Arctic Studies Center: Internship in Museum Public Programming

Background:

The National Museum of Natural History’s Arctic Studies Center, in the Department of Anthropology in Washington, D.C. is seeking two or more interns to focus on public programming, beginning March 2015 and ending in mid-May 2015. The intern would work collaboratively within the Arctic Studies Center and with our colleagues in the Department of Education and commit to 8–16 hours per week. Ideal candidates would have an interest in anthropology, Native life in the Arctic, climate change, education and programming.
The internship will focus on our Arctic Weekend Festival, planned for May 2015, which will celebrate the transfer of the Arctic Council from Canadian to U.S. leadership. This program is integral to the public programming vision of the Arctic Studies Center and the National Museum of Natural History, and relates both our research agenda and to some of the content currently in NMNH exhibits.

Internship duties to include (but not limited to):

• Research and outreach
• Copywriting for events
• Processing internal paperwork for marketing and event production
• Assisting with maintaining contact between partnering organizations
• Development of activities for children, teens and the general public
• On site event production assistance for the Arctic Weekend events

Learning Objectives: The intern will learn about the processes and resources involved in developing and producing diverse museum programming, including festivals and events. He/she will meet and work with various museum staff, as well as have the opportunity to meet members of the local community. This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in non-profit public programming, museum education, event development and planning, and event production. Interns will acquire hands-on experience and get an inside view of a variety of museum programs.

Award Package: None

Internship Benefits:

• Opportunities to attend or participate in museum events
• Participation in departmental, project team, and all-staff meetings as available
• Assistance with support work for the department as needed, which may include filing, generating mailing lists, preparing packets, etc.
• Interns will receive a free copy of an Arctic Studies Center publication for personal use.

Minimum Requirements + Special Skills:

• Have or are acquiring a degree in museum studies, museum education, non-profit administration, education, humanities, arts administration, or related field
• Demonstrated interest in museum career
• Expertise with MS Office applications, Adobe InDesign, and social media.
• Evening and weekend event attendance will be required in May.

Application Process: Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to arctics@si.edu, specifying the internship in the subject line and describing how the position matches the candidate’s qualifications and goals in the cover letter. Please include at least one professional reference. Please apply as soon as possible. Applications will be processed on a rolling basis, with a start date in March 2015.