Invest in young people.
Energize your team.
Host high school interns at your company
Most companies want to develop talent pipelines, engage employees, and create meaningful social impact. What if you could do that with one program?
Prelude partners with leading companies and innovative high schools to launch Learn and Earn internship programs.
These experiences offer a unique win-win opportunity: they prepare young professionals to thrive in their future careers while boosting employee engagement and team pride today.
Why partner with Prelude?
We know high school internships sound overwhelming, but they don’t have to be. Our turnkey program makes it simple to welcome students to your campus, build an early talent pipeline, empower your managers, and impact your community.
01.
Engage your Employees
Prelude provides resources and training, ensuring employees have a great experience.
96% of intern supervisors say the Prelude experience makes them feel proud of their workplace.
02.
Invest in Next-Gen Talent
Build relationships with motivated young people who bring curiosity, creativity, and fresh perspectives to your workplace.
93% of Prelude interns say they gained confidence in setting college and career goals.
03.
Develop Strong People Leaders
Intern managers scope work, give feedback, and become long-term mentors.
84% of intern supervisors leverage the experience for their own professional development.
04.
Create Community Impact
Open doors for local high school students from lower-income communities.
The typical Prelude intern earns $5,600 in wages as they take their first steps toward economic freedom.
05.
Advance CSR Priorities
Demonstrate your commitment to economic mobility, education, and college and career readiness.
Students who complete paid internships secure 25% more job offers and earn a $20K higher median starting salary than students with no internship experience.
Current employer partners
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“This experience has been incredibly rewarding. We have the chance to make a real impact in students’ early professional journey while developing our own leadership and communication skills.”
Intern Manager, SY24-25
Design your program
What to expect
Prelude interns show up on their first day ready to contribute.
They aren't a replacement for full-time employees, but they will be able to complete meaningful projects with measurable results.
Most intern supervisors find that students can take on valuable work that would otherwise remain on the back burner, such as conducting strategic research, analyzing employee survey data, or building productivity tools.
Your job?
Assign work that contributes to your team’s success.
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Research for New Initiatives
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Survey Administration & Analysis
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Event Planning
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Social Media Content Creation
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Internal Communications
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Web Traffic Dashboards
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Cost/Benefit Analysis
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Coding & QA Testing
Learn more about Prelude’s internship model
Join our employer network
We partner with employers across industries who want to build stronger teams and give back. Together, we open career pathways for young people in their communities.
Are you ready to explore an internship program of your own?
Frequently asked questions
For Employers
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We have seen high school interns thrive in any corporate department, from Marketing to Tech, Legal, Tax, or Supply Chain.
Often, interns undertake research projects that help their managers explore new areas. Others create social media content, adding their voice to the company’s channels. Interns can plan team events, analyze data, or conquer other small projects that add bandwidth to your team.
At the same time, high school interns bring enthusiasm, creativity, and a willingness to learn, making them a great asset to teams across the organization.
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Interns’ supervisors typically invest about 3-4 hours per week mentoring and managing their interns. Interns and supervisors can be matched 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1 ratio.
The company’s dedicated point of contact who oversees the program typically spends an additional 3-5 hours per week on program management. This time commitment increases during intern onboarding (summer/fall) and decreases after interns are placed with their supervisors.
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Our employer partners typically pay wages for the intern and a small program fee to Prelude, which goes toward:
A year-long course for students to develop key professional skills (i.e., communication, time management, problem solving)
Program management, including training and resources for intern supervisors led by Prelude
Impact evaluation and reporting.
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Intern start dates are typically in the late summer or early fall, and the internship spans the full academic year, ending in April or May. Many corporate partners prefer to host the high school interns during the school year so it is offset from the college summer internship season. During an exploration conversation, we can discuss the best start date and program calendar for your company.
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This program benefits several stakeholders:
Students: Research shows that students who complete at least one internship in college earn an average of $20K more in their first full-time job than those who do not complete internships. Unfortunately, only 20% of black college students and 29% of Latino college students complete an internship. By paving the way for students to prepare for college internships, your company is directly investing in students’ future earning power.
Employee Talent Development: Our partners have measured that team members that participate as an intern supervisor score higher on talent metrics such as engagement, retention, and promotion.
Employee Volunteerism: Interns interact with their supervisor + 10 or more additional teammates via coffee chats, career panels, and team meetings. Companies typically activate 100+ employee volunteer hours per intern. Many employees build authentic connections that often last beyond the internship.
Community Engagement: This program enhances your company’s connection to the community and advances social impact and brand perception goals.
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We're excited about your interest in partnering with us. Please schedule an introductory call. If you already have connections to a local school, we can help you navigate how to establish an internship program. If you don’t have any connections yet, we can support you on strategies for cultivating relationships that can lead to career exploration programming and internships for students. We're committed to making the process as smooth as possible and providing support every step of the way. Contact us today to start the conversation!