Apply For College – Get Involved
Turn Interests into Experience
Getting involved is one of the best ways to prepare for college and your future career. Practical experiences such as summer programs, internships, and volunteer opportunities help you build valuable skills, explore career interests, and gain confidence in real-world settings.
These activities also allow you to discover your passions, make meaningful connections, and strengthen your applications for college, scholarships, internships, and jobs.
Beyond the resume boost, getting involved supports your personal growth and helps you transition successfully into higher education and the workforce.
Strengthen Your Applications
Why It Matters:
- Getting involved shows initiative and well-rounded interests on college, scholarship, and job applications.
- It helps you explore future careers and college majors.
- You can build confidence, communication, and leadership skills through these activities.
- Involvement gives you the opportunity to give back to your school or community.
- It helps you build relationships with peers, teachers, and mentors that can support you on your journey.
Types of Involvement:
- You can join clubs and organizations such as academic clubs (math, robotics), cultural groups, debate, student council.
- Participating in sports and athletics whether through school teams, community leagues, or intramural teams is a great option.
- Volunteering and community service can include helping with nonprofit organizations, school service projects, and civic engagement activities.
- The fine arts such as band, choir, theater, or visual arts offer creative ways to get involved.
- Jobs and internships, including part-time work, summer jobs, and job shadowing opportunities, can help you gain experience.
- Leadership opportunities may include serving as a class officer, organizing events, mentoring, or employee resource groups (ERGs).
Tips for Getting Started:
- Attend your school’s club fair or ask a teacher about available activities.
- Start your own club if your interests aren’t represented.
- Ask your employer about additional activities or groups you can get involved with.
- Look for community programs or leadership councils outside of school or work.
- Keep track of your involvement to use later on college, scholarship, and job applications.
Practical
Experience Opportunities
Check out the opportunities below and see what’s available!
Volunteer Opportunities
High School Summer Programs
High School Internship Opportunities
College Internship Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering helps you develop valuable skills, explore career options, and build a sense of community, all while enhancing your college, scholarship, and job applications. It also fosters personal growth and self-confidence through meaningful contributions to society. Here’s a list of local volunteer opportunities:
- Animal Care Services – Enthusiastic volunteers are welcome to support pet care and community needs; those under 18 must volunteer with a parent or guardian.
- ArtPace Teen Council – Teen Council is a nine-month paid program for San Antonio high school students (ages 15–18) to explore contemporary art and grow as community leaders.
- Fun 4 Alamo Kids – Fun 4 Alamo Kids lists organizations, events, and places where families can volunteer with their kids and where teens can complete their required volunteer hours for school in the SATX area.
- Habitat for Humanity San Antonio – Habitat for Humanity offers volunteer opportunities in home construction, fundraising, office support, providing meals, and working in Home Centers.
- Haven for Hope – Haven for Hope is a homeless shelter that allows volunteers to provide support to various departments across the shelter.
- Just Serve – Just Serve believes in the power of community service and volunteering to build unity in the community. Search their site to find local volunteer opportunities where you live.
- Kinetic Kids – Volunteers (must be 16+ or ages 14–15 with a parent partner) provide support to Kinetic Kids by assisting with activities, offering encouragement, and helping children with special needs achieve their goals.
- Maya’s Love – Maya’s Love believes education and mental health are essential pillars of well-being. Their mission is to empower communities—teachers, guardians, and students—by bridging gaps with meaningful support and advocacy.
- The McNay Art Museum – Teen Art Guides (TAGs) is a volunteer program for San Antonio high school sophomores and juniors who are passionate about art, museums, and gaining experience in event planning and community engagement.
- Methodist Hospital Summer Blue J – High school students can start volunteering at age 15 through the Summer Blue J program, with applications typically opening in March.
- SAMMinistries – SAMMinistries works to prevent homelessness and offers volunteer opportunities like gardening, homework help, childcare, library support, and family events.
- San Antonio Food Bank – The Food Bank has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, ranging from their sorting room, warehouse, curbside and mobile distributions.
- San Antonio Youth Literacy – Reading Buddies must be at least seventeen years old and be able to commit at least one hour per week, for a full school year, approximately 16 sessions.
- San Antonio Zoo – Wildlife Allies is a program for teens ages 13–17 who are passionate about conservation, animal care, and education.
- Special Olympics Texas – Special Olympics volunteers dedicate their time to helping children and adults with intellectual disabilities achieve their dreams.
- Students of Service – Students of Service (SOS) empowers young leaders through local service and global learning experiences to address community challenges.
- United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County – Provides diverse volunteer opportunities—from reading to children and assisting at animal care events to supporting disaster recovery and helping in nursing homes.
- Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation – Volunteers at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation can help with the daily dishes and laundry, transport animals and donations, help make diets, and feed animals.
- The Witte Museum – The Witte Museum has volunteer opportunities that include assisting visitors in the Museum galleries, supporting museum staff, assisting campers with fun, and hands-on learning experiences.
High School Summer Programs
Summer programs offer students the chance to see what it’s like to live and learn on a college campus before they graduate high school! Enrollment for summer programs vary. Students may have to apply and be accepted or simply complete a registration form. Summer programs also vary in cost. Some opportunities may be free while others may be fee-based.
- St. Mary’s University Summer Camps – St. Mary’s offers a variety of summer day camps designed to inspire and inform. Camps vary in length and subject; some of our most popular offerings include our Tech Camps and Musical Theatre Camp. Many camps are designed for middle school or high school students, while some are for much younger participants.
- Texas A&M University – Camp ARCH – Imagine spending a week immersed in the world of architecture, construction science or landscape architecture and urban planning as a Texas A&M College of Architecture student at Camp ARCH. You’ll attend stimulating classes led by renowned faculty, participate in hands-on design projects, and explore the vibrant campus of Aggieland. A limited number of scholarships will be available to students with financial need.
- Texas A&M University at Galveston – Sea Camp – Sea Camp is a week-long residential adventure exploring the wonders of the marine and estuarine environments for campers ages 10-18. As a Sea Camper, you will have access to research vessels, oceanographic equipment, laboratory facilities, and a professional staff enabling you to learn about the ocean through hands-on experiences. Need-based scholarships are available.
- Texas A&M University – Youth Adventure Program (YAP) – The Youth Adventure Program (YAP) is a series of one-week courses for gifted and talented students, designed to encourage career exploration across a wide range of fields — from architecture to veterinary medicine. Need-based scholarships are available.
- Texas State University – Athletic Training Camp – Any students entering freshman year in high school through freshman year in college interested in athletic training to learn emergency care skills from the athletic training faculty and staff at Texas State University are invited to attend camp.
- Texas State University – Bobcat Theater Camp – The Bobcat Theatre Camp is a two-week residential camp designed for high school age students interested in pursuing theatre as a part of their higher education. Students will participate in masterclasses taught by our faculty and guest instructors; collegiate audition and branding workshops; as well as a multitude of performance and design opportunities over the course of two weeks.
- Texas State University – Summer Math Camps – Texas State offers summer math camps with residential opportunities for middle and high school students.
- Texas State University – Summer Transportation Camp – The Texas State University Summer Transportation Camp/National Summer Transportation Institute (STC/NSTI) Program aims to introduce a diverse group of motivated pre-college students to the transportation industry. During the free two-week residential program, students will participate in academic and enhancement activities designed to improve their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and leadership.
- The University of Texas at Austin Summer Camps – Check out a comprehensive list of summer camps offered at the UT campus.
- UT McCombs School of Business – A free, six-day experience focused on business and leadership that offer rising junior and senior high school students the chance to learn and interact with McCombs students, faculty, and corporate representatives. All students are eligible to apply; however, we strongly encourage outstanding students who are first-generation, and students who have overcome social or economic hardships to apply. This is your chance to see what it’s like to live and learn on campus before you graduate high school.
- UT High School Research Academy – The summer High School Research Academy (HSRA) provides high school students with an immersive and hands-on five-week interdisciplinary non-residential summer research experience at the University of Texas at Austin campus.
- UT Computer Science Summer Academies – Discover a unique summer learning experience at our academies on the UT campus. Tailored for high school students entering grades 10–12, each program is taught by UT faculty and focuses on a specialized area of computer science, offering hands-on experiences and expert mentorship in a dynamic setting. Registration opens in Spring.
- UTSA Summer Camps – UTSA offers summer programs for kids, teens and adults on topics such as science, engineering, architecture, sports, music, writing, language and culture. Some camps are day-long, others last a week or two. But each of our camps offers participants the chance to have fun, make friends and learn something new.
- UTHSCSA Summer Programs – High school students are invited to participate in any number of outreach activities held throughout the year.
High School Internship Opportunities
Internships expose high school students to career paths, help them gain insight into a professional working environment, and allow them to begin building their network. Internship opportunities may be paid or unpaid. Students should treat an internship like a job as most have specific schedules to abide by. Here are some local opportunities to start gaining experience!
- The Alamo – The Alamo offers 10-week internships year-round to students enrolled in high school, undergraduate, and graduate programs. Our internships offer professional experience in areas of study such as conservation, information technology, marketing, history, accounting and more. Internship availability is dependent on mentor availability and upcoming projects.
- CPS Energy – The CPS Energy Internship Program is designed to meet the industry’s rapidly changing workforce needs by providing local San Antonio high school and college students with public utility career experience. Through the internship program students are paired with a mentor to acquire meaningful hands-on experience that expands their understanding of how the industry works and exposes them to essential skills they must acquire or develop to be successful.
- DoSeum – The DoSeum offers unique internship experiences that give students the opportunity to expand their skills, gain workplace experience, and grow their network in a fun and creative environment where joyful learning is front and center. DoSeum Internships coincide with spring, fall, and summer semesters. Applicants must be a current senior in high school or college student to apply.
- Family Service Summer Intern Experience – The summer internship program provides paid, part-time internships for middle and high school students across San Antonio to build career opportunities and goals. Family Service partners with a variety of organizations within various industries to pair every person with the right organization for them.
- Port San Antonio Internship – Port San Antonio hires summer interns to gain valuable work experience and build professional relationships. To qualify, applicants must be full-time high school students enrolled in Edgewood or South San ISD, entering their senior year in the upcoming fall semester, at least 16 years old, and authorized to work in the United States.
- SA WORX Summer Internships – The SA WORX Summer Internship program prepares SATX students for broad career exploration while expanding their skills sets and networks. The Summer Internship program begins registration in the Spring.
- UT Health San Antonio – This is a year-round program for high school, college, premed, or pre-PhD students designed to provide an intensive, hands-on, discovery-rich, creative and interdisciplinary research experience. This is a unique experience in learning and interdisciplinary research, with senior investigators serving as mentors and role models. Trainees will have opportunities to work in one of three broad areas: immunology, molecular pathogenesis, or genetics/clinical epidemiology.
College Internship Opportunities
Internships are a great way to explore careers, gain real-world experience, and build your resume. They help you apply what you’ve learned in class, develop professional skills, and connect with people in your field. Many students even get job offers from their internship sites after graduation. Be sure to take advantage of your college’s career services; they can help you find and apply for internship opportunities that align with your goals. Below are opportunities available in San Antonio.
- The Alamo – The Alamo offers 10-week internships year-round to students enrolled in high school, undergraduate, and graduate programs. These internships offer professional experience in areas of study such as conservation, information technology, marketing, history, accounting and more. Internship availability is dependent on mentor availability and upcoming projects.
- Boeing – As a Boeing intern, you’ll grow your skills, create lasting connections, and work on projects and products that few industries can match. Every day, you’ll learn from the brightest minds in the industry and bring your ideas to real-world challenges.
- Bexar County Arts Internship Program – These paid internships support students who reside in Bexar County—regardless of where they attend college—and offer hands-on experience in the arts and nonprofit sectors.
- City of San Antonio Ambassador Summer Internship Program – The Ambassador Summer Internship Program is an internship program for currently enrolled college students sponsored by the City of San Antonio. The program exposes students to professional opportunities and innovative career paths through paid internships, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities.
- DoSeum – The DoSeum offers unique internship experiences that give students the opportunity to expand their skills, gain workplace experience, and grow their network in a fun and creative environment where joyful learning is front and center. DoSeum Internships coincide with spring, fall, and summer semesters. Applicants must be a current senior in high school or college student to apply.
- H-E-B Internships – H-E-B’s internship program provides students with a jam-packed 10-weeks during the summer with interns helping us find solutions to real life problems that drive the business forward. Internship applications are live mid-September to mid-October.
- SA Zoo College & Alumni Internships – San Antonio Zoo’s internship program is designed to allow college students and graduates an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their chosen field.
- San Antonio Police Department Internships – This program works cooperatively with institutions of higher learning by providing qualified college students with the opportunity to intern with the San Antonio Police Department. The San Antonio Police Department offers three internship opportunities per semester.
- San Antonio Sports – San Antonio Sports (SAS) offers internships to students interested in learning the inner workings of a sports oriented non-profit organization. SAS staff members work directly with interns to provide a beneficial and enlightening real-world experience. Internships are available in the following areas: finance, event management, sponsorships, marketing, communications, videography and youth programs.
- Southwest Research Institute – Interns participate in meaningful, hands-on work through challenging research and development projects that are applied in real-world settings. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited university.
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute – The summer internships at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) and the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC) are established to offer paid, hands-on, real-world experience with cutting-edge research, primate care, and administrative research support. It is their goal to provide all interns with a rich learning culture that encourages ongoing development of skills and knowledge. Texas Biomed and the SNPRC offer three summer internship tracks to undergraduate and graduate students.
- Toyota Internships & Co-op Programs – Toyota’s internship and co-op programs offer a wide range of opportunities across multiple areas, including engineering, finance, supply chain, manufacturing, sales, marketing and more. As an intern or co-op, you’ll work alongside experienced team members, developing your skills and gaining industry knowledge through challenging and complex projects.
- USAA – The USAA internship program lets you showcase your skills, while gaining real-life experience that’ll help you jump-start your career. The best part? You’ll do it all while helping serve the military community.
- UT Health San Antonio – A year-round program for high school, college, premed, or pre-PhD students designed to provide an intensive, hands-on, discovery-rich, creative and interdisciplinary research experience. This is a unique experience in learning and interdisciplinary research, with senior investigators serving as mentors and role models. Trainees will have opportunities to work in one of three broad areas: immunology, molecular pathogenesis, or genetics/clinical epidemiology.
- Valero – The immersive Valero Internship Program is your first step toward a successful career in energy. Build the skills and competitive edge needed to launch an exceptional career. Competitive benefits, relocation assistance, networking and development are all a part of the plan!
- VelocityTX Internships – The VelocityTX Career Accelerator is a summer internship program that offers college students hands-on work in bioscience, entrepreneurial development, and related fields.
- World Affairs Council of San Antonio – An internship with the World Affairs Council of San Antonio offers a career development opportunity with a unique perspective on current geopolitical events, how they impact San Antonio and the United States, as well as valuable insight and exposure to the workings within our international community. While working closely with the Council’s leadership on major projects, interns will build skills in event & program planning, marketing & communication, and organization management.
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