Internships

Living History Farms is an interactive outdoor history museum which educates, entertains and connects people of all ages to Midwestern rural life experiences. We are looking for interns to join our team who are energetic and enthusiastic about using their knowledge and talents to engage with our visitors. We are offering a variety of paid and unpaid intern positions.

If you would like to join our team, please fill out the internship application form linked below the position you are applying for. Please upload your resume and cover letter at the bottom of the application form. Living History Farms also has many volunteer opportunities available.

Paid Internship Positions

Living History Farms offers a 90-day summer internship program for undergrad students in their sophomore year or higher. Interns earn a temporary worker hourly wage and receive six hours of tuition-free history credit, and valuable work experience – plus Living History Farms pays all tuition costs. Credit is provided through Graceland University and students can transfer credit hours to their own program.

Historic Interpreter

Job Description

Internship Application

General Information – Paid Internships

• Students must pay to have a copy of the transcript of the credit transferred to their individual college or university. The credit is provided through Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa. Housing is not provided.
• All interns begin the program with an intensive orientation and training session. Throughout the internship, interns are required to attend seminars that explore some aspect of public history, museum operations, or related topics. Internship program requirements also include reading and writing assignments, and completion of a special research project related to their work.
• To apply, students must be in their sophomore year or higher. In-person interviews are required.

General Qualifications  – Paid Internships

• Like working with the public and/or children of all ages
• Excellent communication skills
• Willingness to learn, and a “can do” attitude
• Ability to work independently
• Creative, with analytical and problem-solving skills

Questions? Please contact Dan Jones, Intern Program Coordinator, at 515-278-5286 ext. 157, or via email at education@lhf.org.

Volunteer Internship Positions

Collections

The collections department is charged with managing the museum’s collection. Interns will learn about museum collections practices as they provide support to the collections department staff.

Job Description

Internship Application

Development

Open to sophomores and above

Delve into the world of fundraising, as you learn what it takes to build community support for a non-profit organization. Through a project-based approach, interns will learn what it takes to apply for grants, work with donors, and track projects from start to finish within the context of a strategic plan. Majors: business, marketing, journalism, management, business, English, history, or to anyone interested in working in a non-profit environment.

Internship Application

Education

Open to freshmen and above

• Anyone can learn.
• Learning is fun and active!
• You never stop learning.

These basic tenets form the foundation of the educational programming offered by Living History Farms. Taking a project-based approach, you will learn how museums develop, implement, conduct, and evaluate educational programming for students of all ages. Majors: elementary education, secondary education, early childhood education, or similar interest/major

Internship Application

Marketing and Communications

Open to sophomores and above

Marketing interns assist Living History Farms in achieving our mission to educate, entertain, and connect people of all ages to Midwestern rural life experiences. This position involves communication and marketing promotions using email marketing, social media, press releases, design, and website updates.

Job Description

Internship Application

Museum/Non-Profit Management

Open to juniors and seniors

Intrigued by what it takes to manage a non-profit organization? This intern will assist the President of Living History Farms and other department administrators with a multitude of projects. Majors: management, business administration, finance, history, or similar interest/major

Internship Application

Period Clothing Construction and Interpretation

Open to juniors and seniors 

Summer – This will appeal in particular to those who want more experience with clothing design and production in a museum or theatre setting. Living History Farms provides period-appropriate clothing to its staff that work at the historic sites. This intern will work on  helping to construct clothing from period patterns and  to help maintain stock. Experience will include historical interpretation and hat construction in the Millinery Shop. Specific qualifications: excellence in basic sewing skills. Majors: theatre, family and consumer science

Internship Application

General Information – Volunteer Internships

• Schedule can be negotiated, but generally hours will occur when the Living History Farms offices are open, Monday-Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm. Occasional nights or weekends may be necessary.
• Positions are open throughout the year, and are available immediately.
• Training will be provided.
• The student is responsible for ensuring that the internship fits into their individual program of study.
• Positions are unpaid.
• Applications for the volunteer internships are being accepted for summer and fall academic terms. There is no deadline to apply, but applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis, and positions are open until filled.

General Qualifications – Volunteer Internships

• Excellent communication skills
• Willingness to learn, and a “can do” attitude
• Ability to work independently
• Experience with standard computer software for a work environment, such as Power Point, Excel, Word, etc.
• Creative, with analytical and problem solving skills
• Enjoys working with the public

Questions? Please contact Dan Jones, Intern Program Coordinator, at 515-278-5286 ext. 157, or via email at education@lhf.org