Background
This internship honors Benjamin Lawless and his legacy as an internationally recognized exhibition planner, designer, Emmy winning filmmaker and writer. The Benjamin Lawless Internship is an opportunity for a rising senior high school student to learn about audience engagement, exhibition design, and research stories associated with objects of all kinds and the people who used and created them.
Over the course of five consecutive weeks in the summer, a Benjamin Lawless intern will develop creativity and imagination by finding new ways to tell stories inspired by the Smithsonian’s collections and research. An Intern engages in this guided learning experience 40 hours a week Monday-Friday. Upon the conclusion of the internship, the intern will provide an expression of their experience in any form they choose.
How to Apply
To apply, create an account on the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA). Then start an application for this internship program (you will find the Benjamin Lawless Internship application listed under the Office of Internships. Follow the steps below shown and be sure to upload all the requested documents.
As part of this application, you will be asked to submit the following:
Your resume
Two letters of recommendation (from individuals who are not related to you)
School transcript (unofficial is OK) Note: the selection committee for this internship is not looking for high GPAs. They want to see what subjects applicants excel in to better select the best internship placement site/experience for the selected candidate.
Essay: Prepare a two-to-four page essay addressing the following points: 1) Your past and present academic history and other experiences which you feel have prepared you for an internship 2) What you hope to accomplish through an internship, and how it would relate to your academic and career goals 3) What about the Smithsonian in particular interests you and leads you to apply for an internship.
OR
A link to a video (no more than 3 minutes) demonstrating your creativity, curiosity and imagination
OR
A link to a web site you’ve created demonstrating your creativity, curiosity and imagination