Actually, my first priority was for the mission, collection and audience of the museum to be apropos to my long-term career goals. Second was that my project benefit the museum and their audience long-term. Thankfully the museum had a longtime fund set up and a portion of the accruing interest was such that it provided financial assistance for several interns. That made the unique alignment of my intern opportunity possible.  

As a grad student I did not want the "multifaceted" intern experience, rather I wanted to make manifest my specialty. Per the internship application, I proposed a project. The project was heartily agreed to by the Ed. Staff during the interview and on paper.  We all verbally understood my project would have had an immediate, profound and long-term impact on all facets of education at the museum.

I overcame inherent challenges in working with a team of seven educators since my project necessitated directional input from each.  2.5 weeks after my arrival the Curator of Education began shifting me off my project to help pinch hit in other critical areas.  At one point I was shifted off my project for a month. There were several reasons this happened most of which were understandable, yet frustrating. The option of a day here or there doing this or that in the context of the education program would have been reasonable, after all it was a project-based internship.

The unavoidable end result on my project was the impossibility of its completion, not for lack of late evenings, late nights and working weekends. My goal for my internship was to complete my project because it would have had great impact long-term for the museum but also it would result in something tangible that embodied my vision and skill as a museum educator.  

I had everything positive that Brigid outlined and a bonus; my expertise was an area new to the museum ed. team so I was able to educate them!  Per Lisa's train of thought, I had my wonderful tasting meat grilled to perfection, but was sadly was not allowed to swallow or digest it. 

Kristen Ruck
Museum Educator

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Indigo Nights<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
  Sent: Monday, October 03, 2005 3:21 PM
  Subject: Supervising Interns - The Other Side of the Coin


  There's been a hearty thread on this topic, directed
  from the perspective of the person
  "hiring"/supervising the intern.  It begs the
  question, however:

      "What do interns want during their experience?"

  Obviously, the first answer is money, and the second
  is a job following the internship.  

  Absent those, what else would you like to get from an
  internship?  Without naming names, what are some of
  the positives you've seen, and what might you have
  liked handled differently?

  We've a lot of young people on list, and I suspect
  their answers could be informative for those who
  supervise.



  Indigo Nights
  [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>


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