DC Metro Area Internship Opportunities
Exhibitions and Educational Outreach Internships
Please browse our available opportunities and apply to the one(s) that best suit your interests.
About the Internships
Web Site: Select an Internship to visit their web site.
Location: Physical sites are listed below.
Exhibitions and Educational Outreach internships offer an excellent opportunity for gaining hands-on experience for students interested in education, museum studies, public policy, U.S. History, political science or communications. Depending on the intern's work schedule, interests and skills, and the current needs of the departments, interns may be assigned a combination of responsibilities and activities.
Center for Legislative Archives – Physical site is Washington, DC
Public outreach internships
Public outreach interns at the Center for Legislative Archives work on a variety of projects along with outreach staff that develop research and writing skills, expand students' understanding of history, politics and government, and provide opportunities to explore a variety of career paths.
Public outreach interns work with the Center's outreach staff on a variety of projects, including:
- Research on the first through fortieth congresses to supplement our upcoming publication,
Congress and the Shaping of American History. This publication examines the role of Congress
during six major events in American history.
- Lesson plans and curricular materials for the Center's web site based on original House and Senate documents
- Archival description of congressional records
- Featured House and Senate documents for the Center's web site
- General research in the records of Congress to support outreach programs
Intern assignments on these project include: historical media research, research on historical figures or events, research on institutional changes and developments in government, image research, policy research, writing research memos, creating educational materials, composing informational text boxes, or creating charts, graphs and time lines.
Interested students at any educational level may apply for a public outreach internship. Applicants with strong writing skills and an interest in history, political science, legislative politics, public policy, education, public history or communication are welcome. For information on how to apply, please visit How to apply for an internship with the Center for Legislative Archives.
Archival Internships
Archival interns receive training from the Center's archivists on a variety of projects, including:
- Description of archival records
- Reference requests from researchers
- Creation and digitization of finding aids
Students with the appropriate skills may also work on proposals for maximizing the archival utility of the Center's web site.
Archival interns often come to the Center to gain hands on experience during their graduate studies in Archives and Library Science programs. However, all students with an interest in this field are encourages to submit an application. For information on how to apply, please visit How to apply for an internship with the Center for Legislative Archives.
National Archives Experience – Physical site is Washington, DC
Boeing Learning Center Internship
These internships are unpaid opportunities that are available for academic credit, should the student choose. When interning for academic credit, an Internship Agreement is required and can be acquired from the Internship Coordinator.
Internships here focus on activities in the Boeing Learning Center that use the holdings of the National Archives to engage learners of all ages. Activities include assisting with numerous workshops for teachers, facilitating visitor activities in the ReSource Room, and developing materials for their use. Interns conduct research to identify appropriate documents for inclusion in materials and programs, collate materials, and support teacher workshop activities; identify, organize and prepare copies of documents on a variety of topics and themes for visitor use; and conduct research in NARA publications to update additional resources. In addition, interns support the student Learning Lab by participating in sessions, and identifying documents to support future lab experiences. An academic concentration in history or education is required. This internship would benefit those who wish to pursue a career in education, museum education, or public history. Excellent interpersonal skills, familiarity with learning theory, and an interest in doing wide-ranging research are necessary.
For more information on the Boeing Learning Center go to: Boeing Learning Center http://www.archives.gov/nae/visit/learning-center/
How to Apply
Students interested in an internship with the Center for the National Archives Experience must submit the following:
- cover letter
- resume
- two letters of recommendation
- college transcript (does not need to be official)
Materials should be submitted to:
Intern Coordinator
Center for the National Archives Experience, Room G-27
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20408-0001
We accept interns by rolling admission.
If you have questions regarding this internship opportunity, please email:
Rebecca Martin or at (202) 357-5272
Social Media Internship
Social media interns work with the volunteer, exhibits, education, and Web program offices on a project related to the National Archives' exhibition "Discovering the Civil War." Interns report to the volunteer coordinator and may occasionally help with other education projects.
Social Media interns work with the staff on a variety of projects, specific tasks include:
- assembling a database of images and other material related to the exhibition "Discovering the Civil War"
- developing content to post on an exhibition Twitter account
- responding to comments made people following the account
- Tweeting about the exhibition
Interested students at any educational level may apply for a Social Media internship. Applicants with an above-average knowledge of American history, as demonstrated through a major or concentration in history, public history, American studies, museum studies, or a related field, excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to work in teams and independently, familiarity with social media applications are welcome.
How to Apply
Students interested in an internship with the Center for the National Archives Experience must submit the following:
- cover letter
- resume
- two letters of recommendation
- college transcript (does not need to be official)
Where to Send Applications
Materials should be submitted to:
Volunteer Coordinator
Center for the National Archives Experience, Room G-9
National Archives and Records Administration
700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20408-0001
Application Deadline
The deadline is rolling.
Who to Contact
If you have questions regarding this internship opportunity, please contact:
Rebecca Martin or at (202) 357-5272