The Top International Internships for High School Students This Year

Experiencing international travel is kind of like the opposite of eating: the more you consume, the hungrier you get (ok, it’s a lot like the opposite of eating). If you’re here reading this, we’re guessing you’ve got an appetite for exploration, and we want to help you (begin to) satiate it...with high school internships abroad!

It’s easy to have eyes that are wider than your stomach, especially with so many providers out there to choose from—not to mention deciding on which continent, country, city, language, opportunity, experience... shall we go on?

When you’re getting ready to venture abroad, you want to do it right, and doing it right means finding what’s best for you. And interning or working abroad is one of our favorite types of summer programs abroad for high school students!

On college campuses, more schools are offering campus exchanges and many campuses have an entire office dedicated to studying abroad, so college kids have it easy. Why not start seeing the world with those wide eyes even younger than that, though?

We want to encourage you to consume the world, so we’re offering some insight into the best providers of work experience travel programs for high schoolers. Aren’t you looking for a little bit of independence, a little bit of global exposure, and a little bit of cross-cultural work experience (fancy!) for that college application? We’ve got your answers ready for you: yes, yes, yes!

Here’s a preview of some amazing international internships for high school students:

• Instituto Hemingway
• Volunteering Journeys
• Projects Abroad
• OGVO Ghana
• SPI Study Abroad
• Go Abroad Nicaragua 
• Little Star Co, Ltd.
• Global Nomadic

8 top providers for international work experience for high school students

Editor’s note: This information was accurate at the time of publishing. Please refer to each individual program for current data.

1. Instituto Hemingway—9.67 rating

“The program was nothing short of exceptional and something I'll always remember.” Read more Instituto Hemingway reviews here.

• Where? Bilbao, Spain
• When? 4 week, 8 week, and 12 week programs available 
• Why? Any rising chef, food critic, foodie—or, let’s face it, anyone with taste buds at all—is bound to fall in love with the hands-on Spanish cooking courses offered through this provider. The food isn’t the only thing getting prepped at Instituto Hemingway; in tandem with language studies, each student’s coursework serves as preparation for an internship in the restaurant industry. That’s right: if you can take the heat, then it’s time to get into the kitchen. Did we mention that all of this would be under the facilitation of Instituto Cervantes, whose whole mission is making sure foreigners get a high-quality lesson in Spanish culture? Sounds perfecto for work experience!
• More info on Instituto Hemingway

2. Volunteering Journeys—9.22 rating

“I’ve grown a lot wishing to have another chance to be in Sri Lanka doing such meaningful things.” Read more Volunteering Journeys reviews here.

• Where? Sri Lanka and India
• When? Year-round; one to 12 week programs available 
• Why? You know that anti-straw fad that’s climbing the ranks in hopes of “saving the turtles”? That’s great from afar, but what if you could interact with and care for six species of turtles in person? Volunteering Journeys makes work experience travel programs for high schoolers all about learning a local culture through conservation and conscientiousness. This ranges from hanging out with endangered species, to teaching kindergarten, to empowering local women’s groups. So you get to be proud of your big heart as you hang out with like-minded volunteers in South Asia. Win, win.   
• More info on Volunteering Journeys

3. Projects Abroad—9.41 rating

“I did the High School Special Care and Community project in Cusco, Peru, with a good friend from home for four weeks this past summer, and I loved every minute of it!” Read more Projects Abroad reviews here.

• Where? South America, Asia, Africa
• When? Year-round
• Why? Nothing creates bonds like helping communities in need while also exploring a new country alongside other high school students. Projects Abroad’s multinational community is all about a yearning for international experience and a passion for community service. They offer high school work experience programs in several countries (including Peru, Tanzania, and Nepal), which offer a role for everyone. Into chasing after cute kiddos? The kindergarten placement might be your jam. More interested in the laid-back stories of your elders? You can slow down your pace in an elderly care facility.    
• More info on Projects Abroad

4. OGVO Ghana—8.76 rating

“Volunteering, although tough, is so rewarding, you get to experience the culture full on always.” Read more OGVO Ghana reviews here.

• Where? Ghana
• When? 2-week, 4-week, and 6-week + programs
• Why? Work experience travel programs for high schoolers should be equal parts work experience and travel, you know what we’re saying? Blending the two is OGVO Ghana’s key goal. They’re offering up all the choices for the type of work experience you want on that resume: healthcare? Childcare? Development? Check, check, check. They’re also really hyped that being in Ghana might mean building self-confidence, adjusting old attitudes, and understanding a brand new culture (truth is, we’re hyped for you, too).
• More info on OGVO Ghana

5. SPI Study Abroad—9.7 rating

“Good balance between class, family, and free time. The excursions and day trips were well planned and added a great cultural learning experience to the immersion.” Read more SPI Study Abroad reviews here.

• Where? Spain, Costa Rica, France, Italy, and China.
• When? Two- to four-week long summer programs
• Why? How does “cross cultural leadership skills” sound as a line on your resume? How does “full immersion in the traditions of a foreign country” sound as an aspect of your life?! SPI Study Abroad wants you to have it all and when you sign up for a summer in Spain, Italy, France, Costa Rica, or China, you’re signing onto a summer of comfy homestays, exciting excursions, captivating city-life, and blissful beaches. Perk: you’ll get some college credit, too. 
• More info on SPI Study Abroad

6. Go Abroad Nicaragua —10.0 rating

“We visit and assist rural areas of Nicaragua where no medical attention is an option.” Read more Go Abroad Nicaragua reviews here.

• Where? Granada, Nicaragua
• When? Year-round
• Why? Go Abroad Nicaragua is all about customizing the program to you (flattering, right?). You’ll get to experience the colorfulness and lakeside views of Granada, while also being swept away on various excursions around the country. Academic staff will be around to lecture you (the interesting kind, we promise), and you’ll get to work with in-country staff who are as passionate about global mindfulness as you. 
• More info on GoAbroad Nicaragua

7. Little Star Co, Ltd.—be the first to review!

• Where? Shizuoka, Japan
• When? One to six months
• Why? What better way to undertake high school work experience programs abroad than with intensive language immersion? On top of learning conversational Japanese, Little Star Co, Ltd. places high schoolers as assistant teachers and childcare assistants in Japan. This allows participants to teach as much as they learn, and give as they grow.
• More info on Little Star Co

8. Global Nomadic—10.0 rating

“In the short 3 months that I was in Thailand, I had an amazing experience with the people I worked with and the things I did. I enjoyed my experience, and I want to thank Global Nomadic and AIP for this opportunity and their help to make this possible.” Read more Global Nomadic reviews here.

• Where? Worldwide 
• When? Year-round
• Why? Picture any tropical island you want to visit: do you see glorious beaches, lush rainforests, and countless fascinating land and sea creatures alike? Global Nomadic is a provider for those of you who want to work in (and bask in) this exoticness, while also helping to preserve it as is. Dive into a lemur protection program in Madagascar, an environmental internship in Bali, a wildlife rehabilitation program in Guatemala, or one of the other countless renowned international conservation project placements brought to you by Global Nomadic!
• More info on Global Nomadic

Compare these programs side-by-side (for FREE) with MyGoAbroad

You’re ready to find the best high school internships abroad for YOU!

Grab your buds and have the best summer working abroad ever!

Ah, to be young and free to see the world. Yeah, it sounds cheesy, but get ready to hear it from all your relatives and family friends. Plus, they’re right! You’re on the right track for getting started sooner. Good things come with time…like checking off everything you want to see from your bucket list. 

High school work experience programs abroad will provide you with cultural exposure as well as a brand new sense of purpose. Once you’ve saved those sea turtles in Sri Lanka or worked on development in Ghana, you’ll be more confident in your own abilities and more primed to take on the world (we don’t mean figuratively).

We’ve carefully selected some sensational providers for you to begin thinking about on your journey of finding the perfect high school work experience program for yourself. There are 195 countries in the world, though, so admittedly, we didn’t cover it all (apologies). That means it’s your moment to take a look at high school work experience programs abroad—and the sooner, the better. Who knows? You might not be able to pick just one!  

Browse ALL High School Work Experience Programs Abroad