Museum Education Experience Program

Part of Higher Education

Two interns with the Museum Education Employment Program (MEEP) stand behind a booth and show a specimen to two young visitors and their parent.
Do you want to inspire curiosity in a captivating environment where science, community, and communication intertwine?

You’d be a great MEEP intern if you value…

Curiosity. MEEP Interns are curious about their surroundings. They value deepening their understanding of the world and actively seek out knowledge, new ideas, and experiences.

Communication. MEEP Interns enjoy meeting and talking with new groups of people. They practice active listening and value conversations as a tool for learning and growing. 

Collaboration. MEEP Interns value working together. They know that personal and collective growth comes from the ability to give and receive feedback. They are both critical and compassionate and actively reflect on their experiences and their impact.

Coalition. MEEP interns want to be part of the momentum pushing our world toward equity. They value ideas and experiences that are new, unknown, and different from their own and never shy away from imagining many ways to strengthen our connections to one another and our natural world.  

What does a MEEP intern do?

Through our comprehensive learning program, interns develop the skillful art of initiating engaging science conversations through our interactive and reflective workshops. MEEP interns initiate science discussions with our Museum’s visitors using the halls as a launchpad. They go beyond conveying mere facts to support our people in fostering a deeper understanding and connection to the science content in our exhibition spaces.

Working with Museum Visitors

MEEP interns participate in interactive, reflective workshops and training modules at the Museum. Training is a mandatory component of the internship. We encourage applicants to carefully consider if they can fully commit to the program dates outlined in the description before applying to the program. Each training day is 4 hours long. 

Training Workshops

MEEP interns participate in interactive, reflective workshops and training modules at the Museum. This component of the internship is mandatory. No virtual options are available for the training. We encourage applicants to carefully consider if they can fully commit to the time frame outlined in the program description before applying to the internship. Each training day is 4 hours long. 

Program Duration 

Interns are assigned up to 10 hours a week after the completion of the training period. The MEEP Fall 2024 internship operates Thursday-Saturday. 

Mandatory Training Period

Thursday-Saturday 

September 5- September 28

1:00-5:00pm

Assigned Work Days

Scheduled between 10:30am-5:30pm

Thursday-Saturday, October 3-December 21

*No assigned work between November 28-30

Stipend Support

Interns can be awarded a stipend of up to $2,500 to support their commute and other expenses while participating in the program. The stipend will be paid in monthly installments during the term of the internship, and contingent on interns fulfilling the requirements of the workshops and their presence at the Museum for the duration of the internship program. 

Other opportunities

The programs host advisories for continued reflection and professional learning about various careers in science, museums, and education. Interns can receive support for finding their next job or internship opportunity and an invitation to our Museum Alumni Network.

Are there any requirements for applying to the internship? 

  • You’re an undergraduate student. Note: You will be required to upload documentation that you are a current undergraduate student (for example, current or next semester class schedule)
  • You’ve completed at least one semester of college. 
  • You must go to school or have a residence in New York City. *Please enter your New York City residence address in the application. The Museum does not cover the costs of housing or relocation expenses. 

We encourage students who self-identify as Black, Latine, Indigenous, and/or first-generation college students to apply, especially if they have not had formal internship experiences.

How do I apply for the internship program?

To apply, you must complete this application form.

We’ll ask you to upload:

  • A PDF copy of your resume
  • Documentation that you are a current undergraduate student (for example, current or next semester class schedule)
  • The names and contact information for 3 references. Note: We do not ask for letters of recommendation from your references. References will be asked to submit a short survey. Your references will only be contacted when you’ve been confirmed to interview with a Museum staff member. 

You’ll also be asked to submit 3 short answer responses to the following questions. Answers should be a maximum of 1000 characters or 150 words each. 

  • How will this internship support your future career goals?
  • Describe a recent science conversation you had with friends or family. What did you discuss and why?
  • Reflect on something new you’ve learned in the past year. How has that knowledge impacted your perspective?

Questions?

If you have additional questions, please refer to the Frequently Asked Question. 

Due to the high volume of applications and interest, we cannot offer individualized feedback on your application. Final notifications for the Fall program will be sent by August 23, 2024.

EEO Statement

The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law. Additional protections are afforded in employment based on arrest or conviction record, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, unemployment status, and credit history, in each case to the extent provided by law.

Family engagement and programming in the Gilder Center is proudly sponsored by the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund.

The American Museum of Natural History gratefully acknowledges Morgan Stanley for its sponsorship of youth initiatives.

The Museum’s Education Collection is generously supported by the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation and Elysabeth Kleinhans.