I'd use the adult network of your parents and teachers to find an internal dev team at a local business, something relaxed where an older (mid-30s - 50s) dev or

I'd use the adult network of your parents and teachers to find an internal dev team at a local business, something relaxed where an older (mid-30s - 50s) dev or two can mentor you and you will have the freedom to experiment and make mistakes. The point isn't to make money or learn the latest greatest tech, but simply to practice and observe and practice and practice and practice, not to mention getting comfortable in an office environment. You'll naturally keep up on the latest tech yourself, but learning some legacy things will help provide you perspective and an internal shop typically has a great deal of interaction with end users--developing user empathy is a skill that's hard to learn on your own or in school. You will then be very well positioned for college internships, where you can make $$$ and work in a higher pressure environment on cutting edge things. Your résumé will show job experience and you'll likely have more poise than your peers. Be sure you don't stress out too much about a high school job. Life is long.