Summer 2024 Voluntary Internship Opportunities
Summer 2024 interns will have the opportunity to work in a variety of fields, including archival processing, museum exhibits, and more. Internships are unpaid, but can be done for academic credit or volunteer hours. Interns work between 10-40 hours per week for 10 weeks.
Browse our voluntary internship opportunities for Summer 2024 below.
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Presidential Libraries and Museums
- Barack Obama Presidential Library in Hoffman Estates, IL - Archival Internship
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI - Public Relations/Communications Internship
- Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI - Retail Internship for the Museum Store
- Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, IA - Curatorial/Education Internship
- Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, GA - Archival Internship
Archival Internship
10 internships available at the Barack Obama Presidential Library in Hoffman Estates, IL
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Interns’ primary task is to prepare documents for digitization. Details are as follows:
- Remove fasteners (staples, clips, etc.) and bindings
- Remove non-scannable items & materials (envelopes, boxes, bags, etc.)
- Identify & alert LP-BHO (Obama Presidential Library) staff of any non-scannable/textual items or materials (AV, electronic textual, artifact)
- Create Preservation Copies where needed
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Physical document processing, team work, time management.
Work Environment: The work is mostly sedentary and performed while seated, yet interns must be physically able to perform the duties of this position. Physical demands may include climbing ladders, moving heavy carts of records, and handling boxes of archival records typically weighing up to 50 pounds.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate student
- Qualifications:
- Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
- Can work independently and effectively
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options: flexible
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History
Public Relations/Communications Internship
1 internship available at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Prepare press releases
- Create social media posts
- Update the Presidential Library & Museum website
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Public relations and communications experience in the federal government
Work Environment: Work may occur in an office setting, in museum galleries, and in other similar settings. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree student
- Preferred degree program or major: Public Relations or similar
- Qualifications:
- Research capability
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Communications & Marketing, External Affairs & Public Relations, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries)
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample.
Retail Internship for the Museum Store
3 internships available at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, MI
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- 1. Admissions sales through a visitor services system. 2. Product sales through a point of sale system. 3. Periodic reconciliation of transactions. 4. Receive and inventory incoming products for sale in store.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Will learn our retail procedures, practices, work processes, and apply this knowledge and technical competency through providing sales store support and service and general admissions support and service working with visitor services systems and/or point of sale system. Will learn our Ticketing system and the Microsoft Great Plains Point of sale system.
Work Environment: Will be working in a Museum Store at the admissions desk and store sales desk.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree student, Current or former bachelor's degree student, Current or former graduate student
- Qualifications:
- Can work independently and effectively, Can work collaboratively as part of a team, Attention to detail, Excellent verbal communication skills
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Facility Operations & Logistics, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries)
Curatorial/Education Internship
2 internships available at the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, IA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Photographing artifacts
- Conducting inventories of collections
- Learn TMS (The Museum System collections management software) and utilize the software to leverage the use of artifacts in education programs
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Their efforts help the Presidential Library and Museum advance its contributions to e-Museum and will give interns the necessary skills for careers in museum and museum education work
Work Environment: Work may occur in an office setting, in museum galleries, and in other similar settings. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree student
- museum studies
- Qualifications:
- Can work independently and effectively, Can work collaboratively as part of a team, Attention to detail, knowledge of museum setting
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options: flexible
- Weekly Schedule: 10-20 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Education & Exhibits, Facility Operations & Logistics, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries), Photo Services
Archival Internship
2 internships available at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, GA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Basic arrangement and description of small portions of series within textual and AV collections
- Scanning and metadata description of items housed in textual and AV collections for preparation to put onto the library & museum website/National Archives Catalog
- Implementation of inventory and transferal of unprocessed materials in the archival collection into proper housing for preservation purposes
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Basic archival functions
- NARA cataloging methods
- Qwareness of the archival unit's fit within larger the larger presidential library & museum structure
Work Environment: Work may occur in an office setting, in museum galleries, and in other similar settings. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Coursework or practical experience in archival work including holdings maintenance, processing, or description
- Strong writing ability
- Attention to detail;
- Strong organizational skills
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options: TBD
- Weekly Schedule Options: 10-20 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, Education & Exhibits, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries)
National Archives Field Locations
- Boston, MA - Description & Digitization Internship
- Chicago, IL - Archival Internship
- Denver, CO - Judicial Records Internship
- New York, NY - Education Programs Internship
- Riverside, CA - Archival Internship
- San Francisco, CA - Archival Internship
- Seattle, WA - Archival Internship
Description & Digitization Internship at the National Archives at Boston
1 internship available at the National Archives at Boston, MA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Index and Digitize Lighthouse Records
- Help with Enhanced Description Projects
- Volume Digitization
- Create a Google Cultural Exhibit highlighting National Archives at Boston’s records
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Learn Archival Description skills and the basics of Archival Digitization
- Learn how to create a virtual Google Cultural Exhibit
Work Environment: The work will be mostly done in a Processing Room or at a shared computer in an office setting.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Graduate level Archival program preferred. History majors acceptable.
- Qualifications:
- Coursework or practical experience in archival work including holdings maintenance, processing, or description
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule: 10-20 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, Education & Exhibits, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Archival Internship at the National Archives at Chicago
1 internship available at the National Archives at Chicago, IL
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Interns will arrange and describe records, digitize records, and perform basic preservation tasks on records. The intern will also have some opportunities to help with reference.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- In addition to obtaining hands-on experience processing and digitizing 19th and 20th Century records, the intern will be able to observe how a small staff is able to manage over 130,000 cubic feet of records and answer thousands of reference requests in a timely manner. The intern will also be able to participate in all staff meetings and staff development programs that take place during their tour.
Work Environment: Most of the work will be sedentary in nature, although the intern may need to assist with moving multiple 50 pound boxes related to assigned projects.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree program in history, museum studies, library science, or a related field.
- Qualifications:
- Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
- Can work independently and effectively
- Can balance multiple deadline-driven tasks or projects simultaneously
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Facility Operations & Logistics, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Judicial Records Internship at the National Archives at Denver
2 internships available at the National Archives at Denver, CO
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- The intern will learn about archival preservation practices, describing complex records for discoverability and digitizing utilizing several different imaging solutions, including a high-speed scanner and a camera set-up. They will be encouraged to identify individual records or series of records to apply principles of enhanced description to as well as learning how to promote those records, and their work through NARA’s social media platforms.
- Specific Duties:
- Carry out maintenance actions needed to preserve NARA's holdings and make them available for use.
- Apply the principles of archival arrangement and description to increase discoverability and access.
- Assist in internal digitization activities by conducting document preparation activities and digitizing records according to NARA policies, procedures and standards.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will assist project archivists in preservation rehousing, indexing, arranging, describing and digitizing Civil Case Files created by the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Cases include actions brought in Federal court between parties. Cases may include civil rights concerns, business law, environmental disputes among others.
- Interns will also create detailed descriptions and social media posts for some of the records identified during their project.
Work Environment: The work is mostly sedentary, yet interns must be physically able to perform the duties of this position. Physical demands may include climbing ladders, moving heavy carts of records, and handling boxes of records typically weighing up to 50 pounds. The work may also demand considerable standing, walking, stooping, bending, and lifting.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Student must be part of a history, public history, library science, or museum studies program.
- Qualifications:
- Research capability
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, External Affairs & Public Relations, History, Legal, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Education Programs Internship
2 internships available at the National Archives at New York City, NY
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Work with school groups in a museum setting
- Support teacher professional development workshops and institutes
- Design K-12 education programs for school visits
- Design education activities
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will gain real world experience as a museum educator during the internship. They will work alongside professional museum educators and have the opportunity to design education programs and materials for K-12 school visits. Interns will assist in facilitating teacher professional development programs that will allow them to understand teacher needs. Interns will also have the opportunity to work with museum public programs specialists and visitor services coordinators in order to understand how museum education programs synthesize and support the full range of education in the museum.
Work Environment: Work will occur in an office setting, in museum galleries, and in a museum classroom. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Education or museum studies major preferred
- Qualifications:
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Dates: Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Weekly Schedule: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Education & Exhibits, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries)
The selecting official for this internship may also request both a writing sample and a letter of recommendation.
Archival Internship at the National Archives at Riverside
4 internships available at the National Archives at Riverside, CA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Preserve, describe, and digitize archival records
- Create descriptive file listings
- Fulfill basic reference requests
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will learn to fully process and digitize a complete series of records following NARA and local standards. They will learn the reference processes of archival records maintained in the unit. Work products expected at the end of the internship will include one fully described series of records and the digitization of those records, as well as three fully completed reference requests.
Work Environment: The work is mostly sedentary in an office area setting. Participants are not expected to locate and retrieve records or move heavy containers of records.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree or current enrollment in a history, museum studies, or library and information science program.
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Familiarity with or capability of using sophisticated scanning equipment
- Can work independently and effectively
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule: 10-20 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample and a letter of recommendation.
Archival Internship at the National Archives at San Francisco
2 internships available at the National Archives at San Francisco, CA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Interns will assist with archival processing of records (including arrangement and description, rehousing and labeling, creating finding aids, etc.) and digitization of records (including imaging of records, creation of metadata, quality control, etc.). Opportunities to perform historical research, create social media or blog posts, and assist with the reference process may be available pending project selection.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will gain hands-on experience with archival standards and best practices while working with engaging materials and learning from qualified professional staff. They will get a behind-the-scenes look at the policies and procedures of the National Archives while contributing to the preservation of our national history. Products created during the internship – such as finding aids or digital copies of records – will be utilized by the public and National Archives staff to increase access to our holdings. Interns will have opportunities to expand and practice their communication and problem-solving skills.
Work Environment: The work is office and computer-based, but with physical demands including ascending ladders to handle boxes of records stored up to 15 feet above the floor and typically weighing up to 50 pounds. The work may also demand considerable periods of maintaining a stationary position, moving, or otherwise positioning oneself to access objects, equipment, or records located in high and low places.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's or graduate student
- Degree program in history, museum studies, library science, or a related field.
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Familiarity with or capability of using sophisticated scanning equipment
- Attention to detail
- Strong organizational skills
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- We can also accommodate students on a quarter system who would need to start later in June
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Archival Internship at the National Archives at Seattle
3 internships available at the National Archives at Seattle, WA
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Archival document arrangement, processing, digitization, and preservation
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Create comprehensive finding aids and indexes
- Develop intersections between different record groups and how various reference resources work
- Learn proper archival techniques for rehousing and preserving records, as well as how to digitize records for inclusion in the National Archives Catalog
Work Environment: Interns will work in the reference room, processing space, and archival stack areas. This will include ascending ladders to handle boxes of records stored up to 15 feet above the floor and typically weighing up to 50 pounds.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree program in Library and Information Science, Archives and Records Management, Public History, or Museum Studies
- Qualifications:
- Coursework or practical experience in archival work including holdings maintenance, processing, or description
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Washington, DC-area
- College Park, MD
- Archival Internship for Augmented Processing & Reference
- Archival Internship for the Cartographic Branch
- Communication Internship for Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Museum Services
- Conservation Branch Internship
- Digitization Internship for the Special Media Division's Still Picture Branch
- Equal Employment Opportunity Office Internship
- Human Resources Internship for the Office of Human Capital
- Law Clerk
- Materials as Data: Developing Scholarly Resources Internship for Heritage Science
- Microsoft Power Apps Developer
- Washington, DC
Archival Internship for Augmented Processing & Reference
3 internships available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- These interns will assist with the holdings maintenance of textual records, create box and/or folder lists for access by researchers, and help develop finding aids for a series or a collection of records for either a civilian agency or military subject area.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- This internship will provide students with a well-rounded archival experience working with textual records. It will offer them an opportunity to learn more about the archival profession by working directly with the documents.
Work Environment: The work is mostly performed in an office setting. However, interns must be able to manage multiple tasks, understand, and apply existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). In addition, interns will need to lift and carry boxes of archival records typically weighing up to 50 pounds.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree program in history, museum studies, library science, or a related field
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
- Can work independently and effectively
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Archival Internship for the Cartographic Branch
1 internship available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Cartographic Branch interns will work on digitization projects to help expand access to our records. The digitization projects will involve scanning archival records, editing the images, and creating metadata so the items can be uploaded to the National Archives Catalog. Additionally, interns may work on archival processing projects and/or reference activities such as answering off-site reference requests and/or monitoring and assisting researchers in the Cartographic Research Room.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- The intern will learn to use Contex Large Format and/or Flatbed scanners to digitize records. Additionally, the intern will develop skills in handling archival records, including oversize records, and will have the opportunity to learn about other Cartographic record types, including maps, charts, ship plans, rolled aerial film, and aerial prints. Interns will also learn to use Photoshop to perform basic image editing, such as rotating and cropping, and will learn to enter metadata into a spreadsheet. Interns will produce scans and metadata, which will be uploaded to the National Archives Catalog.
Work Environment: The work will take place in an office setting. Interns may be required to stand for period of time while scanning records, and will need to sit at a computer to complete metadata and image editing. Additionally, interns will need to pull archival materials from our stack areas, which may include ascending ladders to handle boxes of records stored up to 15 feet above the floor and typically weighing up to 50 pounds, as well as pushing carts.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree program in history, public history, museum studies, library science, or a related field.
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Physically able to climb 15-foot ladders and work with boxes weighing up to 50 pounds
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History, Reference Services
Communication Internship for Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Museum Services
3 internships available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Collaborate closely with the communications coordinator and public affairs and social media teams to brainstorm and develop out-of-the-box, innovative, and strategic approaches to support NARA's Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Museum Services organizational and Agency goals.
- Assist in developing and maintaining stakeholder lists to reach local/national audiences and an editorial calendar to coordinate/track/schedule content across the organization.
- Support additional communications needs across the organization including key message development and media responses.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Enhanced understanding of communications principles and the media landscape for a government agency
- Create communications strategies/creative concepts and tactical deliverables to reach targeted and diverse audiences. Tangible work products include but are not limited to communications plans, press releases, key messages, responsive questions and answers, editorial calendars, and resource library/toolkits (social media, editorial calendar, email marketing templates, etc.)
- Learn and experience how to contribute and/or respond to inquiries from major news outlets
- Hands-on experience working with communications professionals/experts
Work Environment: Office space with cubicle
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program: Current or former bachelor's degree student
- Qualifications:
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Attention to detail
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Communications & Marketing, Editorial, External Affairs & Public Relations, Legislative, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries),
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample.
Conservation Branch Internship
2 internships available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Interns will be assigned basic conservation activities including assessment and repair of 19th Century documents beginning with basic mending and flattening and progressing to removing attachments and more complex tear repair or humidification. They will also have the option to rotate through treatment of oversize records such as preparation of 1960 census maps and custom housing activities related to RG 41 (ledger books). They will be given an overview of conservation documentation in the photo suite and an opportunity to learn about instruments in Heritage Science such as the portable FTIR for the identification of media.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will gain practical experience working at the bench. They will learn about the tools and methods of conservation appropriate to the treatment that is assigned to them, and will be introduced to ethical practice in treatment. The professional conservators will provide formal and informal presentations throughout the ten week period to enhance learning. Interns will be able to describe the steps for basic repair of historic documents and understand the correct tools to use and the tools to avoid. They will have at least ten treatments and associated documentation for their portfolio by the end of the internship.
Work Environment: The work is performed in a laboratory with large workbenches with other experienced conservators, specialists, and technicians. The work is largely done standing. Skilled fine-motor skill manipulation of paper is a requirement for this internship. While no chemical work is anticipated, there will be a health and safety debriefing on chemical hygiene.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former graduate student
- Degree program in conservation of cultural heritage, history, museum studies, library science, or a related field
- Qualifications:
- Can work independently and effectively
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Attention to detail
- Excellent hand skills for applied conservation treatment activities
Schedule:
- Internship Dates: open for interpretation based on graduate program schedule
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, History, Photo Services, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Digitization Internship for the Special Media Division’s Still Picture Branch
1 internship available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Primary tasks will include digitizing photographs and/or other graphic materials in support of high priority projects and initiatives; performing basic holdings maintenance in preparation for digitization; and creating descriptive metadata for the scans generated.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- The participant will learn to perform holdings maintenance to support digitization projects, such as rehousing and assigning unique item numbers to photographic records. In addition, they will receive training on how to use a tethered camera and/or flatbed scanner, and how to create group and item level descriptive metadata to support access. The participant will also have the opportunity to attend up to 3 information sessions about Still Picture holdings.
Work Environment: Work will occur in a cubicle in an office suite where Still Picture staff and NARA volunteers also work on processing and digitization projects. Food and drink may be consumed in designated break areas, but not in the assigned office suite.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's, or graduate student
- Qualifications:
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Attention to detail
- Excellent verbal communication skills
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, Digitizing Archival Materials, History, Photo Services, Reference Services
Equal Employment Opportunity Office Internship
3 internships available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Conduct research for EEO program responsibilities
- Assist with processing EEO cases and requests
- Support best practice efforts for all EEO programs
Professional Development Opportunities:
- The intern will be fully immersed in all EEO programs to learn processing timeframes. They will research projects for the respective EEO programs to support being a Model EEO Program. They will help write policy and support administrative efforts to build partnerships and increase EEO support to field offices. They will also be able to participate in Trend and Barrier analyses.
Work Environment: Work will occur in an office setting. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's degree, bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Qualifications:
- Research capability
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Human Resources
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample and a letter of recommendation.
Human Resources Internship for the Office of Human Capital
2 internships available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Work closely with a communications specialist to develop HR communications for agency employees
- Assist in developing work products to support NARA’s executive workforce
- Assist in building NARA’s internships program
- Other duties as assigned.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Learn what makes strong communications that draw attention from agency employees
- Build some basic HR and project management competencies
Work Environment: Interns will be issued a NARA laptop, and work will occur in a hybrid work environment, including both in an office setting and remotely. Work will be completed at a computer.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former associate's or bachelor's degree student
- Degree program in communications, human resources, business administration, or a related field
- Qualifications:
- Can balance multiple deadline-driven tasks or projects simultaneously
- Attention to detail
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
- more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Communications & Marketing, Human Resources
Law Clerk
2 internships at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Legal research and writing
- Drafting litigation related documents
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Exposure to a Federal Agency General Counsel Office,
- Exposure to a wide range of Federal administrative laws
- Develop experience with legal research and writing and administrative litigation
Work Environment: Work will occur in an office setting. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former Law school student
- Qualifications:
- Research capability
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule: more than 30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Legal
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample.
Materials as Data: Developing Scholarly Resources Internship for Heritage Science
1 internship available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- The intern will be tasked with developing a scholarly resource from the heritage science lab’s reference material collection. Major duties will include assessing the scope of the reference collection, developing an understanding of how the materials are used by the lab to support archives research and preservation, and creating a framework for information management that makes the collection accessible and useful to the lab and outside scholars by capturing and linking key data. The intern will also be able to conduct preliminary user testing.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- The participant will be working with a team of scientists in an active research lab and will be exposed to a variety of types of analytical instrumentation to learn about their applications to preservation and conservation work at the archives. This project will develop information management skills needed to create a data architecture for the final work product. The final work product will be a functional database the archives can use, expand and share with other researchers interested in its reference material collection. (Note: the emphasis of this project is NOT data entry.)
Work Environment: Work will occur in a cubicle space with a desktop computer in the heritage science research and testing lab, and may require standing for extended periods of time, lifting boxes of archival records typically weighing up to 50 pounds, or sitting at a computer. Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for when working in the lab environment.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Degree program in library science, information science, computer science, any physical science or a related field.
- Qualifications:
- Coursework or practical experience in archives administration, information, and/or library sciences
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Can work independently and effectively
- Strong organizational skills
Schedule:
- Internship Date Options:
- Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Monday 6/3 to Friday 8/9
- Monday 6/10 to Friday 8/16
- Weekly Schedule Options:
- 10-20 hours per week
- 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Education & Exhibits, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Microsoft Power Apps Developer
1 internship available at the National Archives at College Park, MD
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Develop Microsoft Power Apps applications
- Transition Microsoft databases to Microsoft Dataverse
- Custom Python programming language development
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Develop user interface applications using Power Apps connecting to Dataverse
Work Environment: Work will occur in an office setting. Interns may be required to stand for periods of time or to sit at a computer in the course of their work.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former high school, associate's degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate student
- High school applicants should have several AP courses in computer science
- Associate, Bachelor’s, or graduate programs should include a major or minor in computer science
- Qualifications:
- Can work independently and effectively
- Attention to detail
- Strong organizational skills
- Experience using MS Visual Studio IE
- Knowledge of programming languages like Python, Java, or any language used to build Microsoft applications
- Knowledge of or experience in developing applications
Schedule:
- Internship Dates: Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Weekly Schedule Option: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Information Technology
The selecting official for this internship may also request a letter of recommendation.
Education Programs Internship at the National Archives Museum
2 internships available at the National Archives at Washington, DC
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Work with school groups in a museum setting,
- Support teacher professional development workshops and institutes,
- Design K-12 education programs for in-gallery school visits, and
- Design education activities for the October 2024 Sleepover.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will gain real world experience as a museum educator during the internship. They will work alongside professional museum educators and have the opportunity to design education programs and materials for K-12 school visits to the museum. Interns will assist in facilitating teacher professional development programs that will allow them to understand teacher needs. Interns will also have the opportunity to work with museum public programs specialists and visitor services coordinators in order to understand how museum education programs synthesize and support the full range of education in the museum.
Work Environment: Interns will work in an office setting, museum galleries, and museum classroom.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Education or Museum Studies major preferred
- Qualifications:
- Research capability
- Can work collaboratively as part of a team
- Attention to detail
- Strong writing ability
Schedule:
- Internship Dates: Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Weekly Schedule: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Education & Exhibits, History, Museums & Public Programs (including at Presidential Libraries)
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample and a letter of recommendation.
Processing Internship for the Textual Division
1 internship available at the National Archives at Washington, DC
Tasks & Responsibilities:
- Projects involve basic archival holdings maintenance, such as re-housing textual records, verifying contents of collections, creating finding aids, and file unit listings for the catalog.
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Interns will learn how to assess the processing needs of textual records, what methods are used to establish physical and intellectual control over the records, how to plan and document processing actions, and how to apply those principles to a group of records.
- During the internship you will will create a processing work plan, finding aid, and catalog entries.
Work Environment: The work is in the archives processing room, and interns will handle boxes of textual records. This may include some heavy lifting. Most of the work will include rehousing textual records and creating a computer-based inventory.
Education & Qualifications Requirements:
- Educational Level/Program:
- Current or former bachelor's degree or graduate student
- Archives Management, Library and Information Science, or Records Management.
- Applicants should have experience or an interest in learning archival processing.
- Qualifications:
- Coursework or practical experience in archives administration, information, and/or library sciences
- Coursework or practical experience in archival work including holdings maintenance, processing, or description
- Competent using computers for tasks including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Attention to detail
Schedule:
- Internship Dates: Monday 5/28 to Friday 8/2
- Weekly Schedule: 20-30 hours per week
Area(s) of Interest: Archival Processing, History, Reference Services
The selecting official for this internship may also request a writing sample and a letter of recommendation.