Field Museum Chicago: Botanical Collections Graphic Design Internship

The Field Museum - Botanical Collections, Graphic Design & Communications Internship
 

Position Title: Botanical Collections, Graphic Design & Communications

Location: The Field Museum Chicago - Botany Collections

Fixed Pay Per Semester: $4500

Hours: 15 hours per week on site; Weekdays during business hours of 9am-5pm.

Start & End Date: January 20, 2026-May 15, 2026

Experience Level: Entry Level

Number of openings: 1

Application Details: Apply on Handshake - CV & Cover Letter required. 

Application Deadline: December 1, 2025

About Us

The Field Museum fuels a journey of discovery across time to enable solutions for a brighter future rich in nature and culture. We house close to forty million objects representing zoology, botany, geology, and anthropology, and these collections form the foundation of the Museum’s exhibitions, research, and education programs.

Description of Internship

As part of the new Field Museum–Northeastern Illinois University internship partnership, we propose an opportunity that bridges science, communication, and creativity. The intern would contribute directly to elevating the Field Museum’s world-renowned Botanical Collections - one of the largest herbaria in the Western Hemisphere- by developing engaging outreach materials. These collections span an extraordinary diversity of life, including flowering plants, ferns, fungi, lichens, and mosses, offering a rich foundation for creative storytelling. This internship not only supports the Museum’s mission of connecting people to nature and culture but also provides the student with hands-on experience at the intersection of science communication and museum collections which will enhance public awareness of the herbarium’s role in science, conservation, and education.

Duties and Responsibilities

 •  Develop engaging outreach materials such as fliers, posters, and digital products to translate our botanical research and collections into compelling stories for diverse audiences.

 •   Create visual content (for example, graphics, infographics, short videos, social media assets) that highlights the diversity of flowering plants, ferns, fungi, lichens, and mosses and the function and role of herbaria.

 •  Collaborate with curators, staff, and students to gather stories and translate scientific information into accessible, compelling formats for broad audiences.

 • Support the archiving and organization of outreach materials to ensure they are preserved and reusable for future museum initiatives.

Qualifications 

• Background in graphics and design, communications or related fields.

• Interest in natural history or museum studies.

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.

• Experience with digital imaging or photography preferred.

This internship is funded through IBHE grant (Illinois Cooperative Work Study Program): #26ICWS15.