Summer Internships for High School Students in India 2023

The idea of doing an internship while in high school is still a very rare phenomenon in India. It’s actually hard to find institutions or companies offering internships for high school students, as they prefer undergraduate and master’s students for internships. In this post, we will share a few tips on how to get internships as high school students in India. Additionally, we will cover some of the internship opportunities available at Stoodnt in 2023.

What is an internship?

An internship is an introductory work experience in a professional career field. It is sometimes paid, though usually at the lowest end of the pay scale. Sometimes it is unpaid.

The function of an internship is to gain experience and insight into a certain field while also performing some functional work in exchange for the experience. 

Why should you do an internship while in high school?

An internship provides you with an opportunity to put what you are learning into action, in a real-world environment. It helps you to understand the theories and strategies in a better way. Ultimately, the experience strengthens the learning process and gives you greater focus.

An internship also helps you to explore your career choices after high school. It helps you to realize your interests, strengths, and skillset.

Additionally, internships add a lot more significance to your college application portfolio; especially if you are aiming for competitive colleges abroad (and even in India). An internship showcases your work ethic and determination to get tasks done.

Usually, internships for high school students don’t always pay a stipend (or salary). So, there is not much to fetch in terms of remuneration. However, if you do get paid, consider it a cherry on the cake. Read more about how internships can help with college admissions, placements, and career development.

Internships count as extracurricular activities and are an important factor in college admissions. Extracurriculars are divided into four tiers, with tier 1 representing the most exceptional extracurriculars and tier 4 representing the most common activities. A competitive internship could count as tier 1. Read how to plan extracurriculars for college applications.

Summer Internships for High School Students in India [with Stipend]

Data Science Intern [6-Week Remote Internship]

Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated and analytical intern to assist with various data-related projects. The intern will work alongside experienced data scientists to gain hands-on experience in the field of data science and analytics. This is a 6-week paid internship program designed to provide the intern with an immersive experience in data science and machine learning. The ideal candidate should be a fast learner, self-motivated, and passionate about data science.

Responsibilities

• Work with the data science team to collect, clean, and analyze data using tools such as Python/R.
• Develop machine learning models to solve real-world business problems.
• Create visualizations and reports to communicate data insights to stakeholders.
• Assist with data mining, statistical analysis, and predictive modeling.
• Participate in team meetings and contribute to brainstorming sessions.

Desired Skills

• Currently enrolled in high school (Grades 9 – 12) with computer science as a subject.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Python or R.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.

Stipend: Rs. 4,000 (can earn up to Rs. 8,000 depending on performance) [10 – 15 hours per week commitment]

3D Animation Artist Intern [4-6 Week Remote Internship]

Required Qualifications and Skillset

• Must have a strong background in applied mathematics [ideal for Students in Grades 11/12 with Math]
• Must have a clear idea about the shapes of graphs.
• You must also have a clear idea about coordinate systems and geometric shapes.
• Experience in operating Blender 3D for at least 6 to 7 months is preferred.
• Candidate with a laptop or computer that has RTX graphics card is preferred.
• Can read python code.

Stipend: Rs. 6,000 [15 – 20 hours per week]

Branding, Communication & Content Marketing Intern [4-6 Week Remote Internship]

As the Content Marketing Intern, you will assist in the execution of content marketing campaigns for our company with a strong focus on writing. You will be responsible for creating, improving, and maintaining content to achieve our business goals. Your duties will also include sharing content to raise brand awareness and monitoring web traffic and metrics to identify best practices.

• Copy optimization for content marketing
• Curate, research, and write blog articles
• Social media marketing

Requirements:

• Must be a high school student (Grades 9 – 12)
• Outstanding writing and editing skills
• Advanced computer skills and strong familiarity with the web
• Detail-oriented and organized
• Familiarity with social media channels and audiences
• Working knowledge of WordPress is advantageous (not mandatory though)
• Graphic Design (Canva/Photoshop) skills would be advantageous (not mandatory though)
• You should be motivated and result-driven

Stipend: Rs. 4,000 [8 – 14 hours per week]

Community Outreach Intern [4-6 Week Remote Internship]

As an Outreach Intern, you will support marketing and communication activities. Some of your main responsibilities will include planning and email marketing and social media campaigns, such as our monthly newsletters and product releases. You will work with us to brainstorm and execute outreach projects with our various audiences (Counselors, Teachers & Faculty Members, Students, Parents, etc.).

Requirements:

• Currently enrolled in high school (ideally going into Grade 11 or 12)
• Familiarity with Google Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Drive, Sheet, Docs) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Excellent Verbal and Written Skills along with the ability to speak well in front of the camera (mobile/laptop)
• Strong knowledge of social media sites (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, Whatsapp, etc.)
• Must possess the ability to expedite and follow up on assigned tasks.
• Entrepreneurial and growth mindset are extremely desirable; if you don’t know how to do something, you take the initiative to learn how to do it!

Stipend: Rs. 5,000 [10 – 15 hours per week]

Marketing and Business Development Intern [4-8 Week Remote Internship]

We are looking for an enthusiastic marketing intern to join our leadership and provide creative ideas to help achieve our business goals. You will have administrative duties in developing and implementing marketing strategies.

You are expected to be a learner of the business, providing creative ideas to support the progress of the company and keeping its rules and regulations in mind.

The business development area is a mix of consultative sales, marketing, and strategy functions. There will be no sales target for this internship. You will be involved in different tasks, including product development, new market development, client search, and negotiation.

Key Responsibilities

• Collecting quantitative and qualitative data from marketing campaigns
• Performing market analysis and research on the competition
• Supporting the marketing team in daily administrative tasks
• Speaking with potential clients and customers over the phone, email, etc
• Managing Sales and Customer Service Processes
• Promoting the company and its products/services
• Familiarity with Google Suite (Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Drive, Sheet, Docs) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Excellent Verbal and Written Skills along with the ability to speak well in front of the camera (mobile/laptop)

Stipend: Rs. 6,000 (incentives will be applicable based on performance) [10 – 16 hours per week]

CEO Office Intern [4-6 Week Remote Internship]

Responsibilities

• Identify & Facilitate customer conversations
• Help founders with competitive research & market analysis
• Help founders in Hiring the right candidates
• You will work closely with the founders and assist in strategizing and managing any new initiatives that will be taken
• Help founder in Copy & Content writing as and when required
• Manage coordination with the external resources ‍

Requirements

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High ownership and discipline and ability to handle pressure and deliver on the assigned projects on time
• “Can do” attitude and comfort with working in a fast-paced, unstructured start-up environment
• A high degree of flexibility and adaptability to evolving one’s role based on changing organizational needs

Apply for this Role only if you are:

• A self-motivated Generalist
• Want to create and execute processes to expand the business (and revenue)
• Want to experience the startup culture

Stipend: Rs. 3,000 [7 – 10 hours per week]

How to find an internship as a high school student in India?

Internships for high school students are relatively popular in the US. Here are a few examples:

• United States Secret Service (USSS) Student Volunteer Program
• NASA High School Internships
• Microsoft High School Program
• Bank of America Student Leader Program 
• Air Force Research Library Scholar Program
• Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program
• GeoSciences Bridge Program
• Plant Genome Research REU
• Cincinnati Museum Center Internships
• Student Research Internship Program at the Scripps Translational Science Institute
• Met High School Internship Program
• New York Historical Society’s Student Historian Program
• The Expanding Horizons Internship
• Smithsonian High School Internships
• The Library of Congress Internship
• Johns Hopkins Internship in Brain Sciences (JHIBS)
• Adler Planetarium Summer High School Internship
• Indiana University Cancer Center Summer Research Program
• Stanford Compression Forum Summer Internship
• Princeton University’s Laboratory Learning Program

Structured internship programs or advertised internship positions for high school students are a rarity in India. Here are a few tips to find internships in India as a high school student.

Tips on finding internships as high school students in India

Start with Building a Solid Profile

Take courses (Udemy, Coursera) and build a portfolio (e.g. GitHub for Coding roles, Dribble for UI/UX/Design roles, or a YouTube/Instagram Channel with a healthy number of subscribers). If you have done a research project (even if it’s a paid one), sharpen your resume through a publication.

Spend Time Networking

• This is the most effective approach to finding an internship in India. Reach out to parents and teachers’ professional networks.
• Build an online presence by leveraging social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.).
• Try to connect with small business owners and startup entrepreneurs in your locality. Build a relationship and offer to help.

Attend Summer School Programs

An internship is basically a training program. An organization or institute will need to spend manual hours and resources to train you. Summer school programs are a good opportunity to gain valuable experience and skills. You can then try for a proper internship next summer or winter using that experience.

Start Sending Cold Emails

Companies do not have always internship application forms on their website. In such cases, you can send them an email. The email must include your name, education, a brief introduction (like your interest, hobbies, etc.), your resume, the position you want to apply for, or the field you want to work in (for example, graphic designing, content creation, marketing, etc.).

Try to connect directly with owners, hiring managers, and startup founders.

Try Internships Abroad

You can go for an in-person internship abroad, especially in your desired study-abroad destination.

Alternatively, try out online/remote internships. Here are a few portals:

• Go Abroad
• Intern Abroad HQ

Note: please check carefully before applying. Some of the internships include a fee, which could be in the range of $200 – $1,200.

Featured Image Source: Tallo

References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.