Collections Management Intern
Background
Housed in a magnificent Greek Revival landmark, the Founder’s Hall Museum offers a glimpse into the complex life of Stephen Girard, America’s first multi-millionaire and founder of Girard College.
His life illuminates the legacy of a school that has fascinated visitors since the 19th century and became the focus of a key Northern civil rights case in the 20th century. Girard College continues to educate youth today.
Collections Management Intern Overview
Do you like old stuff? Do you want to get hands-on with history? Do you get a kick out of organizing things? Founder’s Hall Museum is looking for a Collections Management Intern for an inventory and cataloging project to make our collections more accessible.
Founder’s Hall is a museum operating within Girard College, a full scholarship boarding school for financially-disadvantaged students. It preserves and shares the history of the unique institution and its founder, Stephen Girard (1750-1831), a merchant, banker, and philanthropist whose fortune went to improving educational opportunities for orphans.
The museum collections include thousands of pages of papers from Stephen Girard, the uniquely-preserved contents of his home, and over 175-years’ worth of collections chronicling the history of school, from photographs to pennants and books to cookies (yes, real cookies), including materials documenting the historic struggle to desegregate Girard College.
We are a small museum, so you will have a big impact! Join us in helping to document and share the stories of a truly fascinating and significant Philadelphia institution.
Responsibilities
The Collections Management Intern will:
- Work with the Director of Historical Collections to inventory the school history collection and update information in our computerized collections catalog.
- Undertake a cataloging project to document a set of un- or under-cataloged items
- Create a project to help others access this material: possibilities include a written guide, an online exhibit, a temporary gallery installation, or other approach to be mutually determined.
Requirements, Skills, and Qualifications
- The ideal candidate possesses strong organizational ability and attention to detail. They are self-motivated and capable of working independently. Previous experience working with databases is a plus but is not required.
- The intern must be able to climb stairs, as the museum is located on the second floor of a historic building with no elevator.
- NOTE: As a school, Girard College requires criminal background checks (FBI and Pennsylvania), child abuse clearance, and substance abuse testing of any applicant offered employment.
Compensation
$20.00 per hour
INTERNS WILL WORK 28 HOURS PER WEEK AND ATTEND A MANDATORY OFFSITE PROGRAM DAY ONE DAY PER WEEK WITH THEIR COHORT.
Internship Period: June 11 – August 13
Total Weeks: 9 weeks
Work Hours per Week: 28
Total Hours: 252
Workdays: 4 days per week onsite; 9AM–5PM
PROGRAM DAY:
On Wednesdays, interns will attend an offsite program day with their cohort.
These hours are separate from the internship hours.
How to Apply:
This internship is through the Studio Institute Arts Intern program.
You must first apply to Arts Intern to be eligible for this internship. Once your application has been approved, we will provide you with the next steps to apply for the Collections Management Intern position at the Founder's Hall Museum.
Eligibility Criteria:
Please watch our information video below to ensure you are eligible to apply for Arts Intern.
Student Info Session- Arts Intern Summer 2025
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Arts Intern Summer 2025 - Philadelphia
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