The Hancock Shaker Village Summer Internship Program offers paid internships to qualified applicants in
a variety of Village departments. Interns at the Village work alongside staff and volunteers at this vibrant
outdoor museum and living farm in western Massachusetts. Hancock Shaker Village is a National Historic
Landmark dedicated to sharing the history, legacy, and continuing relevance of the Shakers, a religious
group who lived at the site from 1790 until 1960. The Village is open April through December for selfguided
tours, demonstrations, and talks. The Village has 20 historic buildings and a working farm and
garden. Interns contribute to the successful operation of this dynamic public site while expanding their
skills in and knowledge of professional museum functions and practices.
Unless otherwise noted, internships begin on June 4 and end August 10, 2018. Internships are available
in the following departments:
Curatorial
Museum Education
Events & Development
Marketing & PR
Museum Store
Farm & Garden (14-week program; start and end dates flexible)
Detailed descriptions and qualifications follow this summary.
Stipend: Interns receive a stipend of $150/week. Off-site housing may be available if needed. Interns
must provide their own transportation.
Qualifications: Internships are open to qualified undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in or just
graduated from academic institutions within the United States and its territories. Qualifications for
individual internships are listed with each internship description (attached).
Application Procedures: Submit the items listed below via e-mail to Cindy Dickinson, Director of
Education, Hancock Shaker Village, at [email protected] or by mail at PO Box 927,
Pittsfield, MA 01202. Deadline for applications: Friday, March 30, 2018. Incomplete applications will not be
considered.
letter of interest describing your qualifications and reasons for applying. Give specific examples of
internship qualifications in action.
resume
three professional/academic references (be sure to include full names, relationship to you, and
contact information). Please do NOT send letters of recommendation.
Questions? Contact Cindy Dickinson at [email protected] or at 413-443-0188 x213.
Hancock Shaker Village Summer 2018 Internship Descriptions & Qualifications
Curatorial Intern: We are looking for a curious and proactive intern to work alongside our Curator and
Curatorial Assistant to help with a variety of jobs in the curatorial department. This department oversees
the care and interpretation of the Village’s collection of 22,000 artifacts, 20 historic buildings, and
extensive library and archives. The department organizes exhibitions, loans, and research, among a variety
of other projects. What you will do: exhibition preparation, collection cataloguing and accessioning, library
research and transcription of historic manuscripts, archival organization, and generally assisting the curator
in whatever project that arises. The curatorial intern will learn how to use the museum’s collection
database, PastPerfect, and access the artifact collection as well as the hands-on education collection in
order to assist the Education department. Depending on interest, there are also opportunities to work with
our archaeology collection, give specialized tours of the collection or special exhibitions, or develop a
research project in the archives. Qualifications: The Curatorial Intern must have an enthusiasm for history
and material culture; a foundation in history, art history, sociology or another subject related to the Village;
an interest in writing and communication, a demonstrated ability to take direction and work independently;
success working in a dynamic environment; the ability to lift at least 30 lbs, and a willingness to get their
hands a little dirty.
Museum Education Intern We are looking for an energetic and well-spoken intern to join the Education
Department staff and volunteer interpreters as we share the Shakers’ story, beliefs, and continuing
relevance with 50,000+ visitors. You will gain valuable experience in public speaking and interpretation
(both formal and informal), historical research, visitor services, program planning, and workplace
dynamics. What you will be doing: This summer’s intern will have two primary assignments: 1) working as an
interpreter alongside seasoned interpretive staff to support daily public programming at the Village and 2)
providing significant support to the Village’s new summer day camp program (3 week-long sessions). As
an interpreter, the intern will staff several historic buildings and will develop a thirty-minute introductory
talk about the Shakers; the intern will also engage younger visitors and their families with farm- and craftrelated
activities in the hands-on Discovery Barn. As summer camp assistant, the intern will assist the
Education Director with a variety of pre-camp tasks, will be one of two principal camp staff during camp
sessions, and will coordinate follow-up communication. Qualifications: The Museum Education Intern must
have demonstrated experience successfully working with people of all ages, especially children ages 8-14;
must have demonstrated ability both to take direction and to work independently; must possess excellent
communication skills, both oral and written; must be patient, flexible, organized, hard-working, and
possess a good sense of humor. A strong foundation in history, sociology, cultural studies, or another
subject related to the Village is preferred; experience with life on a farm a plus but not required.
Events & Development Intern We are looking for an energetic team player eager to gain valuable
experience in events coordination at a vibrant non-profit institution. The intern will work alongside the
Events Producer and the Development Manager on a variety of public and development events during the
Village’s busy summer season. The Events and Development departments create programs that cultivate
friends and funders who provide vital support for the Village’s core mission. What you will do: serve as the
primary assistant to the Events Producer and the Development Manager for 6-8 special programs during
the summer. Tasks include pre-event planning, event set-up, registration check-in, trouble-shooting during
events, and post-event clean-up and follow-up. Examples of programs include roots music concerts,
dinners, and the annual fund-raising Gala. You will also do research and prep work for fall events such as
Country Fair and will assist the Development Manager with database clean-up and prospect research.
Qualifications: The Events & Development Intern must be enthusiastic, hard-working, and flexible; have
demonstrated success in multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment; be able to follow directions and also
show initiative, as the situation requires; must be able to maintain composure and a sense of humor in
high-pressure situations; must have a familiarity with Microsoft Office (Excel experience a plus); and must
be able to lift at least 30 lbs. Prior experience working with the public is helpful but not required.
Marketing & PR Intern: We are looking for an energetic and enthusiastic self-starter with exceptional
interpersonal communication skills to work alongside our Manager of Communications. The
Communications Department is responsible for all aspects of marketing and publicity—print, web, social
media, and public relations–for Hancock Shaker Village. During your internship, you will gain extensive
experience with the range of tasks required to get the communications ball rolling in a fast-paced museum
environment. What you will do: Update and maintain the Village’s extensive lists of media outlets, group
tour contacts, schools, affinity groups, and hoteliers; research via internet and phone; respond via e-mail
and/or phone to requests for images; schedule, coordinate and oversee photography sessions; post or
submit event information to multiple online outlets; take photographs/video of Village events and daily
activities to provide a current view of the Village for the organization’s growing social media presence;
suggest social media text; print and file press mentions; distribute posters county-wide to promote
upcoming events; add contacts to the electronic communication database. Intern will also work directly
with the Village’s President on a book project related to Shaker cooking (research and writing of some
content as well as organizing photo shoots). Qualifications: The Marketing and PR Intern must be
exceptionally well-organized, have excellent communication skills in writing, in person, and on the phone;
have demonstrated success in working in a fast-paced environment; be flexible and easy-going; enjoy
multi-tasking (some of which includes sitting at a computer terminal and using spreadsheets). Photography
skills a plus but not required.
Museum Store Intern: We are looking for an organized, personable intern who is eager to learn the ins
and outs of retail management. What you will do. As the principal assistant to the manager of Shaker
Mercantile (the Village’s on-site store), you will check in and ticket merchandise, organize and maintain
stock rooms, assist store clerks with sales, and implement merchandise displays. You will assist with
photographing merchandise and writing text for the store’s on-line products. You will have the
opportunity to work on several store events like “Meet the Maker.” Qualifications: The Museum Store
Intern must be organized, comfortable with math, able to work independently as well as with others, able
to lift at least 20 lbs, and interested in learning more about all aspects of retail. Prior experience in retail
work helpful but not required.
Farm & Garden Interns: We are looking for two hard-working and energetic intern to work alongside
our CSA manager as she carries out the daily operations of sustainable vegetable production on the
Hancock Shaker Village Farm. The CSA garden, now in its 7th year, connects to all aspects of the
Village’s operation, including its education initiatives, café and retail outlets, and development efforts. Gain
invaluable experience operating a successful production garden at the heart of a public historic site, and
expand your knowledge on sustainable gardening in such areas as soil health; plant fertility; weed, disease
and insect ecology; specific crop rotation plans; seed orders; seed saving; planting schedules; and cover
crop plans. What you will do: weed control including mulching, cultivation (tractor experience a plus but not
necessary) and hand hoeing; organic pest control; plant and manage cover crops; harvest and prepare
vegetables and produce for weekly CSA pick-up; and staff the CSA pick-up. In this special setting you will
use both historic and modern farm tools and machinery. Because the Village also owns and manages farm
animals, you will learn basic animal husbandry and participate in barn chores as needed. You will also assist
with Village initiatives that present the sustainable working farm to the public, such as giving garden tours
or facilitating Saturday workshops and helping with preparations for the summer fundraising Gala.
Qualifications: The Farm and Garden Interns should have a strong commitment to learning about
sustainable agriculture; demonstrated ability to take direction and work independently; success working in
a dynamic environment; be able to lift at least 30 lbs., and have a willingness to work hard in all types of
weather. Prior experience on a farm helpful but not required.
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