Museum Education Internship

Museum Education Internship (costumed positions)

Interested in a career in museums, education, or business? Be a part of New England’s largest outdoor history museum! Old Sturbridge Village has a long tradition of offering hands-on learning experiences through its summer internship program, designed to provide college students and recent graduates with practical knowledge and job experience throughout many departments of Old Sturbridge Village.

All interns will participate in introductory training, be assigned a supervisor/mentor specific to their area of focus, participate in weekly professional development seminars and occasional field studies (structured field trips) with other interns, and complete a project they will present to their peers and Village staff at the end of the summer.

Old Sturbridge Village is committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. We are passionate about developing and maintaining an inclusive, equitable and accessible working and learning environments for all visitors, staff and OSV community members. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to different ways of understanding and engaging the world around us.

Old Sturbridge is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Old Sturbridge Village to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or membership in the uniformed services.

Museum Education Internship (costumed positions)

Under the supervision of the Director of Museum Education for Field Trip and Youth Programs, Museum Education interns assist with daily operations, program research and development, and summer program activities including administrative duties, Discovery Adventures camps, and other Museum Education programs. Interns’ duties will be designed around their experience, education, and interests, but first and foremost, based on the Museum Education department’s needs. Interns will wear historic clothing during some their activities.

Interns will be responsible for the interactive learning experience of children ages 6-17. Interns must be adept at a variety of teaching techniques that are applicable in relating the everyday life of 19th-century New Englanders in a historical museum setting. Interns will be trained to lead youth group inquiry-based historical site tours, group discussions, participatory activities, role playing, and simple craft workshops working in a cooperative teaching environment with fellow teachers.

Please check with your school to see if you’re eligible for academic credit. Summer interns receive a stipend. Interested applicants must submit a written application and are interviewed by phone or video conference.

Requirements:

Successful completion of two years in an undergraduate program with a core concentration in Education, History, Art History, or related field. Must be comfortable and enthusiastic about working directly with children; 1 to 3 years work experience in either a camp, childcare, or educational setting. A demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of audiences; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Hours:

The internship is available during the 10-week summer session. The workday is from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. Generally, Museum Education interns work Monday-Friday. Schedules will be established with the intern’s supervisor.

General Information

• Applicants must have completed at least one year of college before the start of the internship.
• Stipends of $2,000 are available for up to 20 summer interns.
• Internships are available during a 10-week summer session. All internships will begin on Monday, June 2, 2025. Historical Interpretation internships end Sunday, August 10, 2025; all other internships end Friday, August 8, 2025. Interns work approximately 40 hours per week; see the Hours section in each internship description for more information on typical work schedules.
• Interns will participate in weekly professional development seminars and several field seminars (structured field trips) to other area museums over the summer.
• Transportation to and from Old Sturbridge Village is not provided. Limited on-site housing is available. Please indicate in the application form whether you will need housing to participate in the internship program.

Application Process

Questions: Email interns@osv.org

Application materials:

• Each applicant must submit an online application form which can be located on the Old Sturbridge Village website (College Internships - Old Sturbridge Village)
• Respond to a few free-response questions.
• Each applicant must upload a current resume.
• Letters of recommendation are not required as part of the application. Finalists for internship positions will be asked to provide contact information for two references (professor/teacher or work supervisor).

Timeline:

• Review of applications will begin on Monday, March 17, 2025. Preference will be given to applications received by this date.
• Internship program staff will review all applications. Leading candidates will be invited to participate in a phone or video conference interview in late March.
• Finalists for internship positions will be asked to provide contact information for two references (professor/teacher or work supervisor).
• Internship descriptions will be updated as positions are filled.