The New York City School Construction Authority (SCA) offers exciting internship programs for high school and college students.
The SCA Summer Internship Program (“SIP”) recruits talented NYC public high school students for a six-week paid internship with various SCA departments and business partner companies throughout New York City. SIP is designed to expose students to careers in various industries, including but not limited to architecture, engineering, construction management, business, and public administration. The program provides interns with diverse internship experiences along with career mentoring. Students spend four days a week with their intern host and the remaining day attending educational programming. Assignments will vary depending on the company or department and the student’s skill set. The internship is an in-office position, and the standard hours for the program are 9:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday. A 10-hour OSHA construction safety course will be provided for students based on assignment need, prior to the start date. Internship assignments may include limited supervised visits to one or more construction sites. Students will be required to submit a parent consent form signed by their parent or legal guardian prior to participating in construction site visits.
Application Process: The SIP online application will be open from January 2nd through March 6th. The completed online application and required documents must be received by March 6th, 2026.
Video from the 2024 Weekly Training Program
“I enjoyed interning with such an incredible team. Working with professional architects was highly rewarding. I am grateful for an amazing six weeks at my host firm.”
“I liked learning new skills whether it be AutoCAD from my job site or professional etiquette from training sessions. I really appreciate the opportunities that this internship program has given me.”
“Getting to see what a day in the life of a construction manager was insightful and fun. I got to go on multiple site visits to a series of schools and see what kind of changes were implemented on these school sites.”
“I enjoyed being able to connect with other interns with similar interests to me. I made a lot of friends, and I am glad that I was able to connect with others.”
“Our assigned student interns have come from every borough and a diversity of backgrounds. While working in our office, the interns have become very skilled in such computer programs as AutoCAD drawing, excel charts and Microsoft word. They have developed invaluable interpersonal and business skills working both independently and as a team. Several of our summer interns have come back to work for us in subsequent years as part-time or full-time employees”.
Ivan Brice, AIA, Ivan Brice Architecture
“I have been involved with the summer intern program for many years, first working at the SCA and now working with a consultant firm. This program is a great opportunity for High School students to get hands-on experience and learn real job skills. It was very satisfying to see our interns learning through our training process and then using those skills on actual projects. They got to work on CADD drawings and project specifications for actual SCA projects.”
2025 will mark our firm’s 30th year of collaboration with the School Construction Authority’s SIP (Summer Internship Program). We take pride in having mentored 75 high school and college students across three decades, many of whom successfully pursued a professional degree in architecture, entered the profession and became fully licensed architects.”
Elan Aberi, P.E., Gannett Fleming TranSystems
“We are proud to be part of this program. As a company that serves many NYC agencies and as many of our employees are NYC residents, we feel this program gives us the opportunity to be part of something meaningful and allows us to give back to the NYC community.”
Jamal Abdo, PruTech
“We love giving our SCA interns a glimpse into the world of professional architecture at SOM. We always try to have our SCA Interns engage in a diverse range of experiences, from early-phase concept design to visiting active construction sites. We take pride in providing these SCA interns with a broad spectrum of project teams and experiences, allowing them to explore different facets of architectural practice and discover their areas of interest. This immersive program not only gives students insight into the day-to-day operations of a large architectural firm but also helps nurture the next generation of architects. We are committed to fostering talent and are always excited to hear from our past SCA Interns and about their career journeys after High School".
Leonard Lopate, AIA, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Inquiries may be emailed to: SCA Internships
The New York City School Construction Authority is an equal opportunity employer.
The SCA is interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. The SCA is not able to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. We participate in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here: https://www.e-verify.gov/employees
The SCA College Internship Program (“CIP”) was established to attract and recruit talented college students interested in architecture, graphic design, engineering, construction management, information technology, accounting, business management, public administration, and other careers within the public sector.
Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
“Working as an intern in the Design and Construction and Innovation Management (DCIM) department has been great. My co-workers, superiors and the ambience, have been more than wonderful. This well-seasoned department has helped me tremendously in seeing pragmatic work. This includes the beginnings, the in between, and ending phases of work, the details that make a school functional, and so much more. I truly appreciate the SCA-DCIM for giving me such an opportunity, because this is my starting point in the field/career of architecture. Thank you all!”
Tylee, Design Construction Innovation Management.
“I think the biggest gain from the College Internship Program is the practical skills that you will use for the rest of your career. I have improved my Revit skills because I had the opportunity to learn from experts who have been using the program for many more years than me. This internship has taught me that I don’t have to do everything by myself, there are many experts who are willing to help with any situation that I may need help with.”
Christopher, In-House Design Studio Intern
“The SCA has been a blessing to work for as a college intern. Since SCA interns have flexible hours and prioritize education first it has made getting work experience and college maintainable during the school year. As an intern you will learn a lot and grow since the culture at the SCA is so kind and helpful.”
Gabriela, Lifecycle Cost Management Intern
“I love working with college interns who are eager to learn more about their chosen profession. Not only do we get to expose them to the full project delivery process, but we also give them meaningful opportunities to contribute to initiatives that have a positive impact on our city. It’s deeply rewarding to watch them grow, apply their skills, and gain a deeper appreciation for the real-world application of their studies.
Mentoring the next generation of professionals is truly one of the most fulfilling parts of my work.”
Mi Zhang, AIA, CPHD, GPro
Director, Lifecycle Cost Management