General Application: Office of Audience Engagement (OAE) Internship - Fall 2021
**Please note**
- Please read about how to submit your application on our website. We will not review applications submitted via Handshake; we will only review applications submitted via the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment Database.
- Depending on the status of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Fall 2021 internship may be virtual or hybrid (part in-person, part virtual).
- Any in-person or hybrid experience may be converted to virtual or postponed to ensure the safety and health of our staff and interns.
- All accepted interns will have the option to apply for an internship stipend based on disclosed financial need after their selection.
In the Office of Audience Engagement (OAE), we use history to create experiences that encourage meaningful conversation, expand perspectives, and inspire learning, innovation and active participation in civic life. We challenge our audiences to consider their important role in shaping a more humane future. The Office of Audience Engagement works to provide a comprehensive visitor experience for all of the museum’s audiences, from daily visitors to program attendees to website and social media interactions.
The Office of Audience Engagement is made up of four teams:
- Education and Impact, which includes the Program in Latino History and Culture
- Experience Design, which includes the African American History Program
- Programs and Audience Development
- Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation
Interested in submitting an OAE application?
In your learning goals essay, be sure to specify which specific division(s) within the larger Office of Audience Engagement you would like to intern with! Here are some tips for your application:
- Some of our OAE teams, such as the Teacher and Youth Programs team, the Daily Programs team, and the Lemelson Center's Spark!Lab, may already be recruiting for an internship; check out upcoming NMAH internship opportunities to learn more!
- Interested in a particular program, such as the African American History Program? Explain in your essay why you're interested in learning more about their particular work and program!
- Interested in our Programs and Audience Development team? Be sure to include informal skills in your resume, too, such as your own personal programming experience, such as fundraisers and your own social media platforms, as well as any formal programming experience you may have.
- Try to include in your essay some sort of focus--in program, museum skills, or educational topic--so that the Interns & Fellows Program Manager can make sure your application is sent to the best possible mentor match!
If you have any questions about the internship, please contact Caroline Fiertz, Interns & Fellows Program Manager at the National Museum of American History, at NMAHintern@si.edu or 202-633-3556.