Employment
Employment vacancy announcements are posted here when available. Find more opportunities on the Smithsonian’s Office Human Resources website. See positions open at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
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Internships
We welcome interns for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival year-round, although the bulk of the work is in the summer. In the fall, winter, and spring, interns assist with research and planning for the upcoming Festival’s programs—best suited for students in anthropology, ethnomusicology, library science, and museum and language studies as related to the program.
In the summer of 2026, internships revolve around supporting activities that mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Internship opportunities are available in curatorial research and planning, social media and public relations, web production, graphic design, foodways, visitor surveys, accessibility, technical support, and audiovisual documentation.
Summer internships will begin in late May or early June; specific start and end dates are negotiable. Interns will be expected to work weekends and, likely, the July Fourth holiday and should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment amid large crowds of people.
Internships are open to undergraduate, graduate, and upper-level high-school students, as well as non-students. Interns are expected to work for at least sixteen hours per week for a duration of two to four months. Beginning in summer 2026, we offer stipends to full-time interns of at least $700/week. Transportation and housing compensation for interns is not available. Students in relevant fields may be able to arrange course credit through their college or university.
How to Apply
To apply, visit SOLAA and create an account. After selecting Internship, specify the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (please indicate the name of the specific internship in your essay). You will be required to upload supporting materials such as an essay, résumé, transcript, and letters of recommendation. Selected applicants will need to undergo a background check.
The submission deadline for summer internships is March 1. There are no deadlines for getting applications in for the rest of the year. The completed application should be submitted at least six weeks before the start of the internship.
If you have questions, please contact intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger at ReinigerA@si.edu.
More internships at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
