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Nichable

Free Programs for High School Students in New York City

Nichable lists 51 programs, internships, research programs, competitions and volunteer opportunities for high school students based in all five boroughs, plus Jersey City, Hoboken, Yonkers and White Plains. None of them lists a cost to take part, and 10 state outright that they're free. Each one is checked against the organization's own page.

Competition· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon

New York City History Day

Center for Brooklyn History
Competition· Brooklyn, NY
Opens Jan 6, 2027 · Due Feb 3, 2027
Competition· Remote
DeadlineDec 1

Memorial Sloan Kettering Summer Student Program

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Research· Paid· New York, NY
Opens Dec 1, 2026 · Due Feb 5, 2027

Teen Techies

Brooklyn Public Library
Program· Paid· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon
Program· Paid· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon

Cooper Hewitt Design Hive

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Program· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Whitney Museum Youth Insights Leaders

Whitney Museum of American Art
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Youth Volunteer Program

Liberty Science Center
Volunteer· Jersey City, NJ
DeadlineRolling
Program· New York, NY
Opening soon

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Internships

NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
Internship· New York, NY
Opening soon · Due Feb 26, 2027
Program· Paid· Long Island City, NY
Opening soon

Project TRUE Field Research Assistant Internship

Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx Zoo
Research· Paid· Bronx, NY
Opening soon

NewYork-Presbyterian CCHE Teen Peer Program

NewYork-Presbyterian / Queens
Volunteer· Queens, NY
DeadlineRolling

Teen Night Out Branch Council

Brooklyn Public Library
Internship· Paid· Brooklyn, NY
DeadlineRolling

CUNY College Now Dual Enrollment

The City University of New York
Program· New York, NY
DeadlineRolling

Bronx Museum Teen Council

The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Internship· Paid· Bronx, NY
DeadlineRolling

Peer-to-Peer Service Collective

Queens Public Library
Volunteer· Queens, NY
DeadlineRolling

Brooklyn Borough President's Youth Advisory Council

Office of the Brooklyn Borough President
Volunteer· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon

New-York Historical Tech Scholars

New-York Historical Society
Program· New York, NY
Opening soon · Due Jan 13, 2027
Program· New York, NY
Opening soon

Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program (High School Division)

Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program
Internship· New York, NY
Opening soon

NYU CS4CS (Computer Science for Cyber Security)

NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Program· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon

Garden Apprentice Program

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Internship· Paid· Brooklyn, NY
DeadlineDec 4
Research· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon
Research· New York, NY
Opening soon
Research· Paid· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon

Internship Program

Areté Education
Internship· Bronx, NY
Opening soon

9/11 Memorial & Museum Teen Ambassador Program

National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Program· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon
Volunteer· New York, NY
Opens Dec 1, 2026
Internship· Paid· Bronx, NY
Opening soon

NYU Tisch Future Artists

NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Program· New York, NY
DeadlineNov 9
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Apprentice Program

Brooklyn Museum
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Now (Dual Enrollment)

Lehman College
Program· Bronx, NY
Opening soon
Internship· New York, NY
DeadlineRolling

Manhattan DA High School Internship Program

Manhattan District Attorney's Office
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

CCNY College Now STEM Research Academy

The City College of New York
Research· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opens Jan 15, 2027 · Due Mar 15, 2027
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Teen Volunteer Days

Central Park Conservancy
Volunteer· New York, NY
Opening soon

MoMA Teens-in-Residence

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Program· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Science Research Mentoring Program

American Museum of Natural History
Research· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Summer Internship for High School Students

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Hearst High School Media Internship

The Paley Center for Media
Internship· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Rockefeller University Summer Science Research Program

The Rockefeller University / RockEDU Science Outreach
Research· New York, NY
DeadlineJan 4, 2027

Teen Volunteer Assignments

Brooklyn Public Library
Volunteer· Brooklyn, NY
Opening soon
Program· Paid· New York, NY
Opening soon

Science Honors Program

Columbia University
Research· New York, NY
Opening soon

Summer Science Research Program

Stony Brook University
Research· Paid· New York, NY
DeadlineJan 4, 2027

Common questions

Are these programs really free for high school students in New York City?

None of these 51 listings names tuition or a required fee. Listings that charge say so in a cost line and are labeled "Costs money", so they aren't on this page. Smaller costs such as travel or materials can still apply, so confirm on the organization's page before you apply.

How do high school students apply to free programs in New York City?

Each listing is run by its own organization and you apply on that organization's site. A free Nichable account shows each listing's deadline and how to apply, and lets you save and track them.