Internship Opportunities

The Western Reserve Historical Society is seeking undergraduate and graduate students to serve as museum and library interns. This is an excellent opportunity to gain valuable hands-on museum and archival experience with one of the finest regional historical societies in the country. All internships are unpaid, and students may receive college credit for their internships (depending on their individual college programs).

Summer 2008 Internship Opportunities Listed Below

Crawford's Pit Crew

The staff and volunteers of Crawford Auto Aviation Museum have found a great deal of merit in the old saying “experience is the best teacher”. With this in mind, we have developed a three part program of education, mentorship, and service that will prepare participants to adapt scientific, technological, and engineering advances to meet today’s exciting challenges in antique and classic autos and airplane restoration and preservation. Job Requirements Experience with or interest in the Automotive Industry, willingness to take direction, willingness to handle automotive parts, a minimum of a one year commitment, a team player is a must. Nights and weekends are a part of this internship.
Program Brochure & Application

Hale Farm & Village Internship in Public History, Summer 2008

For the third year, Hale Farm & Village is offering a unique internship opportunity for graduate as well as undergraduate students. The internship has a combination of coursework and practical experience perfect for a history or liberal arts major interested in the museum field.
Hale Farm Internship Information Flyer

East Boulevard Internship in Public History, Summer 2008

In conjunction with the Hale Farm & Village Internship in Public History, we are now offering an internship in public history at the East Boulevard location, (administrative headquarters) of the Western Reserve Historical Society. In addition to the coursework, the focus of this internship is an experience working with our Vatican Splendors Exhibition traveling here this summer. Work as a member of the visitor service team offering assistance to Visitors and Volunteers, work in the exhibition, help with supervision of the visitor service areas. This work also includes answering phones, helping with scheduling of security and visitor service areas and working with the museum volunteers, staff and museum visitors directly.

Topics covered in the Hale Farm and East Boulevard Internship classes:

Costumed Interpretation, Special Event Planning and Operation, Museum Education Programs, Site Specific Historic Interpretation, Public Programs in Museums, Museum Management, Grant Writing, Historic Preservation of Buildings & Grounds, Special Event Planning, Outdoor Museum Operations, Budgeting, Personal Experiences

Please return all Internship Applications to:
Becky Carlino, Director of Volunteer & Visitor Services,
WRHS, 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
or email, bcarlino@wrhs.org.

If you are interested in another internship opportunity not listed above, please fill out the Internship Applications, send a resume, cover letter stating your intentions/goals and direct it to the attention of Becky Carlino as listed above.

Past Interns Have:
Written press releases and created ads for WHRS exhibits
Processed archival and photographic collections in the WRHS Library
Assisted in the development of new collections policies at the Historical Society
Helped build new exhibits and take down old exhibits
Assisted in preservation work on WRHS collections
Researched new exhibits, and selected artifacts for those exhibits
Assisted in the reorganization of storage areas
Helped maintain and update WRHS records
Catalogued a decorative-arts collection
Assisted in the inventorying of the Chisholm Halle Costume collection
Researched for a new education program
Researched for a WRHS publication
Helped write new interpretive labels for WRHS exhibits and artifacts

Interns may focus on one particular area of museum work, or they may work in a variety of areas to gain more experience. Internship hours are flexible, from 10-40 hours per week. Museum interns can work from 9-5 Monday through Friday, while Library interns can work Tuesday through Saturday. We can work around a student's class schedule.

Internships are open to students of all academic backgrounds; while a history background is helpful, it is not entirely necessary. What is necessary is a willingness to work, and the ability to shift gears when needed.

Prospective interns should note that the Western Reserve Historical Society's ability to host an intern at any one time is dependent on availability of supervisory staff and the student's academic background and record.

For students who live in the Akron area, internships are also available at our Hale Farm and Village facility, located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area. Duties at Hale Farm would entail research for the interpretation program, and assisting in the preservation of the historical structures at the site.

For further information or to request an application, interested students should contact Becky Carlino, Director of Volunteer & Visitor Services at bcarlino@wrhs.org or by phone (216)721-5722 ext. 274.

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