Staten Island Museum
Please see instructions on how to apply at the bottom of this page.
The Program and Archives Intern will assist with the implementation of several exciting projects this summer. From planning and production of in person, hybrid, and virtual programming to participation in research and collaborative collections initiatives, the intern will receive a comprehensive introduction into the daily operations of a 21st Century Museum.
The intern will learn about the theory and practice of working in an historical archive setting. With guidance from the museum’s Archives Manager, the intern will scan and describe collections of records that will be shared online with the public, create and review transcripts of family history records, and answer research inquiries from the public.
Staten Island Museum is partnering with Frederick Douglass Memorial Park – a historic Black cemetery on Staten Island which was founded in 1935 in response to racial segregation in of cemeteries in New York City – to transcribe the cemetery’s burial records. Transcription will make the burial records more easily readable, searchable, and discoverable for family members and researchers. The records provide a unique insight into New York City History during the Great Migration.
Transcription happens in two steps: initial transcript and review. Staten Island Museum has engaged over 100 community members in the first step of the process but the second stage is not happening as efficiently. The intern will complete review of at least one ledger book during their time at Staten Island Museum and produce a workflow to streamline the review process going forward – noting commonly made mistakes, and suggesting changes to the instructions to reduce mistakes in the future.
Additionally, the intern will assist the Program Department with the development and production of the Museum’s seasonal programming, featuring events for adults and family audiences as well as the opening of a new exhibition. Summer programs provide fun and funky ways to access and explore art, science, and history often using an interdisciplinary approach. This year, circumstances require that some programs take place virtually. The intern will gain hands-on experience in producing public programs and events from ideation to execution and evaluation.
Intern Responsibilities:
Assist with on-site and online events from pre-production to execution and evaluation.
Prepare program materials and supplies for on-site and online programs.
Communicate with artists, program leaders, and audience as it relates to programs.
Research, data entry, and analysis with regard to program evaluation.
Scan and describe collections of records in the museum’s archive to be shared publicly.
Answer research inquiries from the public.
Other duties as assigned.
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Learn the processes and resources required to produce museum programs for virtual and in-person audiences.
Learn methods for searching and cataloging archival collections.
Learn how to use digital humanities software and databases.
Work with museum staff and Staten Island’s arts and cultural community.
Gain experience in non-profit public programming, event development and planning, collections processing, and archival research with hands-on experience.
Qualifications:
Demonstrated interest in arts and culture.
Interest in history and/or library science.
Comfortable with MS Office applications.
Proficiency with social media platforms.
Proficiency in Adobe suite - a plus.
Experience with graphic design, Zoom, and video editing – a big plus.
Available for Thursday evening/night events and some Saturdays as scheduled.
Detail oriented, strong work ethic.
Excellent customer service skills.
Courteous professional manner.
Great sense of humor.
Strong writing and communication skills.
Ability to work independently and remotely via home computer.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
Interns will work onsite 28 hours per week and attend a mandatory offsite program day one day per week with their cohort.
Interns must be available for the duration of the program.
INTERNSHIP DURATION:
Total Weeks: 9 weeks
Work Hours per Week: 28
Total Hours: 252
Workdays: 4 days per week onsite
PROGRAM DAY:
On the 5th day of each week, interns will attend an offsite program day with their cohort.
These hours are separate from the internship hours.