Historic Interpretation Intern Trades (2026)

Position Title: Historic Interpretation Intern- Trades

Classification: Intern, Non-exempt

Department: Programming

Reports to: Director of Education Programming  

Wage Range: $14.00-$14.25-$14.50           

Position Summary:

The historic interpreter intern supports through their work Living History Farms’ mission: to educate and connect all people to the many stories of Midwestern rural life heritage.

You will interact daily with the museum’s guests, explaining the history and trends in rural town life in the Midwest through conversations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities, all while learning and strengthening professional development skills.

You will work primarily at either the 1876 Advocate Print Shop or Matthias Blacksmith Shop. Much of the time, you will be wearing clothing issued by Living History Farms that reflects the clothing of the time period as you interact with the public. 

Essential Duties:              

• Greet and interact with museum guests in an open, friendly manner. 
• Interpret historic events and facts for museum guests of all ages.  Communicate information with cultural awareness and sensitivity, creating a safe learning space for all ages.  Direct guests’ curiosity and interests to provoke thoughtful consideration of other cultures and experiences. 
• Engagingly demonstrate and interpret daily historic activities for school tours, day camp groups, adult tour groups, and the general visitor. 
• Actively encourage general visitors, especially children, to participate in interactive activities, including scheduled hands-on activities, as appropriate. 
• Perform appropriate work, indoors and outdoors, in a variety of conditions consistent with the historical time period and the interpretive activity, and within the variations of Iowa’s climate. 
• Always maintain a professional demeanor, especially when interacting with the public, but also including during training sessions and with other staff. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:      

None; will work with other paid and volunteer staff 

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment:

Able to work in a variety of environments, both indoors and outdoors, consistent with Iowa’s climate.

This position regularly works outdoors in adverse conditions (heat, rain, cold). Work may be performed in dusty, outdoor environments; in poorly lit areas; and near open campfires. The noise level in the workplace varies.  Most buildings this position works in are not climate controlled.  This is a dynamic, fast-paced, team-oriented workplace.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Essential duties include working sitting, standing, walking, bending over or kneeling; involves some lifting and moving of objects; standing for extended periods; climbing stairs and ladders. Must be able to lift 50 pounds.

Education/Skills:              

• High school diploma or GED required; Must be currently enrolled in a college or university with a major in museum studies, education, history, or related field.
• Enjoy working with the public, and people of all ages, especially children!
• Possess excellent communication (verbal and written) skills.
• Display a willingness to learn, and a “can do” mentality.
• Approach situations with creative, analytical, and problem-solving skills. 
• Demonstrate exceptional customer service skills.
• Enjoy working in a dynamic, fast-paced, team-oriented work environment. 
• Demonstrate an ability to work independently, following through on tasks to completion. 
• Be dependable, reliable, punctual, trustworthy- the museum’s guests and your co-workers are counting on you!
• Be comfortable working outdoors, sometimes in adverse conditions such as heat, rain, etc. (Most buildings are not climate controlled.) 
• Able to perform physical tasks with physical mobility, such as lifting up to 50 lbs., walking over uneven ground, standing for long periods of time, etc.
• Have experience with the Microsoft Office package and Google 
• Successfully pass a criminal background check

Position Hours/Schedule:           This position is scheduled for 140 hours.

• The schedule for this internship is 10 weeks, 14 hours per week, 2 days per week, days TBD
• The internship runs from late May through mid-August 2026. 
• Any time missed must be made up. Limited requests for time off can be accommodated. 
• Must be able to work Saturday, July 4.

Internship requirements:

Complete the full 140 hours (any time missed must be made up). 

Attend required museum seminars.

Complete required assignments.

(Upon successful completion of the internship requirements, the intern can earn up to a maximum of 2 credit hours through Graceland University, Lamoni, Iowa.  Non-Graceland students must transfer credits to their home university and are responsible for any fees associated with this.)

Note: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.