15 Marketing Extracurriculars for High School Students
If you’re in high school and interested in marketing, branding, or advertising, extracurricular activities in the field will give you a real edge. Through marketing extracurriculars in high school, you will learn how people think, what makes them buy, and how brands grow.
Why pursue marketing extracurriculars?
When you run a small campaign, manage social media, or test an idea, you will start thinking like a founder. You will learn what works, what fails, and how to adjust. Over time, this can help you build and grow your own business with confidence.
If you plan to study marketing, business, or entrepreneurship, extracurriculars show clear interest and initiative. Admissions teams look for students who go beyond the classroom, and marketing extracurriculars give you proof.
If you’re also looking for marketing summer programs, check here, or go here to explore marketing startup ideas for high school students.
To help get you started, here are 15 marketing extracurriculars for high school students.
15 Marketing Extracurriculars for High School Students
1. Join an Established Marketing Club
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: School or local community
Resources/Experience Required: Interest in marketing; no prior experience needed
Joining an established marketing club is a practical way to explore the field early. Clubs like DECA or FBLA will give you exposure to real business and marketing concepts. You may plan campaigns, manage social media, promote events, or take part in competitions. You will often work in teams, present ideas, and receive feedback from teachers or mentors. Over time, you will gain confidence in applying ideas. This strengthens your college applications and prepares you for future roles in business or even starting your own projects.
2. Start a Marketing Startup
Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Location: Online
Resources/Experience Required: Strong interest in business or marketing; willingness to commit time
With Young Founders Lab, you will work in a structured program focused on building a startup from idea to execution. Collaborate with a team to develop a product, define a target market, and create marketing strategies. Your role includes testing ideas, refining messaging, and planning growth. The program offers mentorship from experienced founders and structured guidance at each stage. Through live, interactive workshops, you learn how to conduct customer discovery, test value propositions, analyze competitors, and refine your messaging. You will work on real deliverables and present your progress regularly. This hands-on approach helps you build skills in strategy, communication, and execution.
3. Start a Mini Marketing Agency
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Location: Online
Resources/Experience Required: Basic marketing knowledge; access to a computer and the internet
Starting a mini marketing agency is a strong way to engage with real-world marketing. Offer services like social media management, content creation, or basic branding to small businesses, clubs, or local creators. Through this marketing extracurricular in high school, you will handle client communication, plan campaigns, and track results. This helps you understand how marketing works in practice. You can also collaborate with peers or get feedback from mentors or business owners. Additionally, present your work to clients and refine it over time. This experience builds confidence, practical skills, and a portfolio, which can support college applications and future business or freelance opportunities.
4. Join a Marketing Internship
Location: Remote! You can work from anywhere in the world.
Application deadline: Deadlines vary depending on the cohort
Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year
Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week, for 8-12 weeks. Open to high school students, undergraduates, and gap year students!
Ladder Internships is a selective start-up internship program for ambitious high school students! In the program, you work with a high-growth start-up on an internship. Start-ups that offer internships range across a variety of industries, from tech/deep tech, and AI/ML to health tech, marketing, journalism, consulting, and more. Ladder’s start-ups are high-growth companies on average raising over a million dollars. Past founders have included YCombinator alums, founders raising over 30 million dollars, or founders who previously worked at Microsoft, Google, and Facebook. Depending on your placement, you may assist with market research, social media strategy, content creation, customer outreach, analytics, or growth experiments. The virtual internship is usually 8 weeks long.
5. Brainstorm & Implement Marketing Campaigns for Your Favorite Brand
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: Online or independent
Resources/Experience Required: Interest in brands and marketing; basic research skills
Working on marketing campaigns for your favorite brand helps you connect theory with practice. Pick your favorite brands or brands that you follow, such as clothing labels, tech products, or local businesses. Study their audience, messaging, and platforms. Then plan your own campaign ideas, including content, slogans, or promotions. You may even create mock social media posts or ad concepts and share them online or with peers for feedback. You can also start your own Instagram page to post your concepts in a presentable format and tag the associated brand. Over time, you will develop a marketing portfolio filled with ideas.
6. Participate in Marketing Competitions
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Location: School, regional, or online
Resources/Experience Required: Basic understanding of marketing; willingness to prepare and compete
Through this marketing extracurricular in high school, you will participate in marketing competitions to test your ideas. Various events, similar to business case challenges or school-level contests, ask you to solve real or simulated marketing problems. You may work individually or in teams to research a market, build a strategy, and present your solution. Most competitions include industry judges, so you will receive direct feedback. Additionally, you will learn public speaking and time management under pressure. These experiences will help you think clearly and communicate ideas well.
7. Intern at a Local Marketing Agency
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Location: Local businesses or agencies
Resources/Experience Required: Basic communication skills; willingness to learn
Interning at a local marketing agency provides insight into daily marketing operations. You might support activities like scheduling social media posts, writing content, or conducting basic research. Some agencies offer chances to sit in on meetings or review campaign plans. This allows you to observe how professionals manage clients, deadlines, and feedback. Occasionally, you may assist with parts of a campaign or help in preparing reports. Such experiences expose you to real clients, enhancing your resume and preparing you for future internships or roles.
8. Volunteer as a Marketer for a Non-Profit Organization
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: Local or online non-profit organizations
Resources/Experience Required: Interest in marketing; basic communication skills
In this marketing extracurricular in high school, volunteer as a marketer for a non-profit and apply marketing to real causes. You may help manage their social media, create awareness campaigns, design posters, or write content for events and fundraising. You will work with organizers and sometimes collaborate with other volunteers. In some cases, you will present your ideas or campaign plans to the team.
9. Create a Marketing Blog, Videos, or Podcast
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: Online
Resources/Experience Required: Access to a device; interest in content creation
Creating a marketing blog, videos, or a podcast helps you engage with marketing by consistently sharing ideas. You can review ad campaigns, discuss branding trends, or break down how companies promote products. Over time, you will learn how to structure messages and keep an audience interested. You may also interact with viewers or readers and respond to feedback. This marketing extracurricular in high school will help you build communication and analytical skills.
10. Organize a Marketing Workshop in Your School
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
Location: School
Resources/Experience Required: Basic understanding of marketing, planning, and coordination skills
Organizing a marketing workshop at your school helps you engage with the field by teaching others. You can choose topics like social media basics, branding, or advertising examples. You will plan the session, create materials, and lead the discussion. You may also invite a teacher or local professional to speak or review your content. For a more in-depth workshop, you can interview a famous marketer in your area or a school alumnus. During the workshop, you will ask questions, present ideas, and manage student participation.
11. Engage in Marketing Programs
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Advanced
Location: Online or in-person programs
Resources/Experience Required: Interest in marketing; willingness to follow a structured program
There are many marketing programs available online or in person. Programs may include short courses, summer experiences or camps, or guided projects focused on branding, digital marketing, or business strategy. Throughout the program, you will follow a set curriculum, complete assignments, and sometimes work on case studies or projects. In some programs, you will receive mentorship or feedback from instructors or professionals. You may also have the opportunity to present your work at the end. Completing a program shows commitment and can support your academic profile and future opportunities in business or entrepreneurship.
12. Sell Advertisement Placements in the Yearbook
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: School
Resources/Experience Required: Basic communication skills; willingness to reach out to businesses
Selling advertisement placements in the yearbook is a direct way to practice marketing and sales. You can reach out to local businesses, explain the value of advertising, and secure placements. You may help design ads or coordinate with the yearbook team to finalize content. This gives you experience in pitching, negotiation, and client communication. You will also learn how pricing and audience reach influence decisions. Through this marketing extracurricular in high school, you will present options or ideas to business owners.
13. Organize a Fundraiser in Your School or Community
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: School or local community
Resources/Experience Required: Planning skills, basic teamwork, and communication
Organizing a fundraiser helps you apply marketing in a clear, goal-driven setting. You can plan events like charity drives, bake sales, or online campaigns. Decide how to promote your chosen cause, reach people, and encourage participation. This may include creating posters, managing social media, or speaking to groups. Engage your classmates, teachers, or community members and present your plan or results to organizers. This experience teaches you how messaging, timing, and audience matter, building leadership and coordination skills.
14. Develop & Launch a Product
Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Location: School, home, or online
Resources/Experience Required: Basic idea generation, planning skills, and access to simple tools
Developing and launching a product will give you direct exposure to how marketing connects with business. Create simple products like handmade items, digital templates, or small services. Then define your audience, set pricing, and decide how to promote your offering. This may include social media posts, basic branding, and outreach. You must track how people respond and adjust your approach. You may also present your idea to peers or mentors for feedback.
15. Take up a Digital Marketing Course
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Location: Online
Resources/Experience Required: Access to a device and internet; interest in marketing
Through this marketing extracurricular in high school, you will take up a digital marketing course and explore topics like social media marketing, basic SEO, email campaigns, and content planning. Most online courses include assignments, case examples, and short projects. You may create sample campaigns or analyze how brands promote products online. Some courses also offer feedback or certificates on completion, helping you with your marketing portfolio. Over time, with the help of the skills you have gained, you can apply them to other activities, internships, or personal projects in marketing or business.
If you’re looking for an incubator program that helps you build a marketing startup in high school, consider the Young Founders Lab!
If you want mentorship from successful entrepreneurs in building your marketing business, the Young Founders Lab is one of the strongest programs you can join in high school. It’s a 100% virtual start-up boot camp run by Harvard entrepreneurs, designed specifically for students who want to launch a company or non-profit.
In this program, you’ll get hands-on mentorship from founders and professionals from Google, Microsoft, McKinsey, and YC-backed companies, while building a venture that solves a real-world problem. You’ll attend live workshops, explore business fundamentals, refine your idea, and work toward a fully developed MVP and pitch.
Multiple cohorts run throughout the year, including summer, fall, winter, and spring, so you can join whenever it fits your schedule. Financial aid is available, and the program is open to all high school students, with no prior experience required.