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Historic Preservation Home > Jobs in Preservation > Paid Internships > Spring 2009 Internship, Edgewater, MD, closes 12/1/08

 

SPRING 2008 INTERNSHIP/PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
IN RESEARCH AND EVALUATION

The Institute for Learning Innovation offers a three-month, paid internship/professional development opportunity as a Research and Evaluation Assistant. The Spring 2009 Deborah A. Carey Internship begins in February, 2009, ends twelve weeks later (start and end dates are flexible), and has a stipend of $1,600 per month. Internships occur at our offices near Annapolis, Maryland. ILI is a not-for-profit learning research and evaluation organization that works to describe, assess, and advance learning in free-choice settings such as museums, libraries,
community-based programs, and the Internet, as well as in the formal education system.

The Research and Evaluation Assistant will work on a variety of projects, which may include evaluation of museum programs or exhibitions, community-based or technology-based programs, or other programs in non-formal learning environments. Past interns have worked on a front-end evaluation of an exhibition at the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, formative evaluation of exhibitions for the National Children's Museum, audience research at the American Philosophical
Society to understand visitor's attitudes about museums' use of reproductions and original artifacts in exhibitions, a summative evaluation of a teacher development program, and a variety of other evaluations and research studies. Duties are specific to projects that are available at the time of the internship and will include some or all of the following tasks:

* Coordinating aspects of evaluation planning and design. The candidate may work with a project manager to formulate the initial design and conceptualization of an evaluation project.
* Collecting data in the field. Data collection may involve conducting interviews, observations, or tracking in a museum, community-based organization, or free-choice learning institution.
* Reducing and analyzing data. Candidates may code and enter data into the appropriate software program as well as run specific reports/tests.
* Writing portions of technical reports that interpret and summarize data.

Applicants must be either 1) working on or have completed their master'sdegree in museum education or a related field and have had some experience and/or course work in evaluation or research design; or 2) working on a PhD and have relevant experience and/or course work.

Our goal is to provide a mutually beneficial experience in which the intern learns new skills while providing of high quality work. The ideal candidate must learn quickly and be able to work simultaneously on several of the many projects with which ILI is involved. The candidate
should have strong analytical and critical thinking skills, excellent written and oral communication, as well as sound interpersonal skills. As much as possible, we attempt to match an intern's goals and interests with relevant projects at ILI.

Applications will be accepted through December 1, 2008
Candidates must hold U.S. citizenship
Application for consideration must include all of the following items:
* A brief cover letter
* A current cv/resume
* Three letters of reference
* In 2-3 pages please provide the following information as best you can:
- Briefly describe your interest and/or experience with evaluation and research in informal learning environments or visitor studies
- Briefly describe any experience or involvement you have had with front-end, formative, remedial, or summative evaluation
- Briefly describe your interests in evaluation and research in informal learning or visitor studies and any steps you have taken to pursue those interests
- Share how you see your career or academic goals supported by an internship with ILI
- Briefly describe the personal strengths and skills that you would bring to the internship,

Application materials should be sent electronically to kessler@ilinet.org or by mail to:
Institute for Learning Innovation,
3168 Braverton Street
Suite 280
Edgewater, MD 21037
Attention: Cheryl Kessler, Internship Coordinator

For further information, please contact: Cheryl Kessler at (410) 956-5144 or kessler@ilinet.org.