An innovative internship driven by a shared belief in the power of young people to lead
Our Focus
The Smithsonian Leadership for Change internship (LfC) focuses on the student’s learning and leadership experience. Reaching nearly every state, the LfC internship strengthens students’ understanding of the role museums and arts and cultural organizations play in advocating for change in communities across the U.S. .
Highlight video of experiences from interns in Washington D. C., and at Smithsonian Affiliate organizations.
The program recruits undergraduate students from all colleges and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), rural areas, and community colleges. Many are first-generation college students. Students are matched with a project that complements their interests and aligns with a learning experience at a collaborating organization. Projects provide students with insight into how museums and cultural organizations tackle complex topics and help people understand and grapple with the challenges and complexities of our collective history.
The internship is managed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service | Smithsonian Affiliations office (SITES | Affiliations). Affiliations is a national outreach office within the Smithsonian Institution that collaborates with a network of mission-aligned organizations in nearly every state to strengthen and change the world we live in.
The Leadership for Change Internship Program is supported in part by the Do A Little Foundation, the Gaines Family Endowment, Dr. Daniel W. Hamilton, Judy and Bob Huret, Dr. Christine C. Jenkins, M. Myers, Nancy L. Pasternack, Mr. and Mrs. Robert and Anne Pedrero, the Ashley East Rogers Fund, Clarence and DeLoise Spriggs Gaines, and the Stevens Family Charitable Trust.
The Experience
More than 300 undergraduate students have participated in the LfC internship since 2021. Unlike many museum internships, the LfC does not require museum experience or even an intention of pursuing a museum career. The key qualifications are that interns are committed to helping communities and passionate about making the world a better place. Students work on projects that explore new ways to bring museum content, resources, and expertise to communities near and far.
A group of college students stand in goofy poses in the Kogod Courtyard.
Leadership for Change interns in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
Students intern at a select group of Smithsonian Affiliate organizations across the country or at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. They are brought together for shared virtual programming, events, and dialogue.
Interns leave with increased confidence, greater clarity on their career pathways, expanded networks, and an understanding of their personal role in making change.
“[Leadership for Change] provides possibilities most young adults wouldn’t have access to if they come from a small town, rural area, or underserved community.”
A woman with pink hair wearing magnifying goggles preps a fossil using airscribe.
Six people stand together in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Three people wearing name tags pose on the National Mall with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the background
A woman and a man sit in a tech booth while editing video content.
A Zoom gallery screengrab from a virtual program
An African American woman with glasses wearing an orange tshirt stands behind a museum education cart displaying kidney health education materials.
Working Collaboratively
2024 interns at Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, Connecticut)
SITES | Affiliations collaborates with its network of Smithsonian Affiliate organizations across the country to offer in-person intern experiences with students in Affiliate communities as part of the Leadership for Change program. Students receive hands-on, workplace-based experiences while also understanding the importance of their local organization in making impactful change in their local area.
Each organization offers individual internship experiences meant to strengthen professional and academic skills and continue students' commitment to community leadership.
Each year, we collaborate with Affiliate organizations where students spend some, if not all, of their internship on-site.
Community Impact
Since 2021, interns participating in the program have had learning experiences at Smithsonian Affiliates in 34 cities across the United States and at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Leadership for Change interns come to the program with an open mind and an eagerness to contribute to the organizations where they are placed.
Interns placed at Affiliate organizations have the opportunity to see the impact of their work in their hometowns. Interns placed in Washington, D.C., explore new ways to bring museum content and expertise to communities near and far. The maps below provide some examples of the different projects interns have experienced over the years.
Anchorage Museum (Anchorage, AK)
Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco, CA)
LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes (Los Angeles, CA)
Museum of Us (San Diego, CA)
Arizona State Museum (Tucson, AZ)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (Boulder, Co)
Mid-America Science Museum (Hot Springs, AR)
Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT)
Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman, MT)
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, FL)
Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (Hillsboro, OR)
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum (Miami, FL)
The Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach, FL)
Morris Museum of Art (Augusta, GA)
Indiana Historical Society (Indianapolis, IN)
National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Kentucky Historical Society (Frankfort, KY)
Michigan State University Museum (East Lansing, MI)
Oklahoma History Center (Oklahoma City, OK)
The Durham Museum (Omaha, NE)
The Health Museum (Houston, TX)
Smithsonian Office of Government Relations (Washington, DC)
National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC)
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (Washington, DC)
Anchorage Museum (Anchorage, AK)
Anchorage Museum interns examined the meaning of community and the importance of nurturing and sustaining relationships. Students work with historically excluded communities in Anchorage to collect oral histories and share their stories to help the museum become a more diverse, equal, inclusive and accessible organization.
Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco, CA)
Museum of the African Diaspora interns focus on public programs, exhibition development, and educational outreach. Since 2021, interns have explored how Black women have been portrayed in art; intersections of African diaspora that connect to K-12 classroom topics; medical racism and the role of Black women in education.
LA Plaza interns made meaningful connections between the past and present as they explored the history of Mexican American and immigrant communities surrounding the museum. Meant as a pre-visit guide, students provided educators with resources that could be utilized to dive into topics of immigration, identity, community and music as they explored the museum during field trips.
Interns worked with the decolonizing initiatives department at the Museum of Us to help create teaching resources connected to exhibitions. Students used historical items in the collection to talk about the Museum’s relationship to colonialism and white supremacy through its anthropological exhibits.
Interns created Smithsonian Learning Lab collections focusing on Indigenous communities in Arizona during the 2021 program. The students examined the role of women within the Tohono O’odham community.
Smithsonian Learning Lab projects:
The Tohono O’odham and Their Relationship to Water (English or Spanish)
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (Boulder, Co)
During the summer 2023 program, UCAR Center for Science Education (SciEd) interns developed activities and teacher resources for K-12 school field trips to the organization. The interns created activities, guiding questions, videos, and other free resources teachers could use to help further students’ learning before and after attending an onsite field trips. The interns were encouraged to practice accessible document standards as well as learned how to follow brand standards, through training and guidance from staff. In addition, interns were trained in some of UCAR's existing climate change programs and supported activities with onsite summer day camp for students.
Mid-America Science Museum (Hot Springs, AR)
Interns explored the mineral and fossil collection at the Mid-America Science Museum to tell the unique geological story of Arkansas and the Hot Springs area. Working with supervisors to increase scientific literacy and comfort with science subjects, interns helped create hands-on activities and discussion prompts for visitors to the museum.
Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT)
Since 2021, students interning at Mystic Seaport Museum have helped research the impact of colonization and slavery on African American and Indigenous people, how they persevered, survived, and their significant contributions to maritime history as well as examining the effects of climate change on species and waterways in New England. Interns have helped the museum inventory, catalog, and digitize objects, photographs, and manuscripts connected to the American maritime experience.
Museum of the Rockies (Bozeman, MT)
Interns helped the education department on projects related to geology, paleontology, and environmental science. They assisted with producing outreach kits and supplemental educational materials that aligned with the museum’s paleontology collection and exhibitions. Each intern learned how to research, design, and create paleontology-themed content for K-12 teachers and their classes.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens (Sarasota, FL)
Interns learned how Marie Selby Botanical Gardens fosters diversity and inclusion and connects with its community. Interns contributed to research and information gathering for an upcoming exhibition which highlighted the work of the Florida Highwaymen, a group of Black artists working in Florida during the 1950-70s. They researched ways to present the topic with an innovative perspective that ties the Highwaymen to Marie Selby Gardens by connecting their projects to Florida and highlighting the Botanical connections.
Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals (Hillsboro, OR)
Interns helped develop a new display and interpretive text exploring connections between minerals and climate change. Interns interacted with museum visitors, share behind-the-scenes insights, inviting comments and questions, and explained the process of building their text. They learned the basics of collection management, including how to inventory and track items as they move from storage to display, and how to safely handle and display collections items.
Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum (Miami, FL)
In 2023, interns focused on documenting and expanding awareness of women artists represented in the collection as well as forthcoming exhibitions at the museum. Interns learned how to produce audio guides for an app as well as content for social media and the museum's newsletter. In creating this digital content, interns gained valuable research skills, honed their writing, and learned how to make accessible content for different audiences.
The Museum of Arts and Sciences (Daytona Beach, FL)
Interns focused on learning about Florida’s changing environment and the ecosystems in danger in the Everglades. They also examined the impact of climate change on the Seminole people. In addition, working at the museum gave interns the opportunity to learn how museums are great community resources for youth to provide enrichment and support to them.
Interns at the Morris Museum of Art furthered the museum’s exploration of the subject of women artists in the South, especially artists of color, and their contributions to the visual culture of the region through such organizations as the Southern States Arts League and historically black colleges and universities.
In 2021, virtual interns helped the Indiana Historical Society create Smithsonian Learning Labs that focused on women’s history in Indiana and similarities and differences of educational disparities in Indiana’s past, present, and future.
In 2023, interns worked across multiple departments to learn how projects are applied to larger initiatives across organizations. Students gained skills in museum and oral history collection practices and used these new skills to visualize oral histories into infographics. In previous years, interns took a deep dive into educational equity, women’s history, LGBTQ+ history, and labor rights in Kentucky and produced several Learning Lab collections.
Michigan State University Museum (East Lansing, MI)
Over the course of the internship, students worked to evaluate the learning experience of the exhibition, Knowing Nature: Stories of the Boreal Forest. Through a combination of on-site & post-visit research methods, students researched the impact of the exhibition on visitors and their feelings, actions, and takeaways. At the end of the internship, students gave recommendations on how to further encourage and inspire visitors at current and future venues.
Oklahoma History Center (Oklahoma City, OK)
Interns have been matched with Oklahoma History Center since 2021, working on projects that examine grassroots social movements in Oklahoma, land use and agriculture as it relates to climate change in the state, and environmental disasters and what people can learn from the effects of them. Each student learned how to create an e-exhibit on their topic of choice and used the Smithsonian Learning Lab as a storyboard for completing their e-exhibits.
Interns at the Durham Museum used current and historical events in Oklahoma history related to social justice to create Smithsonian Learning Labs in 2021 and 2022. The students worked with collections and education staff to showcase the items and highlight the effects of current events on Oklahoma and the nation.
In 2023, interns worked on two projects-- the first related to raising awareness about climate change and air quality in the Houston area, and the second related to an exhibition about the cost and consequences of drugs. Both projects gave insight into how museums work in their communities and with advocacy groups to disperse information and educational resources.
Smithsonian Office of Government Relations (Washington, DC)
The main goal of an internship at the Office of Government relations is to provide interns with a comprehensive government relations experience. Through participation in meetings and attendance at congressional hearings, tours, and briefings, the interns developed an understanding of the functions of the Office of Government Relations and how it fits into the Smithsonian as a whole.
The focus of the 2023 project was to increase awareness of understudied Members of Congress through Smithsonian collections. The interns researched the history of diversity in Congress and how that diversity reflects our changing American narrative.
National Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC)
The goal for interns at the American Indian Museum is to foster a more informed understanding of Native peoples. Interns gained experience in the research, preparation, and time that is integral to interpreting Native communities throughout the Western Hemisphere at the museum. Interns learned about designing effective educational programs for children that are culturally sensitive and provide an understanding of Native American cultures of the Western Hemisphere, past and present.
Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (Washington, DC)
Interns working with the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage worked with teams at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as well as Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. At the Festival, interns actively worked with a team on the Living Religions program to coordinate all aspects of this part of the festival. Interns also participated in the Folklife Storytellers Workshop to enhance their storytelling and editorial skills. The interns created web comics, photo essays, and short audio and video documentary pieces for the online publication, Folklife Magazine.
“The internship made me realize the importance of museums to society. Back in my hometown, museums are not relevant; no one goes to the only natural history museum we have. Therefore, museums are not an important thing in my place. Yet now that I work with the biggest museum institution, it makes me realize how relevant and important museums are for education, knowledge, preservation of history, and culture representation.
Professional Perspectives
Part of the uniqueness of this internship is not only the robust virtual enrichment from their host organizations, but the access students receive to people in leadership positions and experts in fields of interest to the students. The Smithsonian Affiliations team plans and produces virtual engagement sessions throughout the summer focusing on inspiring continued advocacy and bolstering the cohort's personal and professional development.
Headshot of Monique Chism
Headshot of Nanci Nishimura
Headshot of Jorge Puente
Headshot of Deborah Santana
Headshot of Ellen Stofan
Left to right: Monique Chism, Nanci Nishimura, Jorge Puente, Deborah Santana, Ellen Stofan
Past speakers have included...
Dr. Monique Chism
Dr. Chism discussed how we reconcile with and inclusively narrate our complex history. Dr. Chism is the Smithsonian Under Secretary for Education. In her role, she is responsible for defining the educational priorities of the Smithsonian, overseeing educational initiatives, communication strategies and funding.
Nanci E. Nishimura
Nanci shared how her Japanese American background influenced her academic and career pathways and how she thinks about being a changemaker. She is on the Advisory Board of Smithsonian Institute Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) | Smithsonian Affiliations and partner at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy.
A Zoom screen capture of a virtual program at the Mystic Seaport Museum where participants hold scrimshaw up to the cameras
An example of virtual enrichment interns may receive is this 2021 scrimshaw workshop with staff at the Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT) which was offered in addition to the virtual discussions planned by the Affiliations team.
Jorge Puente
Jorge shared his career journey, lessons from his humanitarian work, and tips for successfully navigating a career. He is chair of the Smithsonian National Board and Former President of Pfizer Japan and Asia, Oncology and Clinical Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Stony Brook University.
Deborah Santana
Deborah spoke with interns about what fuels her passion for being an activist, the work that is most meaningful to her, and the greatest challenges facing us today. She is an author, business manager, and activist whose non-profit, Do A Little, serves women and girls in the areas of health, education, and happiness.
Dr. Ellen Stofan
Dr. Stofan met with interns to discuss the Smithsonian's Life on a Sustainable Planet initiative. Her conversation also included Dr. Kirk Johnson from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Stofan is the Under Secretary for Science and Research at the Smithsonian. She oversees its science research centers and the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of Natural History, and the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Two women sit at a desk
A group of people pose in an open filed with mountains in the background
A group of people take a selfie in front of a mural on a building.
Two women stand in front of an interactive display at the Anacostia Community Museum
Prospective Interns
All internships are 32 hours per week and take place June 9-August 1, 2025. Students receive a modest stipend, plus travel and housing assistance (where applicable). There are two internship opportunities available in Summer 2025:
Opportunity 1: Washington, D.C. internship
This opportunity matches interns with a participating Smithsonian museum or office. This option is 8 weeks in-person on the Smithsonian campus.
Opportunity 2: Smithsonian Affiliate Community internship
This opportunity matches interns with a participating Smithsonian Affiliate organization. This opportunity may be 8-weeks in person or hybrid, depending on the accepted interns' summer location. If hybrid, interns will spend 4 weeks in-personat an Affiliate organization and 4 weeks working virtually at their home location.
Projects vary based on location and may include opportunities in:
Digital engagement
Educational programming
Visitor services
Communications
Exhibition development
National and community outreach
Collections management
All projects will focus on one of these topic areas:
Life on a Sustainable Planet (environmental research and studies)
What it Means to Be American (culture and history, women’s history, democracy, civics, etc.)
Magnifying the Transformative Power of Arts and Design (projects in the visual arts, art education, art history)
How to Apply
Past interns share why you should apply for the Smithsonian internship.
Applications are no longer being accepted for Summer 2025.
To apply for this internship, you will need to apply through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment system (SOLAA). All required components of the application must be submitted on time for your application to be considered complete. There will be no extensions; be sure to allow for enough time to double check your application to ensure that it is correct and complete.
Your application will be reviewed for placement at BOTH hybrid and DC opportunities, unless you indicate otherwise.Submitting an application does not guarantee your placement in Washington, D.C. Interns will be matched with organizations based on areas of interest and projects available.
The Smithsonian Institution does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, parental status, or military service.
Required application materials:
Resume
Short essays responding to each prompt below. The completed essay- with answers to all questions- should not be more than 2 pages, double spaced total.
What role have museums and/or cultural organizations played in your life? How have they shaped your ideas, thoughts, skills, etc.? How do you think learning from museums and cultural organizations can help contribute to change in your community and/or address challenges we face today?
This year, projects will focus on: Life on a Sustainable Planet; What it Means to Be American; and Magnifying the Transformative Power of Arts and Design. What interests you about these topics as it relates to your current and long term personal and professional goals? How might this internship impact your current educational path?
Is this your first internship or first time working in an office setting? If no, tell us about a past internship experience and what skills you learned in that role and what you hope to learn from a Smithsonian internship. If yes, please tell us what you would like to learn from a workplace-based office experience.
Applicant Questions Section (You will be prompted to answer these 4 questions. These questions must also be filled out for your application to be considered complete)
Are you applying to be considered for an internship at a Smithsonian Affiliate organization (outside of Washington, D.C.)? If yes, please enter the name of the specific Smithsonian Affiliate where you would like to be placed, if selected. (Check this website for locations before applying)
Are you applying to be considered for an internship in Washington, D.C.? 1. Yes or No - Do you want to be considered for both options - Washington DC and a Smithsonian Affiliate? If no, please indicate your preference.
What airport would you be departing FROM to get to the internship location in June?
What airport would you be flying TO at the end of the internship in August?
How to Navigate SOLAA
All interested students must apply through the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment system, SOLAA. Below are quick steps to access this internship application.
Click on "Start your Application" orange button in the top right of the page
Search for the program by "Program Name": Smithsonian Leadership for Change
Click the green "Apply Now" button and follow the steps to complete your application
FAQs
Qualifications
Students DO NOT need museum experience or a major in the arts, history, or other museum-related subjects. This opportunity is open to any student who has a passion for learning and making change in their communities, regardless of major.
Students must be rising college sophomores, juniors, or seniors to qualify for this internship. Students graduating in May or August 2025 will not be considered for this program.
International students currently enrolled at universities/colleges within the U.S. may apply. If accepted, additional paperwork will be required for the Smithsonian's Office of International Relations to determine eligibility.
Stipend and Tax Information
This is a paid internship. Interns will receive an educational stipend of $5,120. Travel funds and housing funds or accommodations may be provided in addition to the educational stipend.
Educational stipends help defray the cost of living while interning and are not considered a wage at the Smithsonian Institution. As a result, interns will not receive W2s or 1099s. The Smithsonian will not withhold taxes from stipend payments, however, the IRS does consider stipends to be income. U.S. residents will receive a financial statement from the Smithsonian in February or March for the preceding calendar year. The statement will include the amount of the stipend paid by the Smithsonian. Financial statements are provided for personal reference only; they are not official IRS tax documents and should not be submitted to the IRS with a tax return. Please refer to the IRS Publication 970 “Tax Benefits for Education” for more detailed information.
Housing Information
Smithsonian Affiliate Community internship
If housing accommodations are needed, they are handled by the intern with guidance from the host Affiliate location. Smithsonian Affiliations will provide a modest travel allowance for those interns who must travel more than an average commuting distance from the Affiliate (greater than 50 miles from internship location).
Washington, D.C. internship
Housing is provided in dorms at the George Washington University (GWU). All students taking advantage of the housing benefit must agree to follow all rules and regulations set forth by GWU summer housing.
International Students
International students currently enrolled at universities/colleges within the the U.S. are welcome to apply for this internship. If you are an international student considering an internship with the Smithsonian, there are some additional considerations regarding your participation in an internship. As a non-U.S. citizen, you will need to present proof of legal authorization to participate in your internship. In addition, your internship is contingent on approval from the Smithsonian Office of International Relations. Please review the information for international interns on the Smithsonian Office for Internship Programs website for more guidance.
Participating Smithsonian Affiliate Locations
The Leadership for Change internship offers placements at Smithsonian Affiliate locations across the U.S. There are more than 200 Smithsonian Affiliates in nearly every state, Puerto Rico and Panama. While we'd love to place interns at every Affiliate, only a small number participate in this internship each year.
Smithsonian Staff, along with Interns, Fellows, and Research Associates are no longer required to be vaccinated. The Smithsonian is, and will continue to be, a mask-friendly institution and is committed to fostering an inclusive, safe, and supportive workplace. Please note that in-person opportunities are subject to change based on CDC recommendations and Smithsonian and Affiliate policies related to COVID-19.
Selected students are required to take Smithsonian trainings such as equal employment opportunity, protection of minors, and Smithsonian civil training.
Selected interns are required to complete a background investigation at the Smithsonian Institution and/or the Affiliate organization.
The Smithsonian Institution does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, genetic information, parental status, or military service.
Contact information
For any questions with regard to the Leadership for Change internship, please email SAinternships@si.edu.
Two young women stand in an aquarium
A group of students pose in the American History Museum during the welcome dinner
Three interns pose for a photo in front of the Washington Monument
Two African American college students on a boat trip
A woman in a skirt points to a museum display as an intern looks on
An intern interviews a museum curator on stage in a museum theater
An intern supervisor points to the distance as two interns look on while they are all walking across a pedestrian bridge in a marshland.
Four people in a Zoom call
Two college students stand in front of a white SUV holding a dinosaur prop
Two students sit at a table during a festival
From visits to museums to experiences out in the field, Leadership for Change interns have so many learning opportunities!
“Now that I’ve had an internship at the Smithsonian, I feel like I can do anything.”
Leadership for Change interns in the Kogod Courtyard at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
2024 interns at Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, Connecticut)
An example of virtual enrichment interns may receive is this 2021 scrimshaw workshop with staff at the Mystic Seaport Museum (Mystic, CT) which was offered in addition to the virtual discussions planned by the Affiliations team.
