The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is committed to providing a high quality learning experience for motivated individuals interested in pursuing a career in the museum or public history field. We offer “hands-on” opportunities coupled with an overview of museum operations through our internship program. The needs of the Museum and those of the prospective intern are taken into consideration during the selection process. Applications are accepted on a limited basis. We regret that we do not have funding to pay interns nor are we able to accept all who apply. It takes considerable staff time to manage, instruct, and monitor interns. Special consideration is extended to residents of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania who are full-time college students in public history.
To be accepted into the internship program, candidates must fit a number of criteria including, but not limited to:
♦ Prospective interns should be college undergraduates or graduates with a major or minor in history.
♦ Be in good academic standing with their institution maintaining a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
♦ Be available for a specific number of hours during the semester, usually 250+ hours; 20-30 hours per week.
♦ Be proficient in writing and computer skills.
Our internship program introduces students to museum operations and practice through “hands-on” participation in a variety of museum projects. All projects represent institutional priorities and may include exhibition development and installation. Collections care, processing, research, and education programs are also part of the program. Candidates for internships should not expect or require specialized training and workshops; rather our internships are designed to provide a representation of “hands-on” museum work. Students seeking to be formally trained, or trying out the field, should not apply for this opportunity.
Our ideal museum intern is an ambitious self-starter who appreciates a fast-paced environment, willing to take on new challenges. They must be mature, cooperative, dependable, able to work in a team environment, and willing to undertake routine job functions. You will learn through on-the-job experience; some tasks will be boring and dull.
Interns working toward college credit must make all arrangements through their own colleges. The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum will complete the required paperwork provided by the college. We require at least one initial consultation with your professor prior to your acceptance. It is the responsibility of the intern to make sure they fulfill all requirements for credit.
If you are interested in an internship and believe that you meet the above requirements, please call and speak with us. We value conversation. Internships cannot be arranged exclusively by email.
Please submit the following materials:
♦ Your resume, which should include your computer skills.
♦ Your official college transcripts.
♦ A writing sample consisting of a narrative of at least one page or 500 words explaining:
– Your goals and expectations for the internship
– The skills you bring to the internship
– Your schedule of availability, usually 20+ hours per week
Please submit these materials to
Chief Curator Jill Youngken by email at
j_youngken@lehighvalleyheritagemuseum.org
or by regular mail at
Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum
432 W. Walnut Street
Allentown, PA 18102.
Thank you for your interest!