<p>I’m in Los Angeles and I"m really interested in engineering, and I’m looking to do a bit of research or work. Are there any firms or companies that would let a high school student use their lab to do some research?</p>
<p>Ummm… check whether any students in your high school entered the Intel Science competition, the Westinghouse competition, MIT RSI (amazing program if you have top notch grades/recommendations/PSAT scores), or even the state science fair. Ask them who sponsored thier work. </p>
<p>Try to contact faculty at nearby colleges like UCLA, USC and local companies to communicate your interest to them in doing some basic research. It is very difficult to get involved in research at the high school level when you don’t have connections.</p>