PLEDGE High School Summer Internship

Summer 2026 Application Now Open!

Looking for a summer opportunity that actually makes an impact?

Our Summer 2026 PLEDGE High school Internship application is now open. Read on to learn how to apply for our upcoming cohort.

PLEDGE is all about reducing gun violence in schools through education that actually works. We bring together students from different backgrounds to shape how gun injury prevention is taught.

This year we are collaborating with Stanford’s Office of Pediatric Education to enhance our internship experience through their Pediatrics Internship Program at Stanford (PIPS). PIPS is a 7-week program in which rising junior and senior high school students from diverse backgrounds learn about science, medicine, and research with Stanford faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students, and researchers by completing a research project. The PIPS program is designed as an introductory experience for students with little to no prior exposure to research.

Is this internship right for you?

If you:

  • Care about making schools safer

  • Are looking for a meaningful summer experience

  • Love creating, designing, or sharing ideas

  • Want to work with Stanford experts and other students

Then this internship could be a great fit!

Why should you apply?

  • Grow as a leader: This isn’t just about learning; it’s about making an impact.

  • Work with awesome people: Connect with students, doctors, and community leaders who care about change.

  • Be part of something big: PLEDGE’s goal is to shape how gun injury prevention is taught nationwide. This internship will give you insights to help you make a difference in your community.

"One of my main takeaways from this project is that community engagement doesn't have to mean sacrificing a ton of your resources and time to a cause, but getting involved with organizations like PLEDGE means that you can actually find actionable ways to help through things that you enjoy, like making a podcast!

It has definitely made me more motivated to pursue action through my interests, and to connect my interests to ways that I can help other people.”

— Alice Lynagh, 2025 PLEDGE Intern

Here’s what you’ll do

Students will work together—and with the PLEDGE team—to create evaluation tools for student-designed interventions from previous PLEDGE cohorts.

  • Group 1: Learn how to design evaluation surveys and create a survey to measure peer knowledge gained from PLEDGE outreach intervention activities (podcasts, blogs, social media, and school-outreach materials).

  • Group 2: Learn how to run focus groups and create a focus group guide to assess peer knowledge and behavior related to PLEDGE outreach intervention activities (podcasts, blogs, social media, and school-outreach materials).

By the end of the internship, students will have the building blocks for a plan to help their schools start and support PLEDGE chapters. These tools can be used by summer program participants and other students to track process measures of the intervention activities in their communities. 

Important
internship
details

When: June 8 - July 24, 2026

Time Commitment: ~30 hours per week
Where: Virtual and On-Campus

Who can apply: Rising junior and senior high school students local to the Bay Area

Admissions decision date: PIPS decisions will be released in early April

How to apply

Application Instructions: Please apply through the PIPS application HERE.

  • Please indicate your desire to work on gun violence prevention or list PLEDGE initiative where asked.

Deadline: The PIPS application will close February 23, 2026 at 11:59 PST

Eligibility: Please visit HERE for the full eligibility requirements.

  • Currently be a rising junior or senior in high school.

  • Be at least 16 years old by the start of the program.

"My most valuable takeaway from this internship was working with the other interns to design something valuable for spreading PLEDGE’s mission. The program really highlighted student-led action, which is something I can use when starting a club at school.”

— Samiha Das, 2025 PLEDGE Intern

 FAQs

    • Rising junior and senior high school students local to the Bay Area

    • PIPS has an application fee of $50 with a fee waiver option. Please see site for details (HERE).

    • If selected to participate in the PIPS program, there is no program cost for any student. 

    • Stipends of $3,000 are given to students on a needs-based system.

    • PIPS requires 1 letter of recommendation from a high school science or math teacher.

    • In the application, you will enter your recommender's contact information and they will receive an email from the application system to submit the letter.

Got questions?

Reach out to our team at takethepledge@stanford.edu.

Ready to make a difference? Apply today!