Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART) Internship

SUBMIT YOUR SOLAA APPLICATION HERE! 

Our team is seeking a hybrid intern for the fall/winter of 2024. This internship will involve assisting members of the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative with educational resource development and on-site training program management. The intern may complete up to 50% of their work virtually, with 50% to be completed on-site, under supervision of SCRI staff.

SCRI’s training programs focus on filling the knowledge and skill gap identified in the cultural heritage field: the lack of capacity by cultural heritage stewards to act effectively in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Professional development opportunities to acquire these skills are rare in the current museum and cultural field, which increases the risk of heritage loss. Since its inception, SCRI has developed a robust compendium of training and works continuously to provide information to all cultural stewards working in the field on how to protect cultural heritage impacted by a disaster through webinars, publications, and practical on-site training.

The 2024 intern will become a part of the SCRI training team and gain experience in adult-learning theory, special event planning, and collections preservation and management.

By the conclusion of the internship, the intern will:

• Recognize and understand the adult-learning theory that is incorporated into all SCRI training for cultural heritage and emergency management professionals

• Understand the complex logistics that produce an intensive training program

• Identify the many actors involved in the cultural heritage emergency field and be able to interact with them through SCRI’s network

• Increase their practical knowledge of what happens when responding to crises involving heritage and understand the methods of protecting that heritage

• Acquire a greater understanding of the roles that museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution, have in the field of cultural heritage preservation

• Gain insight into the management and administration of the Smithsonian Institution and learn how to utilize its processes

• Meet and learn from the large community of Smithsonian collections professionals that regularly contribute and teach in all of SCRI’s training programs

Guided and supervised by staff from SCRI and its many partners, the intern will achieve these learning objectives by assisting with the ongoing planning of the 2024 Heritage Emergency and Response Training (HEART) programming. The intern will assist the Training Program Manager with developing educational resources for the training, help with the organization and management of SCRI’s training materials, and provide daily onsite event assistance during the program.

• Proposed start date: September 9, 2024
• Proposed end date: December 20, 2023 (15 weeks)
• Schedule: Part-time (16-20 hours per week)
• Stipend: $5,016 – $6,080 (based on available hours). Please note, the intern will be expected to attend, in-person, the full week-long HEART 2024 training in early December 2024.

Previous experience in a museum, archive or library environment/community is preferred but not required. Applicants must demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills and a passion for collections care, collaborative learning, and the cultural heritage field. Additionally, applicants should demonstrate an interest in understanding how cultural heritage is protected in the event of a disaster. You must have the necessary permissions to accept an academic appointment in the United States prior to acceptance to the internship.

All applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointments (SOLAA) system. Please visit SOLAA, create an account, and search for “Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative - Training Program Internship” internship. When applying, make sure to select “HEART 2024” as your intended project.

Application Requirements:

• Current resume or CV

• Cover letter addressing the following points: 1) Previous museum or special event experience; 2) What you hope to accomplish through this internship, and how it would relate to your academic and career goals; 3) What about the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative in particular interests you and leads you to apply for this internship (2-page maximum)

• Copy of transcript

• Contact info for at least 1 reference

Applications are due by 10:00 pm on Monday July 1, 2024. Interviews with short-listed candidates will be conducted shortly after. Selection will be made by early August 2024.

For more information, please email us at culturalrescue@si.edu.