Fundraising, Donor Relations, Annual Giving

There are no positions available in this area at this time. Please check back again in the future.

Curatorial, Collections, Archives, Digitization

Center for the Study of Global Slavery Exhibition Development Internship

Full-Time Hybrid Internship

$850/week

September 23 – December 6, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: History (especially African American, African diasporic, or historians of slavery), Museum Studies, and related fields

The Center for the Study of Global Slavery Internship is within the Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). OCA including the Centers, facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication. OCA is comprised of many different divisions and teams including: Administration, Collections/Acquisitions, History, Culture, Visual Art, Collections Management, Conservation, DigiTeam, Registrar's Office, Oral History, Archives, The Centers and the Scholarly Advisor Committee. 

The Center for the Study of Global Slavery (CSGS) is an outward facing center that is built upon collaboration and dedicated to revealing the scope and the impact of slavery as well as recognizing the resilience of people of African descent throughout the African diaspora in resistance to slavery. It is the purpose of CSGS to leverage the power of the NMAAHC not just nationally but on a global scale. The Center provides an understanding of slavery as shared human history beyond region, nation and race, and as something relevant to understanding our local communities and global societies in the 21st century.  It is comprised of multiple interconnected initiatives, each of which is committed to fashioning hope even while emphasizing slavery’s history of catastrophe and despair. 

The CSGS Exhibition Development Intern will work with Center staff on various exhibition development tasks supporting our internationally traveling exhibition, In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World. These tasks may include (but are not limited to) research, writing, program development, digital/web writing and development, public affairs engagement and communication, and other tasks as assigned. Through which the intern will learn about the exhibition development experience, inclusive of research, writing, curation/object selection, planning, and collegiality within an international context. Interns will work with teams within NMAAHC, the Smithsonian, and other global collaborators in a variety of roles and will learn about the various elements of developing a traveling exhibition. The CSGS intern may also assist on other CSGS projects, including the Slave Wrecks Project and Slave Voyages. The intern will gain experience working at the Smithsonian on substantial CSGS work that will aid in future educational or career goals. 

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Supporting ongoing content development for the digital/web-based presence of In Slavery’s Wake 
• Support the development of the programmatic components of the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, inclusive of research, coordination, collaborations across departments within NMAAHC, and attending meetings
• Support with tasks related to the traveling exhibition, including research, writing, promotional, and organizational/administrative tasks 
• Support public affairs and social media engagement
• Other exhibition development tasks as assigned

Center for the Study of Global Slavery Slave Wrecks Project Internship

Full-Time Hybrid Internship

$850/week

September 23 – December 6, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: History (especially African American, African diasporic, or historians of slavery), Museum Studies, and related fields

The Center for the Study of Global Slavery Slave Wrecks Project Internship is within the Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). OCA including the Centers, facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication. OCA is comprised of many different divisions and teams including: Administration, Collections/Acquisitions, History, Culture, Visual Art, Collections Management, Conservation, DigiTeam, Registrar's Office, Oral History, Archives, The Centers and the Scholarly Advisor Committee. 

The Slave Wrecks Project (SWP) is an international network that investigates the history of the African slave trade across the globe, and engages with the enduring legacies of that past in the present. SWP uses shipwrecks, their voyages, and related maritime landscapes as a distinctive point of entry for pursuing interdisciplinary research and developing dynamic public education and community engagement programs. SWP engages in local, national, and international collaborations designed to simultaneously build partner capacity, protect heritage, foster public dialogue, advance research, and promote greater diversity in scholarship. The Slave Wrecks Project intern will support ongoing research, fieldwork, exhibition, and digital work that the SWP conducts with our global partners. This will include a focus on supporting our ongoing global training program, Slave Wrecks Project Academy. The intern will work closely with our Coordinating Office members to plan and conduct our work. The intern will gain skills and valuable learning experience in the following areas: work experience at the Smithsonian related to large research projects; focusing on programming and planning; Globally collaborative projects, especially related to sensitive histories; Curriculum development and support for educational initiatives; Working at the intersection of history and contemporary issues of restorative justice.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Supporting ongoing content development for the digital/web-based presence of In Slavery’s Wake
• Support the development of the programmatic components of the In Slavery’s Wake exhibition, inclusive of research, coordination, collaborations across departments within NMAAHC, and attending meetings
• Support with tasks related to the traveling exhibition, including research, writing, promotional, and organizational/administrative tasks
• Support public affairs and social media engagement 

Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Internship

Part-Time Virtual Internship

$425/week

September 23-December 6, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: History, African American Studies, Museum Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, and Sports Studies

The Office of Curatorial Affairs (OCA), including the Centers, facilitates the intellectual work of the Museum by collecting artifacts, ensuring collection preservation and stewardship, conducting research and scholarship, and sharing the rich history and culture of African Americans and all people of African descent with a diverse public in accessible, multifaceted ways including exhibition, digitization, and publication. 

The Culture division of OCA documents, collects and preserves information and materials related to the cultural heritage of African Americans and other select groups, whose actions have influenced and/or contributed to the African American experience, including those associated with the African Diaspora. Specific areas of focus include: sports, music, the performing arts, oral history, literary arts, dress and textiles, decorative arts, foodways and folklife in their many diverse forms. 

The Sports and Race Initiative (SRI) was created because the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) recognizes that sports provide a unique entry point into the African American experience. Given the centrality of sports to American life, the influence of athletes, and the ability of sports to bring together cross sections of individuals, regardless of race, gender, and socio-cultural backgrounds, sports bridge barriers that are frequently difficult to navigate. As the nation continues to struggle with how to deal with the legacies of race, gender and sexual inclusivity, and continuing inequality; sports, perhaps more than any other institution has been a public space that has facilitated national discussions about equality, opportunity, and access to the American Dream. 

The Sports and Race Initiative Curatorial Intern for the Sports and Race Initiative will assist the Supervisory Curator of Sports and other members of the Sports and Race Initiative team with exhibition-related tasks including object acquisition, and program-related activities. They will conduct research and work on a variety of projects involving the permanent collection, and sports-related programming. This internship is principally designed to help interns engage one of the most important aspects of curatorial work: collecting objects. Some projects will overlap with other departments, enabling interns to gain broad exposure to other areas of museum operations. The intern will develop their professional communication skills and learn about how historical research is conducted, and how public history is differentiated. 

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Developing, implementing, and evaluating sports-related programs and projects for the Sports and Race Initiative
• Performing a variety of duties related to the delivery of sports-related programming by NMAAHC including drafting documents with specified formats and reviewing materials
• Working in support of writing and media projects for scholarly and public audiences
• Providing historical and cultural research for objects, graphics, photographs, audio and visual media, and/or other contextual material to support the sports-related content for the Museum’s collection and exhibitions using current scholarship, archival resources, genealogical resources, and oral history
• Assist the Supervisory Curator of Sports with object acquisitions

Education, Publications

There are no positions available in this area at this time. Please check back again in the future.

Searchable Museum, Oral History

Oral History Initiative Internship 

Part-Time Hybrid Internship

$425/week

September 23 – December 6, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: African American Studies, English, History, Humanities, Anthropology, Museum Studies; Interest or background in African American history and cultural studies; Interest in relationship between memory, the oral tradition and historical interpretation; Prior experience in oral history is not required

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is dedicated to documenting and celebrating African American history and culture. Located in Washington, DC we are the only national museum that tells the American story through the African American lens. The museum amplifies voices too often marginalized or silenced—and uplifts the African American experience of hope and resiliency, of struggle and pain, of triumph and joy. One of the Museum’s most powerful tools for giving voice to the African American experience is our Oral History Initiative, which is dedicated to documenting, interpreting, and preserving the African American experience through the medium of oral history. 

The Oral History Intern will support the Oral History Initiative (located in the Office of Digital Strategies and Engagement) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) by working on the processing of oral history interviews for our ongoing projects, including the Social Justice Conversations Oral History Project. The Oral History Initiative team is a highly collaborative, team-oriented group focused on collecting oral history content for use by Museum staff, scholars and the general public. The applicant should have strong oral and written communication skills and be able to work well in both group settings and on their own.

The intern can anticipate learning the process of collecting oral histories from inception to actual accession of oral history interview; how to write a justification and bring an item into the museum’s collection; becoming familiar writing field notes and summaries of oral history interviews; becoming familiar with the process of recording oral histories via film; becoming familiar with ethical standards of collecting oral histories as upheld by the Oral History Association; experiencing different ways of integrating oral history content into exhibitions and programming.

This internship is designed to provide an introduction to professional oral history work in a museum setting, and the intern will develop their verbal, written, and professional skills. Each assigned duty will help with the development of skills needed to succeed in a museum setting. The coordinator of the Oral History initiative will mentor the intern maintaining records, conducting background research for interviews, completing required documentation. The Oral History Intern will also be able to observe how oral history projects are carried out from conception to implementation, including research, developing questions, contacting interviewees, gathering metadata, and writing field notes and interview descriptions. Finally, the intern will be able to participate in the planning and implementation of an oral history symposium to be held at NMAAHC in the fall.

Duties shall include:

• Attending mandatory training
• Preparing background research
• Writing justifications for Collections Committee
• Collecting oral history documentation forms
• Writing summary of interviews
• Observing oral history interviews
• Supporting planning and implementation of public program

There are no positions available in this area at this time. Please check back again in the future.

Marketing and Communications, Public Programs, Special Events, Visitor Services

Reclaiming My Time Programming Assistant Internship

Virtual Part-Time Internship

$425/week

September 23 – November 27, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: African American Studies; Design; Art; Art History; Museum Studies

The Reclaiming My Time Programming Assistant Internship is located within the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s (NMAAHC) Office of External Affairs’ Public Programs Department. The office of Public Programs designs and implements engaging and educational public programs with a social justice focus based on the museum’s collections and exhibitions. Collaborating with departments across the Museum—including the Office of Special Events, the Office of Curatorial Affairs, the Office of Advancement, and the Office of Public Affairs—the department primarily develops intellectually challenging and participatory events to engage the Museum’s audiences in understanding history through the lens of the African American experience. Mobilizing a wide range of program formats, such as Historically Speaking, Through the African American Lens, A Seat at the Table, Community Day, the Simmons Talks, Taking the Stage, and more, the Office of Public Programs invites public audiences to delve deeper into stories facilitated by esteemed authors, academics, journalists, artists, filmmakers, cultural critics, and experts in their fields and lend their own voices to the ongoing conversation. 

The Reclaiming My Time Programming Assistant Intern will gain valuable experience in the development, administration, and implementation of public programs at the Museum. The focus of the internship will be on uplifting the Museum’s design collection and the upcoming exhibition, Reclaiming My Time, a display within the Visual Arts Gallery featuring seating by Black designers and its intersections with themes of rest, restoration, and resistance. The intern will assist in developing a suite of programming related to the exhibition, including a panel discussion, book talk, film screening, and hands-on workshop. They can expect to perform research, develop written materials, compile and organize promotional assets, assist with correspondence, attend departmental meetings, liaise with partners throughout the museum, and contribute to program logistics, including registration, calendaring, community outreach, and promotion. These tasks will enable the intern to develop a working knowledge of public programming timelines, milestones, and requirements; gain experience planning and developing public programs for a wide range of audiences; experience enhancing community/audience outreach and engagement; gain understanding of how programming enhances and complements collections and exhibitions; and develop broad view of museum organization and interdepartmental collaboration.

 At the conclusion of the internship, the intern will have developed valuable experience in the core functions of a public programming team at a museum while working in close contact with mentors within the department, providing a robust grounding in museum education best practices.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Conducting background research on potential speakers and panelists for programs and related objects in the collection 
• Developing strategies for outreach and audience engagement 
• Authoring and copyediting program-specific materials, including program descriptions, discussion questions, and promotional collateral 
• Researching methods to enhance program visibility and participation 
• Supporting programming team with administrative tasks

Media Internship

Part-Time Hybrid Internship

$425/week

September23 - December 20, 2024

Desired Majors and Areas of Study: Public Relations, Journalism, Communication, English, Political Science

The Media Internship is located within the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). OPA oversees all media, marketing, communications, social media and web content for the Museum. The primary role of the department is to promote the Museum’s exhibitions, public programs and educational initiatives. This department is also responsible for enhancing the Museum's brand and reputation. Staff members develop communications plans and publicity campaigns for events, exhibition openings, fundraising, special events and membership activities. 

The Media Intern will propose creative ideas to contribute to a fast pace dynamic External Affairs Department. The intern will gain insight into the inner workings of the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). When the internship is completed, the intern will develop verbal, written, and professional skills and understand what makes compelling news and be ready to enter any fast-paced public relations firm. The Media Intern will receive exposure to a museum environment and press office along with guidance that they can take with them into the real world. The intern will leave this internship with work that they can use in their portfolio when interviewing for future opportunities.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Maintain a system for daily compiling, recording, and dissemination of news clips for staff and support work of OPA
• Produce PowerPoint media reports on media events and success of media outreach with appropriate metrics included
• Maintain system for issuing media passes on behalf of OPA 
• Assist with media memo compilation and support in staffing of media interview with curators
• Assist in writing of press releases and other media collateral for media outreach
• Perform basic media research and pulling of media list
• Become familiar with galleries, collections by viewing museum and attending open meetings and programs
• re images and videos for blog posts

Finance, Facilities Planning & Business Programs, Human Resources, Information Technology

There are no positions available in this area at this time. Please check back again in the future.

Project Management, Exhibition Design, Design & Production

Exhibition Design Internship

Part-Time Hybrid Internship

$425/week

September 30-December 13, 2024

Desired Majors or Areas of Study: Exhibit Design, Graphic Design, Architecture, Interior Design

The Office of Project Management and Planning (OPMP) manages museum-wide projects which include new exhibitions and existing exhibition maintenance, symposia and festivals, and graphic design for a variety of smaller projects. The OPMP is comprised of two divisions (Project Management & Design and Production) that together provide a full range of services including exhibition planning and budgeting, design and fabrication, objects care and gallery maintenance, AV and lighting maintenance and support, and de-installation and renewal of exhibition spaces. 

The Exhibition Design Intern will work closely with museum professionals to gain broad knowledge of design work at a national museum. The intern will support the Exhibition Design Department at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) with computer-aided drafting, graphic production file creation, material and finish research, graphic design, 3D design, and/or creation of presentation materials. Under the guidance and mentorship of a staff designer, the intern will join an inter-departmental team and develop, design, and create production files for a small exhibition. When the internship is completed, the Exhibition Design Intern will gain insight into the complexity of exhibition design and will develop some exhibition design and production skills. Applicants must be able to work independently, and on a team; have a basic understanding of Adobe InDesign software and/or CAD program drafting; and be enrolled and completed some coursework in a college-level design program. Please submit samples of your design work with your essay when applying.

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Develop, design, and create production files for a small exhibition 
• Create graphic design files for temporary signage, and aid in the production of them
• Assist staff designers and/or detailer in production of design drawings and/or graphic files 
• Attend project meetings related to upcoming exhibitions, to experience a portion of the multi-year process required to create a large exhibition
• Attend and observe various in-gallery sessions, such as object rotations, artifact cleaning, or lighting adjustment

Interpretive Planning and Historical Research Internship

Full-Time Hybrid Internship

$850/week

September 23 - December 13, 2023 

Desired Majors or Areas of Study: Museum Studies, Museum Education, African American Studies, Africana/African Diaspora Studies and History, Latin American and Caribbean History, American Studies, Public History, Performance Studies, but all encouraged to apply

The Interpretive Planning and Historical Research Internship is located within the Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). OSP exists to strengthen the capabilities and sustainability of historical, cultural, and art institutions focused on African American and African Diaspora, which we do through our collaborations with museum service organizations, professional associations, and related organizations. Through collaboration and partnerships, OSP delivers far-reaching and transformative support for under-resourced organizations on a regional, national, and international level; connects and builds awareness about the work of its participating institutions; provides access to training and resources that support and advance leaders and field-wide best practices.

The Office of Strategic Partnerships operates a suite of annual hybrid interpretive programs for the museum field including the Ethical Interpretation Workshop, a signature program of NMAAHC/OSP and a professional development training on Urban Environmentalism, in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum. While examples of both environmentalism and ethical interpretation in practice are present throughout the museum’s object collection, digital offerings, and its physical museum exhibitions, there is no single exhibition that focuses on either of these topics exclusively. The Office of Strategic Partnerships Intern will learn through a project focusing on the development of two new exhibition guides that illustrate the work of OSP in practice – one specifically focused on ethical theory and practice and the other on urban environmentalism, to illustrate the ongoing relationship of African American communities and the natural world around them. 

The intern can expect to learn the multidisciplinary nature of museum exhibitions and interpretation; develop a deeper understanding for and ability to communicate the relationships between African American or African Diasporic communities and the natural world; develop object-specific and biographical research skills; Gain insights about exhibition rotation cycles and object display length for a variety of collections materials; learn how to interpret material culture and stories in a way that makes them intelligible to a broad cross-section of the public, particularly those interested in African American art, history, and culture; gain object interpretation, public speaking, and storytelling skills; learn how to distill a large quantity of multimedia exhibition information into a thematic, succinct, and accessible museum tour; build an understanding of effective methods for program facilitation and audience engagement techniques.

As time permits, additional experiences could include the assistance of planning/scheduling/facilitation of a few virtual professional development programs and/or meetups for the Community of Practice that has actively developed around the fields of ethical interpretation and environmental justice. The selected intern will join the planning teams for these multiple initiatives and assist in the development of program-related materials for each. The intern will perform research and support administrative tasks related to these topics/programs. 

Duties Include (but are not limited to):

• Participate in an online review and physical walkthrough of all museum exhibition galleries with OSP Staff, and other NMAAHC curators, as available 
• Research effective methods of program facilitation and audience engagement techniques
• Identify and research key objects on view in NMAAHC exhibitions that fit within the scope and intended content of this project
• Design two (2) OSP-centered exhibition guides on the topics of ethical theory and practice and urban environmentalism for NMAAHC’s physical exhibitions
• Create a presentation and/or talking points for each exhibition guide that can be used by other NMAAHC curators, docents, and museum staff on OSP-centered tours 
• Observe Museum leadership and strategic planning initiatives.
• Attend virtual cross-departmental meetings, workshops, and special events