Category: Internships

Our graduate interns, whether they found their internship through our matching program or on their own, take an academic internship to complement their hands on experience in the field. This course is an arranged learning experience in museum work appropriate to individual career goals focusing on an aspect of museum practice and working with a …

Come join us on Zoom to discover what all of our graduate student interns have been researching over the semester! Each student has a lightning-fast 5 minutes to share what they have learned. Click on the image below to register!

By Sarah Whaley The person at the neighboring sink kept throwing suspicious side eyes until they could no longer contain their question. “I’m sorry, what in the world is that?!” they asked incredulously. Emily Wilkes, curator of the Cultural Arts Gallery, and I were balancing a large glass jar under the faucet. As it filled, …

By Jackie Cain My week at the Eiteljorg started like any other, with a coffee, a bagel, and a mountain of emails to sort through. However, my day quickly fell into a fit of chaos when a co-worker approached me with the words that every collection worker dreads hearing, ‘I think we might have a …

By Corey Barber Throughout my time as the Collections Fellow at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, I have been able to take part in cleaning mold off a wide variety of objects. Caution must be taken when cleaning mold to limit risk to staff. Mold spores can be inhaled, especially when disturbing them for the …

By Madeline Griem When I was contacted about applying for an internship at the Zoo, I was confused and intrigued. I hold an undergraduate degree in history with minors in geography (focused on cultural geography) and anthropology; not exactly zoology or environmental science, which most people would think would be more applicable. Despite being concerned …

By Karen Breece, IUPUI Museum Studies MA student Halfway through the first semester of my internship, the Indianapolis Zoo’s Director of Education, who had been my acting mentor since I started, told me that my actual mentor who had been on maternity leave all this time was not coming back. She had been laid off. …

By Ross Edelstein, IUPUI Museum Studies MA student Sometimes, you wonder why something hasn’t been done before.  Sometimes, your realize things haven’t been done for a good reason. Sometimes that good reason isn’t good enough. Many museums like to offer sensory kits – usually with fidgets and tools.  But the Eiteljorg, where I have been doing …

By Michael Rice, IUPUI Museum Studies MA student  Interning at the Indiana Medical History Museum has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Being transported back to a different era every time I crossed the threshold was humbling. One of the tasks that comes with the internship is the opportunity to lead tours. This did not come …

By Olivia Underwood, IUPUI Museum Studies MA student In a crowded tray lies hundreds of loosely piled baggies, their contents shining out to any researcher or volunteer visiting the storage space of the Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana. Lapel pins, badges, awards, and other pin fastened objects clink against each other and their own …