The National Museum of American History signs an MOU with Middlebury College

National Museum of American History Director John Gray has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Middlebury College.

This MOU will allow up to five students from Middlebury College’s American Studies Department be placed as interns during Middlebury’s five week January term (J-term). In addition to having an internship the students will have two seminars (Material Culture and Museum Education) and job shadowing opportunities across the departments giving them a full museum experience.

This past January we had Middlebury students Napol Wills and Taylor Pierce participated in this new internship opportunity. Here is what they had to say:

• “I don’t know if I will ever pay for another museum again!” Napol Wills expressing her satisfaction with her internship experience.
• “This helps for life after Middlebury.” Taylor Pierce sharing positive feelings as a result of this opportunity.

Many thanks to the John L. Gray, the Director of the National Museum of American History, Timothy B. Spears, the Vice President for Academic Affairs at Middlebury College, Katherine Ott, Curator (Medicine & Science) at the National Museum of American History, Michael Newbury, the Dean of Middlebury’s American Studies Department and Susan Burch, the Director of the Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity at Middlebury College for their leadership and support. A special acknowledgment and thank you to Rachelle Browne, Associate General Counsel for the Smithsonian Institution. Her guidance in this process was essential.