Who: Actively enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, or recent graduates within one year.
Commitment: 10 week summer program and/or semester-long spring or fall program

Each candidate is interviewed to assess interests, skills, and goals. Successful applicants are matched with staff mentors who design a tailored set of tasks and learning outcomes. Interns typically engage in work across areas such as collections management, historical research, exhibition development, education programs, public history, digital media, and visitor engagement.

Throughout the internship, students receive regular supervision, coaching, and opportunities for reflection. Interns are expected to participate in public programs and to present a final project or summary of their work at the end of the summer. Our goal is to ensure each intern leaves with concrete accomplishments, professional experience, and a clear understanding of how their work contributed to the Museum’s mission.

Who: Actively enrolled high school students ages 14–19, or participants in an equivalent program.
Commitment: year-round program, hours episodic

Students in the Youth Internship Program gain authentic work experience, develop transferable skills, and contribute meaningfully to the Museum’s mission to inspire a lifelong love of learning, history, and science. Youth interns work closely with staff mentors, rotate through key Museum functions, and take part in hands-on tasks that build confidence and workplace readiness.

Learning Goal #1: Interns will develop their social and vocational competencies and understand their application to future professional or academic environments.

Learning Outcomes: interns will be able to…
– Communicate clearly and professionally with supervisors, colleagues, and Museum visitors.
– Collaborate with groups (often adults) to accomplish a shared goal.
– Recognize the importance of effective time management
– Demonstrate responsibility, initiative, and the ability to follow through on assigned tasks.

Learning Goal #2: Interns will understand the expectations of professionalism and performance in a complex work environment.

Learning Outcomes: interns will be able to
– Demonstrate understanding of workplace policies and performance expectations
– Accept feedback and use it to improve performance.
– Evaluate their own level of interest in museum, maritime, or STEM-related careers.
– Describe how their contributions support the Museum’s mission

Internship Roles and Responsibilities in 2025

• Collections Management: Interns assisted with cataloging, conservation, and research related to museum collections, including artifacts, archives, documents, and works of art.
• Exhibit Design and Interpretation: Supported the creation and installation of exhibits, writing interpretive materials, & engaging with the public.
• Conservation: One intern helped to preserve and restore maritime artifacts, learning conservation techniques under the supervision of professionals.
• Research: Multiple tasks and with frequency.
• Education and Public Programs: Interns helped develop and deliver educational programming for schools, families, and adult audiences.
• Visitor Services: Front-line roles in greeting visitors, answering questions, audio tours, and assisting with tours and events.
• Marketing and Outreach: Interns worked on social media, parade and event promotion, and community engagement strategies.
• Information Technology: Interns worked to film, then edit, lectures, and write and design web pages.