techniques in the process. In addition to working with undergraduate research mentors, interns are provided with professional development and career training.
Ages: 16+ (must be high school juniors and seniors)
Location: Main Houston Methodist Hospital campus, Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX
Timeline: May 28 – August 2, 2025
Deadline: Early February (exact date varies)
Cost: Free
3. University of Houston’s Mohan Lab Summer Internship
Hosted by the University of Houston, the Mohan Lab Summer Internship gives high school students the opportunity to participate in neuroscience research. After a 2 week training period, interns assist in experiments, data collection, and analysis during an 8-week program, gaining exposure to university-level research and scientific inquiry throughout the process.
Ages: Rising high school seniors
Location: MohanLab, University of Houston, Houston, TX
Timeline: June 3 – July 26, 2025
Deadline: March 31, 2025
Cost: Free
4. Houston Food Bank Student Heroes
The Student Heroes Program engages high school students in community service through the Houston Food Bank, fostering valuable leadership and teamwork skills throughout the process. Over the course of 50 volunteer hours, interns help fight food insecurity by organizing food drives, sorting donations, and educating others about hunger-related issues.
Ages: High school students (Grades 9–12)
Location: Houston, Texas
Timeline: August 25 – December 28, 2025 (50 hours across four months)
Deadline: July 21, 2025
Cost: Free
5. DPR Construction’s Build Up High School Internship
The DPR Construction’s Build Up High School Internship gives students firsthand experience in the construction industry through mentorship and hands-on activities. Over the course of 8 weeks, interns explore potential career paths by working on active job sites — learning about construction management and safety practices throughout the process. In addition to working on a multi-million-dollar commercial construction project, students are paid an hourly wage on a weekly pay cycle and are eligible for transportation stipends.
Ages: Juniors and Seniors
Location: Active construction sites around Houston, Texas
Timeline: Eight weeks (typically summer)
Deadline: April 18, 2025
Cost: Free (Interns receive a generous hourly wage; transportation stipends available)
Why Mentorship Matters in Research
💡 Curious about how mentorship can shape your research journey? Learn why it's a game-changer for high school students!
6. STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Summer High School Intern Program
Sponsored by NASA and the University of Texas, the STEM Enhancement in Earth Science (SEES) Summer High School Intern Program immerses students in Earth and space science research. Interns work on data analysis, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), while contributing to NASA missions and presenting their findings to experts. Throughout the course of this internship, students will gain insight into Earth systems, natural hazards, and climate science.
Ages: High school students
Location: Hybrid – Remote + Onsite at The University of Texas at Austin
Timeline: May 1 – July 22, 2025 (12 weeks)
Deadline: February 22, 2025
Cost: Free
7. High School Civic Engagement Internship
A collaboration between Rice University and the League of Women Voters of Houston (LWVH), the High School Civic Engagement Internship gives high school students the opportunity to organize voter registration events at Houston high schools in order to promote greater civic engagement in their communities. Over the course of this 12-week internship, students will assist in organizing and promoting voter registration events, as well as supplementing existing civic education programming. Since 1985, Texas law requires that all high schools provide eligible voters with two annual registration events, but these efforts have not been consistent throughout the state, which is why the High School Civic Engagement Internship is so important.
Ages: High school students
Location: Houston, Texas (various high schools)
Timeline: 12 weeks
Deadline: Not specified
Cost: Free
8. City of Houston Summer Jobs Program
The City of Houston Summer Jobs Program provides paid summer job opportunities for high school students with various city departments. Interns gain practical work experience in fields like parks and recreation, public works, and administration ,while learning professional skills and contributing to their communities.
Ages: 16+
Location: Multiple locations in Houston, Texas
Timeline: Varies by position
Deadline: Rolling
Cost: Free, Paid internship (hourly wage)
9. MD Anderson Cancer Center: UPWARDS Summer Program
Hosted by MD Anderson Cancer Center, the UPWARDS Summer Program provides local high school students with valuable mentorship and career exploration opportunities. Throughout the course of this 10-week paid program, students are paired with a faculty member who they work closely with in a laboratory setting. Students also attend scientific lectures, seminars, and career development events. Applicants must identify as economically disadvantaged, educationally disadvantaged, with disabilities, or a first-generation student in order to qualify for this program.
Ages: Rising high school seniors (must be 18+ by June 2, 2025)
Location: MD Anderson Cancer Center - Houston, Texas
Timeline: 10-week summer program (year-long program also available)
Deadline: January 20th, 2025
Cost: Paid $6,800 stipend (40-hour work weeks)
10. Houston Museum of Natural Science: Moran Ecoteen Summer Volunteer Program
The Moran Ecoteen Summer Volunteer Program at the Houston Museum of Natural Science is open to rising 9th through 11th graders. Over the course of 2-weeks, student volunteers assist teachers during various summer science camp classes. Some students are even trained to give presentations with museum artifacts.
Ages: Rising 9th-11th graders
Location: Houston Museum of Natural Science - Houston, Texas
Timeline: 2-week sessions throughout the summer
Deadline: March 18th, 2025
Cost: Free, unpaid
How to Make the Most Out of an Internship
In order to make the most out of a high school internship, you’ll want to actively reflect on your goals, strengths, weaknesses, and overall progress. So before you begin your internship, take time to create some goals for yourself: What are you hoping to learn or gain from this experience? What challenges do you anticipate facing?
Then, periodically check in with yourself throughout the course of your internship. Take plenty of time to reflect on your experiences afterwards, too: What did you learn? What surprised you? What did you enjoy? What did you struggle with?
In addition to approaching your internship thoughtfully, you’ll want to set yourself up for success by getting organized. Use organizational tools that work best for you, such as a day planner or online calendar. You may also want to create digital folders to keep important information together.
Lastly, ask plenty of questions and do your best to be an active participant. Not only will this help you make the most of your work, but it will also impress your supervisors, which may lead to valuable networking opportunities in the future.
Start Gaining Real-World Experience Today
Internships are a great way to explore career paths, gain job skills, and meet potential mentors. They’re also a great way to stand out from your peers and bolster your college applications! And who knows? You might even be able to make some decent money. All in all, high school internships are a worthwhile endeavor, one that’s sure to pay off — in more ways than one.
There are lots of benefits to having an internship. One of the most valuable being mentorship. A mentor can give you valuable insights into prospective careers and the college application process. They can challenge, guide, and inspire you! Here at Polygence, we believe wholeheartedly in the value of mentorship. That’s why we offer a Research Mentorship Program where motivated students are paired with a phd-level expert with shared interests in order to complete an individualized research project. Interested in learning more? Check out our research program mentors and peruse our database of past student projects.