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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY & HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Naval History and Heritage Command Internship Program


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The Naval History and Heritage Command offers internships to students who wish to have professional work experience in areas related to their educational programs and career goals. In addition to undertaking historical research, writing and editing, the Naval History and Heritage Command operates the Navy Department Library and the National Museum of the United States Navy and maintains collections of naval archives, photographs, artifacts, and art. Internships are available in all of these areas. The Command is located in the Washington Navy Yard, 805 Kidder Breese Street SE, Washington, D.C.
Curator, registrar and education internships at the Naval War College Museum, Newport, RI and curator, registrar, education and historian internships at the Naval Undersea Museum Keyport, WA are now available.

Eligibility: Registered students of colleges or universities and graduates thereof are eligible for this program.

Nature of Internships: Each intern receives orientation on his/her branch's functions and those of the Command. The intern will assist her/his branch in its daily operations. In addition, she/he will be responsible for completing an individual project which contributes to the Command's work. Interns work with an experienced professional member of the Command's staff who, in conjunction with the intern, will plan the project. The staff also will provide supervision, instruction, and evaluation.

Duration: There is no set length for an internship. The minimum period is three weeks full time. Internships can last an academic quarter or semester, during which time a student may serve on either a full or part-time basis.

Expenses: The Naval History and Heritage Command provides no salaries or other stipends to interns. If the command's funds permit, small honoraria may be paid to interns. If available and appropriate, these honoraria will average about $20.00 per day and will be limited to a total of $400 for each intern.

How to Apply: The attached application form should be filled out and returned before the desired initiation of an internship. One letter of recommendation, an unofficial transcript, and a writing sample of not less than 1,000 words are required.

If possible, applicants should visit the Naval History and Heritage Command for an interview with their prospective branch. Otherwise, a telephone interview will be acceptable. Please contact Dr. Furgol, Intern Coordinator, at (202) 433-6901 (email: edward.furgol@navy.mil) (Privacy Advisory) to arrange either.

Examples of Intern Projects undertaken at the Naval History and Heritage Command

1. Collected biographical information on artists represented in the Navy's art collection
2. Inventoried the Museum artifact collection
3. Catalogued records recently received from the CNO and DCNO (Naval Warfare, Tactical Readiness Division)
4. Compiled bibliography on terrorism.
5. Prepared a catalog of archival sources in the Command relating to U.S.-Soviet naval relations
6. Designed alterations to the museum's Navigation exhibit
7. Researched and selected artifacts for an exhibit on Underwater Archaeology.
8. Processed personal papers collections and prepared finding aids for Operational Archives Branch.
9. Designed invitations and posters for the Museum's public programs
10. Prepared handout brochures for specific exhibits in the Museum
11. Photographed medals in the museum for an online exhibit.
12. Translated Spanish documents into English for Naval Documents of the American Revolution.
13. Assisted staff members in preparing a briefing for senior officers on the historical lessons of the Battle of Midway
14. Researched Naval Presentation Silver for a forthcoming exhibit.
15. Prepared PowerPoint briefing on the Naval History and Heritage Command
16. Wrote a research paper on the Inchon Landing
17. Researched U.S. Navy Special Operations in Korea and Vietnam
18. Prepared an essay and bibliography on the naval drug abuse problem during 1965-1973
19. Wrote a research paper on incidents between the U.S. Navy and Libya
20. Copy-edited a monograph on the history of the U.S. Navy in World War I
20. Prepared historical materials for FAQ section of Naval History and Heritage Command Web Page
21. Selected and scanned photos and graphics for Command's Web Site

Please submit a writing sample (except graphic design applicants), transcript and letter of recommendation with your completed APPLICATION FORM by overnight mail, electronically or by fax:

Dr. Edward Furgol
Email: edward.furgol@navy.mil
Telephone: (202) 433-6901
Fax: (202) 433-8200

National Museum of the United States Navy
Naval History and Heritage Command
805 Kidder Breese Street SE
Washington Navay Yard, DC 20374-5060
USA


INTERNSHIPS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY

Internships are available in four specialties at the National Museum of the United States Navy. Two of these-- historian and education specialist-- coincide with college departments. The third, public relations, provides an unusual opportunity for a college student to gain work experience in a field suitable for any liberal arts student. The fourth, with the Design Department allows specialized training for graphics and studio art majors.

The Museum tells the history of the United States Navy through a series of chronological and thematic exhibits. Currently, the staff is producing exhibits on the Civil War. About 400,000 people visit the Museum each year. Visitor interaction is encouraged throughout the Museum. Temporary exhibitions deal with a range of American naval themes. The Naval History and Heritage Command has a rich collection of documents, books, photographs, and artifacts as well as specialists in naval history who can be consulted by the Museum staff.

CURATOR: An intern with a history or art history major would be closely involved with exhibition or publication programs, reinforcing learned research and writing techniques, as well as providing work experience in a museum environment. English, French, anthropology, political science, American studies, and international relations majors have also interned in the Curator section. The intern is supervised by the Museum Curator who assigns tasks that might include research and development of an exhibition script, catalogs or brochures. Projects involve research in the photographic, art, and artifacts collections of the Commnad. The intern is expected to have excellent research skills, the ability to write clearly and concisely and to work independently. A prior knowledge of American naval history is not essential, but it would be an important asset in candidate selection.

The historical internship program provides benefits for both the Museum and the participant. The ability to pursue the exhibition and publication schedule more quickly and to add new projects enhances the Museum's visibility. The intern learns the dynamics of successful teamwork and reinforces habits of self discipline. Research for the Museum further develops the historical skills of persistence, accuracy, and critical analysis. Writing for the Museum audience teaches an intern how to communicate complicated historical themes to the general public. The opportunity to work in a museum allows the intern to determine whether that career holds any attraction. It also improves the possibilities of acceptance into museum studies programs.

EDUCATION: An internship with the Education Department is open to students with backgrounds in education, history or art history. The intern works both independently and with the Director of Education to conceive, develop, and implement education programs directly related to the Museum's collection. Education programs may be developed for elementary and secondary school students, special education students, senior citizens, and the "casual" visitor. School programs are geared to the curriculum. This internship provides an opportunity for a student to apply education and history skills to interpret artifacts in a museum setting and allows students to explore the museum field as a career choice. The intern should have a knowledge of age-group characteristics, skill levels, and age-appropriate activities. He or she should also possess strong research skills. A background in American history or American Studies is preferable, but not required.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: An internship is also available in the field of public relations. The intern should possess strong communication and writing skills and be familiar with the different kinds of media. One of the Museum's objectives is to increase the community's awareness of the Museum and its programs. An expanded and well developed public relations effort is an integral part of fulfilling that objective. The intern may write press releases and public service announcements and develop mailing lists. He or she would develop and implement strategies appropriate to increasing the visibility of The Navy Museum locally and nationally. The intern is supervised by the Director of Education but is expected to work independently. This internship provides a hands-on opportunity to explore the field of public relations while providing The Navy Museum with new avenues of publicity.

DESIGN: The design intern will assist in all phases of mounting major exhibitions that are the responsibility of the Design Department. These responsibilities may include model-making, preparing shop drawings, typesetting, graphic photography, photo silk-screening and mounting photographs. The intern may also assist in preparing the artifacts for installation.

The intern may also select a project related to the needs of the Museum, the intern's abilities and interests, and the length of the internship. The intern works with the Curator or project director responsible for the exhibition, publication or event, but under the supervision of the head of the Design Department. A graphics project might involve developing a design solution and preparing camera-ready art for a small museum publication or a series of graphic materials for an upcoming exhibition or event. The project might also involve the design of a small installation in the Museum The intern would take this project from concept stage through working drawings to installation.

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03 February 2009