The Learn and Earn Internship Program

Learning on the job

Prelude offers yearlong internships for high school students from lower-income backgrounds, 96% of whom identify as people of color. We collaborate with schools and employers to provide real-world work experiences that prepare young adults to thrive in the future.

    • Design early release schedules

    • Provide a supportive learning environment

    • Recruit students

    • Identify intern placement opportunities

    • Recruit volunteer supervisors and mentors

    • Select, onboard, and supervise interns

    • Leads program design and implementation

    • Delivers Intern Seminar coursework

    • Supports employers, high schools, and students

    • Facilitates special events

Prepare to thrive

Get skills, connections, and experience

Prepare to thrive Get skills, connections, and experience

The Student Experience

High school students selected for a Prelude internship work up to 10 hours per week for a full academic year. They also participate in an academic seminar to develop critical professional skills alongside feedback and career guidance from their supervisor at the office. 

Student interns will…

  • Make meaningful contributions to their team

  • Master professional skills

  • Build a lasting network

  • Explore career interests

  • "I had never touched design software. But now, I feel like a pro with it! It's one of the biggest ways I grew."

    High School Intern

  • "Not only do they add bandwidth to my team, but their perspective is unique. They see things differently as high school students."

    Intern Mentor

  • "It's not just having a job, but having a career they're launching while they're still in high school. It's powerful becuase they're growing up."

    High School Educator

The Employer Experience

Employer partners create meaningful impact for their employees and interns. Over a year, each intern interacts with 10+ teammates, activating more than 100 hours of volunteer opportunities. Intern supervisors report high levels of engagement, pride, and professional fulfillment.

  • "My intern helped me make meaningful progress on a key initiative. She came in with fresh perspectives, energy and a willingness to really dig in. I'm so glad I got to know her and work with her."

    Intern Mentor

  • “I feel so honored to be part of this program. The interns are brilliant. I'm always impressed by how professional they are, and how much value they bring to the company. While it takes a lot of work, I feel so rewarded to be a mentor.”

    Intern Mentor

  • "I've grown as a manager and mentor through this program and credit it for much of my success. I cannot say enough good things!"

    Intern Mentor

The High School Experience

Prelude partners with high schools to develop long-term relationships with leading employers in their cities. Our proven internship curriculum ensures that students aren’t just working—they’re learning to succeed in a professional environment. 

  • “Our student-interns walk around our school glowing with pride. They know they're doing challenging, authentic work, and that they're supported every step of the way by their Prelude Intern Seminar.”

    High School Educator

  • “This is an example of how organizations from different sectors can work together to build something that will ensure students thrive.”

    High School Principal

The Intern Seminar

A curriculum for the 21st century workplace

High schoolers are often new to professional environments. Every Learn and Earn internship includes our flagship Intern Seminar course. This career-oriented curriculum helps students develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed as lifelong learners and professionals.

The Four Stages of Learning

Our instructional approach helps young people become self-directed, self-determined learners.

  • Learn key skills in the classroom environment

  • Practice new skills in the classroom setting and on the job

  • Receive feedback aligned to a Skills Rubric (calibrated to students' age and experience)

  • Process and reflect in a cohort learning community during weekly class and through formal end-of-semester portfolio presentations

Course Topics

Each lesson enhances what the interns can contribute—and gain—from their on-the-job experience. 

Topics include:

  • Crafting a Professional Brand

  • Goal Setting and Time Management

  • Workplace Skills

  • Giving and Receiving Feedback

  • Contributing to a Team

  • Analyzing a Problem and Generating Solutions

Frequently asked questions

For Employers

  • We have seen high school interns thrive in any corporate department, from Marketing to Tech, Legal, Tax, or Talent.

    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, fix technical bugs, or conquer other small projects that add bandwidth to your team.  

    Overall, high school interns bring enthusiasm, creativity, and a willingness to learn, making them a great asset to teams across the organization.

  • 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. 

  • 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

  • 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.  

  • This program benefits several stakeholders: 

    • Students: Research shows that students who complete at least one internship in college earn an average of $7K 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.

  • We're excited about your interest in partnering with us. Please contact us so we can set up a time to connect.

    If your company already has relationships with local schools, we can lead a collaborative design process to establish an internship program. If you are looking to establish new relationships, we can facilitate introductions with local high schools in your community.

For High School Leaders

  • We would love to hear from you, please schedule an introductory call!  If you already have connections to local employers, 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 internships for students.

  • We look for partners who have: 

    • A vision for how work-based learning can support college and career success 

    • School leadership that supports the program

    • A point of contact for day-to-day operations (typically a teacher)

    • Creative and flexible thinking regarding students schedules (e.g., adaptable block scheduling or early dismissal from a traditional school day to attend their internship) 

    • A classroom where students can meet for Intern Seminar class virtually 1 hour per week

For Students

  • If you attend one of our partner high schools, your school will provide information about how to apply.  Applications typically open in the spring semester of each school year. 

    We do not accept applications from students who do not attend one of our partner schools.  However, we encourage you to reach out to your school to express your interest in completing an internship or job shadowing experience!  They may be able to guide you to existing opportunities at your school. 

  • All Prelude students must be eligible to work in the United States and must be in good academic standing. Each employer partner will define additional eligibility requirements, such as a minimum age, which will be communicated during the recruitment process.