Daily Programs Intern – Traditional Crafts
Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Office of Experience Design
Dates: May 5 – 9 on-campus (training)
June 2 -August 1, 2025 at NMAH (dates to be confirmed)
Application Deadline: January 17, 2025
Applications for this internship position will be pre-screened and preliminary interviews will be conducted by Student Craft Staff and Berea College Internship Program Staff before candidates are submitted to the Smithsonian NMAH for formal application, selection, and offer.
Daily Programs Intern – Traditional Crafts:
Daily Programs Interns will learn the methods and practice of museum education by facilitating hands-on activities throughout the museum. This includes a wide range of approaches to planning, delivering, and evaluating daily, public programs for visitors. Current programming uses topics in traditional crafts, innovation, agricultural, business, food, household, and social history connected to museum exhibitions to engage our all-ages audience. Interns will collaborate with the Experience Design team (Office of Audience Engagement), dedicated to facilitating meaningful personal experiences, building relationships, and creating conversations with museum visitors.
Please note that this internship is full-time and requires a work schedule that includes one weekend day. It is an unpaid internship that is eligible for internship grant funding provided by the Berea College Internship Program.
Goal:
Overall, this internship aims to have interns learn the methods and practice of museum education by facilitating hands-on activities throughout the museum.
Anticipated Learning Objectives:
By the end of this internship, the intern will be able to:
- Apply museum education principles and understand the role of public engagement in museums
- Utilize a wide range of approaches to delivering and evaluating public programs for museum visitors
- Understand how public programs operate in a large museum
Expected Responsibilities:
Prior to the internship, interns should expect to:
- Complete required training by Craft Outreach & Education on-campus May 5 – 9
During the internship, interns should expect to:
- Participate in discussions and presentations by museum staff about museum education theory and current best practices
- Bring what you’ve learned to a broad public audience by presenting programs and hands-on interactive experiences throughout the museum
- Work cooperatively with staff and intern cohort to present educational programs, including traditional weaving and broom making, engaging audiences through conversation and object-based learning
- Teach other daily program interns to demonstrate broom making, and possibly weaving
- Research and develop additional program content with museum collections and education staff
- Assist with the upkeep of program equipment and spaces including set up, replenishing supplies, and operating procedures
- Conduct evaluation projects and maintain documentation to support program continuity
Ideal Qualifications / Prerequisites:
The ideal intern applicant has:
- Knowledge of the traditional crafts of weaving and/or broom making (preferred, but not required)
- Enthusiasm for working in a public-facing, educational environment
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- An interest in history, education, and/or museums
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment
Application Process and Timeline:
- Submit Resume and Application for Pre-Approval through Handshake to “Berea College Crafts – Smithsonian NMAH Internship” by February 7th
- On-campus screening interviews will take place during the week of February 14th and candidates will receive notification of pre-approval by February 21st
- Formal application, interviews, selection, and offer by the Smithsonian NMAH will follow
Questions: Craft-specific questions should be directed to davisrosenbaums@berea.edu and questions about general application process should be directed to internships@berea.edu.
