If you have ever wanted to work in a museum, now may be the best chance to get your foot through the door. Like many other businesses across the nation, museums around Chicagoland are being forced to lay off employees in order to stay open. This means that most museums are relying more and more on volunteers and interns to help keep operations running. While most of these institutions cannot pay students for their internship experiences, they can offer you the opportunity to get first-hand experience in working in a museum. Many departments at NEIU also offer academic credit for students who have internships and, of course, any internship or volunteer experience always looks great on a resume.
The Chicago History Museum is offering a wide range of internship opportunities, from cataloguing incoming collections to marketing, and public relations to assisting with volunteers. While an interest in history is a plus, it’s diverse focus on everything Chicago should make any internship enjoyable for locals and newcomers to the city. To find out more and download applications, visit their Web site at www.chicagohistory.org/aboutus/jobsvolunteering/internships.
The Field Museum, one of the largest and best known museums in Chicago, is also offering internships, mostly with a focus on anthropology. Their volunteer opportunities range from assisting in the new Crown Family Play Lab to fielding questions about the Field’s most famous resident, Sue the T. Rex. Visit www.bfound.net/list.aspx?CoId=45 to get a complete listing of opportunities and to fill out applications.
Also on the museum campus, the Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum are accepting volunteers and interns. Their volunteer positions range from assisting with telescope viewing to guiding visitors through the various galleries. Extensive knowledge of astronomy is not needed, as their helpful staff will help you learn the basics. Behind-the-scenes opportunities are also available, including helping the astronomy department launch a near-space research balloon to translating Arabic texts. To find out more, visit www.adlerplanetarium.org/volunteer/index.shtml.
The Shedd Aquarium also has very interesting internship opportunities available, from working with events and promotions to helping with marine mammals. Many of the animal related internships do require an enrollment in a biology degree program, though there are many other opportunities available for those who are not involved with a science degree. Some of the volunteer programs allow volunteers to get first hand experience with the living residents of the aquarium, including a volunteer position as the Caribbean Reef scuba diver. To find out more and to get applications, please visit www.sheddaquarium.org/internship_listings.html.
Lovers of art would greatly enjoy a volunteering experience at the Art Institute of Chicago. Volunteer opportunities include interpreting artworks and offering gallery tours to visitors, as well as helping with different family-oriented projects. For volunteer opportunities visit www.artic.edu/aic/aboutus/volunteer.html. The Art Institute also boasts internship opportunities behind the scenes, including one as a curator. There are also opportunities to explore other aspects of running a museum, such as public relations and library internships. Visit www.artic.edu/aic/jobs/interninfo.html to learn more about these exciting opportunities.
These are only a sampling of some of the internship and volunteer positions available at some of the most well known institutions in Chicago. Just about every museum in the city and suburbs will have volunteer or internship positions waiting to be filled. Not only can the rewards be academically helpful, but assisting a great museum that reaches the public is always a wonderful reward.