Research/Summer Programs/Internships @ SoCal

You may have already thought about this, but you could draft up an email and send it LOCAL businesses/companies/organizations asking for an internship. I would probably not send it to large corporations because their hiring processes tend to be more structured/specific and they may not have the flexibility/ability to accommodate highschoolers. Same with research, contact a professor at a local university and enquire about any summer opportunities that they have. In my opinion, this is better than looking for specific opportunities online because it's probably less competitive and you look enthusiastic/proactive because you are actively reaching out for opportunities instead of waiting for one to come to you.

Since you are in the humanities track, I have heard that the Smithsonian Institution has online summer volunteer programs. I do not know much about them, but I am sure that you could look for more information online.

If you obtain a legitimate internship, you will not be charged. With the UC's, for example, the summer programs that you pay for are not very prestigious and won't carry a ton of weight on college applications. Their research internships, however, are hard to get but more prestigious and free of charge.

I would say that your best bet is to create your own opportunity--instead of researching existing summer programs at universities, contact professors in your fields of interest and ask if they are doing any research this summer and if they would be willing to take you on as an intern.

Good luck!