This is all very interesting. I agree with many things on
both sides of the discussion--however, my one question is,
with all the universities and colleges out there with
programs in the arts in general and with programs in museum
studies in general, why doesn't the SCHOOL offer some
assistance for those who can't afford to do an internship?
I moved to DC from the Midwest to join (some of) my fellow
Museum-L alums at GW. I KNEW I had to do internships, true.
I even did a great senior project as an undergrad to better
prepare for them. I knew I would have to live scarcely to
cover the 480 hours (or whatever) it would take to complete
those credits. I was prepared for it before I moved out
here.
BUT, when I got here I found that the cost of living was
what seemed like triple what it was in Minneapolis, I
had (have) a husband who didn't know the right people
and had to take "jobs" that didn't pay squat (instead of
focusing on his career), and I attended an EXTREMELY
expensive school (where student loans at maximum didn't even
cover all school expenses)--I discovered that I had to get a
part time job...and not just a 15-20 hour a week one. I
worked first retail, then receptionist anywhere between 30
and 40 hours EVERY SINGLE WEEK because I had to just to
help put the ramen noodles on the table. I didn't feel like
I expected to be handed money for doing an internship but by
the time I had to start looking into doing it, taking time
off to do an internship was simply not an option. I went to
several offices, including Museum Studies, at GW asking if
there was any monetary support available. Guess what the
answer was. Well, it wasn't NO, but it was close. (Museum
Studies students at GW pay for Museum Studies courses that
are listed under other departments so the money goes to them
instead of "us"--to financially assist that department's TAs
and Research Assistants--how fair is that?--enough of that
tirade).
Anyway, I was lucky enough to be able to count a VERY
hands-on course for internship credits so I got out of that
semester's "real" internship. I waited and waited and
waited until I was financially stable enough to do an unpaid
internship until I could wait no more. I finally applied
for one of the oft mentioned National Council for
Preservation Education internships (hi Laura) and got
it--starting 3 weeks after graduation date. I am extremely
grateful for that--after being extended past my ending date,
I went off to the Holocaust Museum for a year and a half,
and guess where I am now? In the same office I did my
internship...
The point here, finally, is that I AM grateful for the NCPE
internship because it got me a job--at least through
December. I also don't feel like I felt museums owed me
something for interning there. But because I COULDN'T take
the time off from an almost full time job for a non-paid
internship at a prestigious (somebody mentioned that these
are the ONLY places internships should be done) institution,
I feel like I missed out on alot of experiences some of my
classmates got. And because the school I went to had very
little financial support for people like me, I sort of
blame IT a little for my missing out on those same
experiences.
This is not a cut and dried issue--this runs
to case by case. Every person is different and everybody's
situation is different. Some people honesly NEED to have a
paid internship, not because they are surprised they needed
to do internships, but because circumstances make it so.
When you have 2 people living off 25,000 a year, the choice
between pay and no pay is really a Hobson's choice...it's
not a choice at all.
Maybe the alumni from all of these museum studies programs
should petition the deans of their former schools--telling
them that you know what it was like, you know that the
institution you work for now can do little in the way of
financial aid, and that you would like--no, that you
DEMAND--that more funding go toward a needy student fund in
the museum studies programs. Yeah, that might work as well
as going to the director of your institution. Clearly,
however, something needs to be done or there are going to be
alot of bright, young, hard working grads out there who
can't get a job because they didn't have the "right"
internships and, therefore, the "right" experience. These
are the people you should probably want working for
you the most...
And how about bringing back apprenticeships? Wouldn't THAT
just help solve the problem....
My $4.57
Jennifer
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