The primary purposes of the Office of the Undersecretary of Administration (OUSA) internship is to provide a practical learning experience in the areas of industrial hygiene and environmental science. Interested students should be enrolled in a science related major, from an accredited college or university, and willing to learn how to conduct facility walkthrough investigations, case reviews, and industrial hygiene surveys.

Smithsonian Gardens (SG) provides an array of learning experiences through its internship program thanks to the wide diversity of services and programs it offers at the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum complex. Interns will learn skills in a broad range of horticultural endeavors from professional staff that can provide a strong practical background to emerging professionals wanting to enter the public gardening world.

The following intern programs are operating onsite, and hybrid format that are accepting applications for Summer 2024:

Michelle Knovic Smith (1950–2021), as an educator, mentor, and leader, in her more than three decades at the Smithsonian, pioneered innovative and effective approaches to the Smithsonian's mission of the “diffusion of knowledge.” First, as Publications Director for the Institution’s teacher magazines, Art to Zoo and Smithsonian in Your Classroom, Michelle developed publications and distribution strategies that reached every school in the country.

The Young Ambassadors Program (YAP) is a national college preparatory and leadership program for graduating high school seniors that fosters the next generation of community-conscious Latino leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities via the Smithsonian Institution and its resources. Selected applicants will participate in a weeklong pre-professional and pre-collegiate seminar in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian focusing on Latino perspectives with peers from all over the nation.

We are excited to invite applications from undergraduate students to participate in a National Science Foundation supported summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program focused on global change ecology. These internships are available as remote or in-person opportunities at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center located in Edgewater, MD (10 miles south of Annapolis).

The Peter A. Krueger Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain professional skills and learn about museum practices at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Cooper Hewitt is the only museum in the United States that is exclusively devoted to historic and contemporary design. Interns will acquire in-depth knowledge and develop an enriched understanding of how the museum fulfills its mission to educate, inspire, and empower people through design.

Application opens: January 4
Deadline to apply: March 15 at 11:59PM (ET)
Award notification: April 15
Number of Weeks: 8
Tenure Dates: Exact tenure dates for this summer internship will be worked out with the mentor. The internship can start as early as June and needs to conclude by 8/25.
Stipend Amount: $3,200 ($400/week)

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.

As part of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative (AWHI), the Smithsonian will host a cohort of up to 15 Because of Her Story (BOHS) undergraduate or recently graduated interns June 12--August 4, 2023. Through a variety of experiential learning opportunities, including a hands-on internship at a designated Smithsonian unit, and a curriculum of structured cohort activities, BOHS interns will develop familiarity and experience with museums and research units and American women’s history.

The Claudine K. Brown Internship in Education is funded through an endowed fund in memory of Claudine K. Brown, an educator and influential leader of the Smithsonian. Awardees of the Brown Internship are appointed based on a demonstrated interest in the field of education and museum leadership.  Internships are available for college students, including under-served youth. 

Background

Are you seeking a creative and exciting museum internship? The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery offers formal internships to qualified applicants. A Smithsonian internship is a prearranged, structured learning experience that takes place during the fall, spring, or summer semester. The experience should be relevant both to the intern's academic and professional goals and to the professional disciplines represented at the Portrait Gallery.