Most companies don't really consider hiring high schoolers as interns, making it hard for us to get real world experience in a company at this age. Who is?
Pick out some local companies you would be interested in working as an intern at? Stop by see if you can get a tour, make connections, inquire if they have an internship program.<p>Most fun/tech companies love helping kids. We coach a lego robotics team and have gotten lots of tours, demos and even a meeting space for our team at a local startup.<p>All by calling, stopping by, following up and asking politely.<p>An internship would be a little different, but if you get to know people at a company it makes it much easier.
It's not just about school. Age 18 is a magic number in our law. Without that, a contract with you is pretty sketchy. Being under 18 also limits your hours, work environment, job duties, and so on.<p>Businesses that typically employ under-18 people are prepared to deal with all that. Other places don't want the bother and the risk, even if there wouldn't actually be any trouble.