Collections/Exhibits Internship

This internship offers the student an opportunity to learn about Public History at the Champaign County History Museum (CCHM) through two objectives. Do you enjoy deep dives into collections and artifacts and want hands-on experience working directly with our historical collection? If so, then this is the internship for you. This intern will explore the museum’s collection in its entirety and find interesting artifacts that the public has not experienced before. The intern’s primary responsibility will be to find an “artifact of the month” that will go on display in the community room. The secondary responsibility will be to write about the artifacts in the museum’s monthly newsletter. This will include skills in research, writing, and artifact handling. Download Full Details

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Membership/Events Internship

This internship focuses on museum members and member satisfaction, an  audience-building endeavor that allows nonprofit museums to connect with the local community.. The Champaign County History Museum members come from all different backgrounds and contribute in myriad ways. This intern will create enrichment experiences for our most valued members and cultivate more members within the local community. This internship's primary responsibility will be to craft a monthly experience that will be available beginning in the Fall of 2024. The expected workload requires research, writing, and verbal communication skills and will involve public speaking and community outreach. All objectives will be completed in collaboration with the Museum Manager and Board of Trustees members as needed. Download Full Details

 

Artifact Processing Internship 

This internship offers the student an opportunity to learn about museum work at the Champaign County History Museum (CCHM) through two main objectives. The main objective of this internship is to handle, process, and catalog artifacts in the museum’s collection.  The second objective will be to write an article for the CCHM’s newsletter “History Matters” about the processing work.  The intern is also expected to attend the CCCM’s monthly Collection Committee meetings and participate in the discussion.  All objectives will be completed in collaboration with the Museum Manager and Board of Trustees members as needed. Download Full Details

  

Social Media Internship

This internship offers the student an opportunity to learn about museum work at the Champaign County History Museum (CCHM) through two main objectives. Do you enjoy public speaking and want to meet and engage with museum members and local community members? The student in this internship will create a monthly social media campaign based on formal style interviews called “Meet the Museum.” This internship will culminate in an interview with either an upcoming history speaker for our monthly history talks or an influential community member. The expected workload requires research, writing, and verbal communication skills and will involve public speaking. All objectives will be completed in collaboration with the Museum Manager and Board of Trustees members as needed. Download Full Details

 

Collections Graduate Practicum

The Champaign County History Museum seeks a graduate student to assist in the cataloging, photographing, and handling of incoming and accessioned artifacts in our collection. The intern will primarily be based at the Champaign County History Museum but will require travel to the secondary storage facility located on the Western side of Champaign. These interns will learn museum collection software, proper artifact handling, and administrative duties related to collections management. These skills are necessary for any aspiring museum professional and will provide valuable career experience for anyone looking to join a museum, library, or archive. All objectives will be completed in collaboration with the Museum Manager and Board of Trustees members as needed. Download Full Details

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Special Collections Graduate Practicum

Found in the collection at the Champaign County History Museum’s collection are some truly interesting donations that have regional and national significance. These donations after being accessioned and digitized go into their own section as a special collection. The last special collection an intern worked on was the family letters of the Chapin/McNeil family who lived in Champaign County during the mid 1800s and had family members that served in the Union army during the Civil War. We are currently working on our next special collection about William Springer, a previous member of the House of Representatives. This graduate student will work with recent donations to organize them into researchable special collections and curate digital exhibitions. The secondary responsibility involves writing a publication on their work on our museum’s blog and assisting with other research related needs. Download Full Details

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