This program seeks to build a
professional pipeline for historically underrepresented individuals to
grow successful careers in the cultural sector.
Applications for fall internships are due by 11:59 p.m. July 15, 2018.
The Robert Frederick Smith Fund for the Digitization and Curation of
African American History was established to advance the digital
curation, community outreach, and internship initiatives at the Museum.
As part of the Smith Fund Internship and Fellowship Program, the Museum
will select and provide funding for interns who will be located onsite
with the Museum and offsite at select African American museums, art
galleries and museums of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs), cultural institutions and historic sites, or other related
institutions dedicated to the study and preservation of African American
history and culture. All internship opportunities with this program
will focus on work related to digital imaging, media preservation,
digital preservation of personal and community objects, digital content
management, collections information management, recording and preserving
oral histories, or digital filmmaking.
Internships will provide guided learning experiences consisting of
hands-on training, mentoring, attendance at educational events, and
cultivation of contacts for the next generation of researchers,
scholars, curators, and other museum, library, preservation, and
heritage professionals – individuals who will assume the mantle of
identifying, documenting, curating, and digitizing treasured artifacts
that reflect African American history and culture.
Intern Benefits
- Meaningful stipend to defray living expenses during the tenure of the appointment
- Need-based housing and transportation stipends available for summer
internships. Students qualify by selecting their need to pay rent
during their term on the application.
- Flexible start and end dates
- Structured mentorship opportunities both within the Museum and with outside professionals
- A calendar of professional development seminars catered to the
needs of historically underrepresented individuals in the cultural
sector
- Paid registration and travel to attend the Association of African American Museums annual conference in August 2018
- Paid professional memberships
- Academic credit (not required)
Intern Eligibility
- Undergraduate students (must have completed at least one year of study)
- Graduate students
- Career-changers in the cultural field less than 2 years
Length
- Internships are 12 weeks
- Fall and spring internships are 20-24 hours per week
- Summer internships are 35-40 hours per week
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